Environmentalists maintain that action has to be taken to reduce pollutants in California’s air. But new laws that took effect January 1st have put a crimp on many gas stations. Many fueling stops throughout the state have been scrambling to cover thousands of dollars in gas pump upgrades mandated by the California Environmental Protection Agency. […]

Recycle that Calendar

Tomb of Pope Gregory XIII commemorates the introduction of the calendar that bears his name.

 I didn’t set out to collect calendars, really. Years ago I started buying an Ansel Adams photography calendar every year, and they were just too nice to throw away so I began collecting them. It wasn’t until some years […]

Herbs Past and Present columnist, Charles Garcia, reads The Sierra Mountain Times in Auckland, New Zealand while on vacation visiting his daughter. In the background is the Sky Tower, the main structure of the Auckland skyline and the highest structure in the Southern Hemisphere. 

It’s a Long Road
It is hard being stuck in the middle. My oldest daughter is in seventh grade and she is in this strange limbo between being a little girl and being a woman. I told her to expect to stay in this place for a couple of years saying, “Sorry baby, but we all […]

Home sweet home! The trip to San Diego via Hollywood was refreshing, but driving home December 30th was a total drag. During one stretch, it literally took 4 ••• hours to travel only 130 miles! Between Oceanside (north San Diego Co.) and Camarillo (in Ventura Co.) there were more than a dozen major slow downs […]