Huell really isn’t kidding when he says that this episode of California’s Gold starts off “with a bang,” and it’s sure to put a smile on your face right away! This is a really fun episode that’s filled with early motion picture theater history — not the big stuff like movie studios and glamorous stars, but the nearly forgotten details […]
I may have mentioned before that one of my pastimes is trolling through the vintage toys offered on eBay to see if I can spot any toys I used to play with in my childhood; in fact, I shared one of my previous finds back in February 2021 (see A Vintage game bird). It’s rare for me to actually find […]
The quality of merchandise at any swap meet will vary widely, and Denio’s is no exception. As you wander through the many acres of vendors’ stalls you will find brand new items of clothing, toys, tools and hardware, floor coverings, and kitchen items; you’ll also see just as many used items, in conditions ranging from pristine to one step away […]
Even though this one-hour episode of Road Trip is titled “Cotati,” Huell actually spends his day exploring the wider area of both Cotati and Sebastopol in Sonoma of County. I’ve passed through both places along Highway 101 quite a few times and even enjoyed staying in Sebastopol on a number of occasions. So it’s great to learn more about the […]
This post was original published as Memory Monday, Week 75, on July 16, 2018. This week, I’m starting in on the photos of my dad’s fellow servicemen — although unfortunately he didn’t record their names anywhere. And some of the prints are really tiny, like 2 x 2.75 inches. The majority though are 3.25 x 2.75 inches or 4.25 x 3 inches in size. Makes me remember how far print photography has come even during my lifetime! It’s great seeing images of the servicemen interacting with very happy local kids, especially considering that a mere 5 years earlier, our countries were at war with each other. Next week, I’ll have more posed photos like the ones below; again, I can’t identify these guys, but I’m sure they were excellent young servicemen!
Back in January I showed you some vintage family photos from San Diego that included the steam ferryboat Berkeley. I recalled seeing this boat in an episode of California’s Gold, and I was surprised to realize I had never featured it on my blog. So this week, I’m correcting that oversight! You may notice the mention of another San Francisco […]
August 2000 — Family gathering in Albia, Iowa.
Yesterday I wrote about two very inspiring men who lived through the forcible relocation of Japanese-Americans during World War 2. Today I’m continuing that theme with this episode of California’s Gold from 2005. Manzanar War Relocation Center was located in the Owens Valley of the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, and although the camp barracks were dismantled long ago, the past […]
Stringed instruments have a long and complex history dating back to ancient times and all around the world. It’s fascinating to see how variations on a basic shape and a wide variety of materials can produce so many different kinds of wonderful sounds. In my first video this week, Daniel Estrem uses the baroque lute to produce an absolutely beautiful rendition of one of my favorite Beatles songs, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. And a change of pace — if Mathias Duplessy’s music doesn’t get you moving, nothing will! I love how much these guys are enjoying themselves.