“… blogging about life, travel, books, food and the outdoors”
Abundance of beauty on trek to fish ladder
In less than 2 miles we arrived at a man-made contraption in the middle of the forest that is saving the lives of countless fish. “The project is truly an engineering marvel: located in a deep canyon, with no road access, approximately 500 tons of rock were excavated...
A Wonderland of musical theater
Usually my mantra is the book is always better. The movie, the television show, the play—none of them will do the printed version justice. Boy, was I ever wrong with Wonderland. When I reviewed the book several years ago I wondered what all the hoopla was...
Columbus Day needs to be relegated to the history books
The second Monday of October remains controversial. Should it be called Indigenous People’s Day or Columbus Day? This will be the second year that nationally it has been known as Indigenous People’s Day. Columbus Day had been a national holiday since 1934. However,...
B.R. Cohn Winery full of musical history
A large guitar outside of a winery is a good indications the roots to the place have something to do with music. B.R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen was founded by Bruce Cohn in 1984. Before he made a name for himself in the wine and olive oil industries, Cohn was a...
Book Review: Riveting Hunter S. Thompson biography
Certain writers define their generation. Hunter S. Thompson was one of those people. While plenty of people have dismissed Thompson because of his well-documented drug use and penchant to mix opinion with fact, the truth is he was a dynamic writer who had an ability...
Chico council, school board candidates distinguish themselves
What a difference it makes seeing and hearing candidates in person versus reading about them whether it’s through campaign materials, news articles or letters to the editor. In some ways it was refreshing to attend the Sept. 27 forum put on by the Chico chapter...
Sandstone cliffs of Drakes Beach create dramatic scene
Hundreds of feet tall, the sandstone cliffs at Drakes Bay rise in dramatic fashion from the beach. Looking at the ocean it’s easy to feel small. Turn around to face the cliffs and your stature is further diminished. In many ways it felt like there was no way...
Rethinking the words we use when it comes to gender
Words matter. Innocuous as some may be, they can come with baggage not always obvious. It may simply be because we grew up saying certain words and accepted them or we could be oblivious or something else might be going on. Words like fireman, policeman, serviceman,...
Finding evidence of fire throughout Northern California
Today it seems impossible to hike in California without seeing scars from wildfires. I don’t remember that always being true. Maybe I’m more aware now. Maybe there are simply that many more burn areas. Likely, it’s both. On a recent hike in Lassen National Forest I...
Book Review: ‘Refraction’ illuminates life in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
One thing I love about reading books is learning something I knew nothing about. Refraction: An Artic Memoir by Bruce Rettig did not disappoint. In some ways Refraction is like a coming of age book. Isn’t that what college years are after all—a time to learn about so...
Astonishing amount of trash to clean up in statewide event
Looking over the bridge trash was everywhere. Three bags were not going to be enough. Even worse, we didn’t know how to safely retrieve it. The leaders of the 35th annual Bidwell Park and Chico Creeks Cleanup said it would be steep to access Little Chico Creek. I...
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