Photo by Mike Baird:     Surf Girls

Photo by Kevin Cole: Harmony Outhouse

Photo by Chuck Abbe: Morro Bay in B&W

Photo by Cleve Nash:        Cedar Waxwing

Photo by Earthly Images: Montana de Oro

Photo by Maggie Smith: Three Cormorants - Double-crested, Brandt, and Pelagic

Best Friends by Malcolm Riordan, DVM

"If you can look at a dog and not feel vicarious excitement and affection, you must be a cat." 

The above quote by an unknown author. Those collected below look at the ocean of feelings between humans and dogs. I have never grown weary of seeing it, being around it, or of being a participant.

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.  - Samuel Butler

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Body, Mind, Spirit by Nancy Ballinger

As I sat sobbing, I believed my heart had surely been broken into a million shattered, sharp pieces that might never be able to heal. I felt a family member I loved deeply had betrayed me. The enormity of my pain was as much the fear that I couldn't forgive the transgression as it was about the wrong done to me.   Read More

Double Vision by By Shana Ogren

I do not trust God.  It's like we are still getting to know each other—faith and reliance takes time.  

What is a prayer for an atheist?  A prayer for an atheist is like being grateful for something that ended horribly.  It's a strange oxymoron or contradiction.  How do you gratefully receive a beautiful tragedy?  Read More

Fausto and Julia's Food for Thought

Ruddell's Smokehouse, at 101 D Street in Cayucos, is our subject for this month's column.  Voted by Coastal Living Magazine as having the best fish sandwich on the coast, Jim has earned boasting rights to his fish, pork, and chicken "smoked to perfection."  Call during the hours of 11:00 am until 6:00 pm.  You won't get a surf report, but they can tell you if they will be serving "the ultimate tuna sandwich," which wasn't available either of the two days we visited.  No worries—the tacos more than made up for the missing sandwiches. Read More

Get Involved

California State Parks is looking for a few actors and actresses interested in portraying the ranching and/or Native American history of Montana de Oro State Park. . Read More

Let's Go Green by Lawson Schaller

Transporting ourselves and our baggage throughout our daily lives requires a significant amount of energy.  There are a number of eco-friendly choices available for transportation.  Walking and biking are probably the best alternative for our health and the environment. Riding the bus or train can be a good option.  Electric scooters are another option for the more adventurous, single occupancy folks.  Read More

Medical Myth Busting by Dr. Steven Sainsbury

Head trauma can be very scary. We tend to remain calm for the more common injuries, such as broken bones or lacerations. After all, they do not pose a risk to our most precious organ, the brain. But even a minor blow to the head often creates a sense of panic in everyone connected to the event. Read More

Surfing Out Of The Box by Paul Finley

Have you even gone to introduce your neighbor or a close friend to someone that you know but you just can't remember their name? This creates an awkward situation in which I usually retreat to saying "dude" or "man." This unfamiliarity is usually sprung from a lack of effort from my part. Now imagine you knew that person for a long period of time and could never remember their name, there would most definitely be some form of disconnect in that relationship. Now imagine you raised a child from infancy to adulthood. Do you think that you could forget their name? Read More

Photo by Chuck Abbe: Back Tomorrow

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Bobcat image on banner by Cleve Nash