Civil Society

Yep. I Owned a Ford Pinto

The other day, I was having lunch with several friends at the Buckhorn up in North Fork when, for some reason, I mentioned that when I was a young guy, I had owned a Ford Pinto. All of them started laughing.  Immediately. After a second or two, I started chuckling, as well — and then…

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Memories from Walt’s Place

Yes, the time has almost come for us to end our nearly two-week trek to Mr. Disney’s place here in Orlando and head back West. We’ve had quite a fine time here, and you always hate to see something you really, really like — come to an end. No, this is not going to be…

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Civil Society

Mr. Disney’s World, Again

In recent years, it seems that every time Sharon and I manage to make our way to Disney World in Orlando — and every time we receive a nice greeting on the TV inside our resort room — I write a piece on this very blogsite, saying near the top that it might be the…

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Civil Society

A Half-Century Ago

It was, incredibly, exactly a half-century ago this very week when I was hired by Channel 30 as the youngest TV reporter in Fresno. I was 23 — and, of course, almost completely unqualified.  I had graduated from Fresno State with a degree in broadcast journalism and taken my first full-time broadcasting job as a…

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Civil Society

Farewell, Rocky

On the Saturday night before Thanksgiving a few weeks ago, we had to say good-bye to a beloved family friend. And we cried. Her name was Rocky. She was 17.  She had started her life by being pulled out of a trash bin by some kindly people who discovered her when she was only a…

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Civil Society

The Greatest Gift

On the week before Christmas more than a half-century ago, I received the greatest gift anyone had ever given me.  And it changed my life. Let me tell you a story.  I grew up in Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley of California.  We did not have a lot of money. But Mom did have…

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Civil Society

Thanksgiving, Again

Yes, it’s nearly back.  Thanksgiving Day.  That day of turkey and Macy’s parade and NFL football. I’ve experienced nearly three-quarters of a century’s worth of Thanksgivings (not quite — I’m not that old — not yet, at least).  So I have a ton of memories of that day, as you undoubtedly do. Growing up in…

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Civil Society

Bandit Town’s Hot Chili

They held a Chili Cook-Off in Bandit Town near North Fork in the Sierra this past Saturday, and there were several reasons why I had to head up there. For one thing, I like chili — a lot.  And I knew it was going to be a gorgeous autumn day at the 3,000 foot level. …

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A Dandy in Madera

They put on another Old Timers Day Parade in Madera this past Saturday.  In a related story, I dressed up as a Victorian dandy. Now that I have your attention, I hope, let’s move on.  First — the parade. They’ve been having one in honor of Old Timers for more than 90 years in Madera,…

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Civil Society

It’s Emma Peel Time

The calendar tells us — and our temperatures confirm — that autumn has arrived here in the Valley.  Of all our seasons — autumn is our Emma Peel.  The most beautiful. If you’re not familiar with Emma — I invite you to Google “The Avengers” TV show from the 1960’s. The lovely Emma — played…

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