Opinion

You know, when you write a little story each week and try to keep the subjects fresh, there are times when you really have to sit back for a while so you can bring forth — through the keys on a computer keyboard —...

The agricultural stretch of California’s Central Coast along the Salinas Valley is often called the “Salad Bowl of the World,” and for good reason. It supplies over 60% of the nation’s lettuce and substantial portions of strawberries, spinach and broccoli. But beyond the fertile...

It has been mentioned before how I always felt, and had support of some readers, that the photo that accompanied this column just was not how I appear to the world. I wore a mustache without beard for only about five weeks and with...

Today seems like it might be a little different than most Sundays; there is an Artichoke Festival. This year it is in Monterey instead of Castroville. I was going to accompany my bride and her friends and go with them, but I needed to...

For the readers who have been reading my thoughts for the past few years, you will be happy to know that my old ’56 Ford F-100 is finally on the road. Of course, it isn’t completely finished as I would like it to be...

By my reckoning 140 years, give or take, of my family’s timeline was spent in prisons; the years accumulated by my parents, a brother and his wife, a niece and myself. And it seems the family occupation within the California Department of Corrections (CDC;...

Somewhere along the line I am sure I mentioned that I have lived and worked in different locales spread across the country and as such there are memorable episodes, one of which came to mind recently so I thought I would share it. I...

When do we stop being the parents to our children? Or, for that matter when do our children quit being our children? For question number one, I would say we never stop being the parents of our kids, but there are extenuating circumstances that...

The perfect day was on order for the chosen celebration of life of our very own valley girl. Blissful sunlight through the oaks on River Road was on the menu, as was some delightful company. I arrived on top of some very ripe vines...

Many moons ago on Highway 101 just north of Greenfield there was an odometer check. This consisted of four signs, the first starting a few hundred yards shy of Hudson Road, marked Mile 0, Mile 1, Mile 2, Mile 3 and finally Mile 4....