Musings

  One of the most delightful scents that I know is that of chaparral after a rain. It is no surprise to anyone that California has been going through a drought…something that happens every decade or so. (While the average annual rainfall for Ojai is supposed to be 16 inches that just means that some … Continue reading »

  I will be 69 years old later this year and I have friends that I have known for 50-60 years. I do not imagine that it is entirely unique to have a childhood friend, but in my case, I have quite a few. I still know and occasionally see some of the guys I … Continue reading »

  I rose on this cloudy morning and met my friend, Robert, in a nearly imperceptible drizzle at the Oso Trail head. There were no other cars in the lot. The river bottom was alive with its smells; the usual dust of the trail, a soft red; the tracks of animals strikingly more distinct: deer, … Continue reading »

  This morning I was walking up a trail above the valley, pondering the vagaries of retirement, and a forgotten moment came up for me, one that left me deeply missing the work that I did for many years. Like all schools, we ended the year with graduation, at HVS a tender and heartfelt event, … Continue reading »

  I spend a lot of my time these days with our dog, Doc. Doc is a Golden Retriever.  His full name is Dr. Teddy Benson, due to diverse views about naming him. He was Benson for a couple of days, but the kids wanted to call him Teddy. I prefer single syllable names for … Continue reading »

My pal, Bill, wrote a fine little book called Small Trout. While the book seems as much about Bill and his general proclivities as it is about trout, it is a fine treatise on appreciating solitary afternoons, small creeks, frisky little wild trout (OK, and frisky big ones on occasion),the idiosyncrasies of friends and the … Continue reading »

  We watched the Golden Globes last light for the first time. We did not plan to; it just came on after the Denver/SD game and Meredy’s nap. Being Tina Fey fans, we stuck around. We didn’t see much of Tina, but we did end up feeling steeped in Americana…which is an odd side effect to … Continue reading »

  A friend recently related that she had been hiking and felt the hair stand up on her neck. She left the trail, but later learned that there was a mountain lion in the area. Last spring, another friend had a similar experience…knowing that something/someone was watching…but this time she saw the lion as she … Continue reading »

 I seem to have a hard time throwing away old shoes. I suppose that this is partially due to the fact that I buy sturdy shoes, ones I can hike in or in which I can at least walk comfortably, so their achievement of retirement age is not readily recognized. I have to admit that … Continue reading »

  Have you ever had your life change due to some relatively insignificant experience…a trivial moment? I am not referring to dramatic events like the birth of a child, the death of a parent or friend; I am not even thinking of the “what if” moments of getting into this car rather than that, that … Continue reading »