Maybe I do have only the intelligence of a Neanderthal, after all I don’t understand the television show, “Sex in the City.” I sat with my wife and our house mate and watched two episodes and while they laughed and giggled, I missed it. The show is purportedly about four independent women living in New…

Yes, I engaged the enemy in battle and killed him. And I was close to someone who was either killed or wounded. This is not your fault. Both fear and death surrounded me time and again. In fact the Pentagon has a plan in place in case I’m killed in action. Anxiety, insomnia, and guilt…

One of my favorite military unit motto’s is, “These things we do, so others may live.” I like it because it’s not only simple and direct, but it says so much about the character of those service members who are the U.S. Air Force’s Pararescue. Time and again I see it after a disaster: Us opening our…

We were heading east on Highway 70, somewhere between the small California settlement Chilcoot and Hallelujah Junction, enjoying the scenery, when I noticed the light blue wrecker, its yellow-orange light bar flashing above its cab. It was steadily gaining on us and I was preparing to slowdown and pull to the far right to let it…

There are three things important in life. First is to be kind, The second is to be kind, And the third is to be kind. My doctor has taken a pledge, “First do no harm,” but I can one-up the profession by taking this a step beyond: First, be kind. I’ve decided to come into…

It’s a hard history to acknowledge, but my Grandpa and his son, my dad, did not talk or see each other for years.  Then suddenly, Grandpa died and it left a hole of grief in Dad’s heart afterwards. A little over 15-years later, a nearly identical situation carried itself out as I learned my dad…

Throughout high school I was known for many things, some good, some bad, but mainly as ‘fast.’ That’s because since 7th grade I was a race-winning sprinter, setting several records and even getting an invite to the 1976 Olympics track and field try-outs. It could have all been very different though, but for one thing,…

While European expeditions along the Northcoast remained rare during the 1500s and 1600s, a number of their ships did pass by the coastline of Del Norte. Most notably among them were the Manila Galleons. These ships formed a trade route that connected Acapulco and the Philippines and brought the riches of the Indies to Europe.…

Elko County’s famous Flying Sheriff, Jesse “Jess” C. Harris is the son of Sheriff Joseph C. Harris, who headed the same office from 1910 to 1936.  The younger Harris came into office in 1950 and served until 1974. Between Joe and Jess, they served 50 years in the 20th century as the county’s sheriff. And though he’s not related…

This year marks the tenth anniversary of blogging for me. And still I keep learning about this format. If this were a marriage, a gift of tin would be proper. First, I should never post more than one entry per day. Anymore than that and I drive you away from taking the time to read…