Wilderness Survival Part 2

I have made fire! – Tom Hanks, Castaway   As I mentioned in the previous post, at the beginning of August, I attended the California Survival School Core Skills class.  What a fantastic day!  We started with creating shelter and finding/sanitizing water, then we moved on to finding simple foods (small game hunting is a…

Wilderness Survival Part 1

People live in each other’s shelter – Irish proverb On Saturday, August 9, I had the most incredible day. I spent five hours with California Survival School in the Saratoga woods. I wasn’t sure what to expect before going up there, but the day was better than what I had imagined. Anyone who watches Survivor…

An Unseen Resident – Part 8

Note:  This is a re-posting of #8 since there was a permalink error. As always, if you’re new to this blog or it’s been a while, please read the previous Unseen Resident blogs since they (mostly) follow what has happened in our house in chronological order. #1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #6A  #7 October…

Unseen Resident Part 9

On August 3, Janice and I gave a presentation to the Bay Area Ghost Hunters group about the experiences we’ve been having in our house.  I promised them that I would not post this blog until after that meeting so that they would be the first to hear/see the amazing evidence we got at our…

The Hotel Swap

Have you ever checked into a hotel that you booked on line, entered the room, and been so grossed out that you turned around and left?  That’s what just happened to me at Safari Inn. So here’s the back story (isn’t there always a back story with me?!).  I’ve decided to take an early retirement…

Sisters in Crime Spring Showcase 2014

On Saturday, June 7, we gathered in Copperfield’s Books in San Rafael for the Spring Showcase of NorCal’s Sisters in Crime to hear nine authors read from their books that had been published in the previous six months. What a great showcase it was! New York Times bestselling author Juliet Blackwell took to the podium…

Prevention of Dog Attacks

About a year ago, one of the employees at my work was attacked by a dog as he approached the front door to notify the owner that we would be working on the power pole in the rear yard. Fortunately our employee got away without injury, but the incident made it clear that we needed…

Unseen Resident Part 7

I’ve mentioned before that the activity in the house seems to settle down quite a bit when Janice is away.  This trip for her is no exception.  As I was sitting on the porch last evening, I was finding it easy once again to write about what’s been happening here.  But while it’s easier, details…

Emergency Preparedness

April is Earthquake Awareness Month in California, which is rather fitting – if chilling – considering the devastation that Chile is experiencing right now with multiple massive quakes hitting their county.  Going back years before the Loma Prieta Quake of 1989, I’d kept a complete earthquake preparedness kit.  I have been asked by family, friends,…