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Secrets of a Stuffed Dog
After bragging about how old my stuffed toy dog was, I eventually brought it to work to show it off. One of the people who I showed it to was my friend, Kay, who jus’ happened to stop by the station. She managed to talk me into letting her take it home to show to…
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A Good Human
En route home from work, I turned from Glendale onto Rock near Baldini’s, when I saw a small rabbit dragging itself across the roadway and into the gutter. I knew at that moment I had to stop and do something. Grabbing a pair of work gloves from the cab of my truck, I quickly but…
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Jim McQuillen, Sr.
Jim McQuillen, Sr., known by most as “Mac,” passed away March 11, 2011. He was born Jan. 19, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to going into law enforcement, a career that span nearly 26 years, Mac served four years in the United States Air Force, being stationed at Requa 777th Radar Station in Klamath,…
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Bobby Allen
Another Del Norte High School classmate has passed away. He was in the class of 1980. I remember him as a smart-a$$ed kid always ready with a sarcastic remark — which I like about him. Born and raised in Crescent City, Bobby Allen passed away February 18, 2011. He spent most of his adult life working…
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Out of the Blue
What started as a search for Grandpa Tom’s military records has led me in a direction I never saw coming. For the last couple of years I’ve been inquiring about the possibility of recovering Grandpa’s “Bluejackets’ Manual.” The BJM as it is known amongst those in the Navy is the bible when it comes to…
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Bad Ideas Abound
The last couple of days, I have been dealing with a slight case of writer’s block — and while trying to “not think” of something to write I remembered this article I originally published in the now defunct weblog, “InfoCow.” I’m not sure but I think I wrote it as my bipolar disorder was operating on the manic-side. This is an…
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Desert Sand to Moon Rocks
Before U.S. astronauts could collect a single moon rock — there was the desert sands of Spanish Springs — where many of the rockets used by America’s space program were tested. Those tests happened at a facility operated by Rocketdyne at the Sky Ranch Airport, between Spanish Springs Road and Calle de la Plata. My Uncle…
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Gomer’s New Job
I found this little piece of humor in one of my news files at the radio station. I thought it fairly funny and worth sharing. The local sheriff was looking for a deputy, so Gomer, who was not exactly the sharpest nail in the bucket, went in to try out for the job. “Okay,” the…
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Off the Wall
My wife was gone for a week’s long visit to her sister’s home in Ramona. Her’s were not the only plans made for the week. Kay and I decided to paint one of the front room walls the same color we had painted the hallway earlier in the year. It took us a total of…
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Knee Deep in the Hoopla
The bride and I were traveling along Interstate 80 and had jus’ dropped into the valley on the north side of the Grapevine. It was difficult to keep a single radio station tuned in for any length of time as we drove along. But every time we did find a station it seemed the one…