Memory Monday: For Gabby

I’ve had dogs in my life for as long as I can remember; so it felt incredibly strange to live without a dog around the house for 15 years after our last dog, Buster, died in 2010. It wasn’t until December 2025 that I finally felt ready to bring a new companion into my life, and already I’m wondering how […]

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A new start

In the past few weeks I’ve been getting outdoors a lot more than I have in years. Thanks to my new four-legged hiking buddy, I’m revisiting places that were once familiar and discovering some that are entirely new to me. The result has been that the dog is happy, I feel a bit more fit, and I have brand new […]

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A Sterling first day hike

Our trip out to Sterling Pointe Park on New Year’s Day got off to a rather bumpy start — not long after I’d realized I forgot to bring my phone, a cloudburst opened up as I drove north on Auburn Folsom Road; so I missed the turn and had to double back. But by the time we reached the parking […]

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Exploring Rattlesnake Bar

I’ve been out to Rattlesnake Bar a few times within the past month with my new companion, and I seriously enjoy introducing him for the first time to these places that are so familiar to me. Before the most recent round of storms hit, we went out to explore another section of shoreline, and we both found a few surprises. […]

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Another heartbeat

You may have noticed the the presence of a dog at the end of my blog post last Thursday; well, even if you didn’t that’s okay — but I think the time has come to introduce the newest member of my family. It’s been 15 years since there was a dog living in my house, so we’re both having an […]

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Fall colors

When we talk about fall colors we tend to think of the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of deciduous foliage, like those found in New England or the Rockies. But even on a dreary day at Mississippi Bar the other day I realized that autumn has many variations of colors. They may not be vivid and eye-catching, but just pause […]

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Stripes and splashes

I’m so grateful now for the day I spent with the Big Guy on his bass boat late last June. We launched from Vieira’s Resort near Isleton on the Sacramento River, and explored northward toward Liberty Island and into Lindsay Slough before turning south. We passed underneath the Rio Vista Bridge and found a striped bass “honey hole” alongside Sherman […]

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Ebb and tide

Exaxtly one year ago, I was on the Mendocino coast with the Big Guy for yet another fishing and hiking trip. During our stay, we spent a fair amount of time inside our rented house, staring out at the pouring rain and trying to keep the fire in our stove from going out. For a short time, we were even […]

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