Photo by Mike Baird:     Surf Girls

Photo by Kevin Cole: Harmony Outhouse

Photo by Cleve Nash:        Cedar Waxwing

Photo by Earthly Images: Montana de Oro

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

Photo by Chuck Abbe: Back Tomorrow

Best Friends by Malcolm Riordan, DVM

Often heard in veterinary clinics - "They ought to have medical insurance for pets!"   They do! In fact, the first pet medical insurance company started up in 1980. Read More

Body, Mind, Spirit by Nancy Ballinger

Last month, for my 60th birthday, I did my first Tandem skydive.  Yes, it's true. I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane two miles above good old terra firma to freefall 120 mph for a minute, then float for several more minutes before safely reaching the ground.  I have wanted to jump out of an airplane (with a parachute) for as long as I can remember. So when I turned sixty in January that is what I requested for my birthday present. Several friends think I'm crazy. They are probably right, but I want to tell you . . . I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!    Read More

California State Parks

On Saturday, October 16, State Parks Director Ruth Coleman came to Morro Bay for the dedication of the marine mammal mural at the Museum of Natural History. Along with Director Coleman, other Parks' staff members were on hand for the celebration, including Juvie Ortiz, Coastal Superintendent, Mary Golden, Executive Director CCNHA, and the Museum's manager, Rouvaishyana. Read More

The Morro Bay Museum of Natural History has a collection of approximately 2,000 volumes of books and other educational materials on a great variety of natural history topics in its downstairs library.  Check It Out

Mind Walks are a fabulous opportunity to broaden your horizons and learn more about your community and the world at large.  Mark your 2011 calendars! Have a Great Mental Adventure

The campaign supporting Proposition 21, the statewide ballot measure that will provide a stable and adequate funding source for state parks and beaches, has announced receiving endorsements from more than 700 diverse organizations throughout California, making Proposition 21 one of the most widely supported measures of any of the nearly 20 November ballot measure campaigns. See Who, Along With You, Is Voting Yes on Prop 21

Double Vision by By Shana Ogren

After living for two years in a village in Malawi, Africa, I returned to the United States.  Since I have returned, time is not on my side.  I worry and long for more.  There is not enough.  Is there plenty of time to search for a new job?  Is there enough time to show each person I love how much they mean to me?  Read More

Exploring the Coast

Where was summer? It never got here, at least not in Morro Bay. Today was the 185th gray day and you can count on one hand the days the temperature got over 60 degrees. Yes, it was those few days in September when the thermometer at my house read 103 degrees, but that was the first week of fall. Where was summer? Read More

Far Horizons

To paraphrase Wendell Berry, the nature writer, "You don't know who you are if you don't know where you belong."  Wallace Stegner reminds us that every American is several people, and one of them is identified by a single place or type of place. Chicago didn't cut it for me. I liked the Cubs and loved the Bears, but the city, no way. Read More

Let's Go Green by Lawson Schaller

The past two months I have written about the Bioneers and the local satellite Bioneers Conference that took place this month at Cal Poly.  I went to the event and for me it was one of the more inspirational and informative I have ever attended.  Read More

Medical Myth Busting by Dr. Steven Sainsbury

Remember Red Dye #3? It was supposed to bring about a variety of medical ills, not the least of which was hyperactivity in children. In the 1970's, Dr. Benjamin Feingold, a pediatric allergist from California, suggested that there was a definite link between certain food additives and ADHD. The Feingold diet, void of such substances as Red Dye #3, was supposed to cure, or at least greatly decrease, hyperactive behavior. Yet the subsequent research to prove Dr. Feingold's contentions have been mixed at best. Read More

Observations of a Country Squire by George Zidbeck

In my early teens, lying on my belly on a lawn, I spotted a twitching blade of grass. Leaning in for closer inspection, I parted some leaves. Lo, a veritable insect parade offered itself. Sow/pill bugs moved as tanks in review, accompanied by hosts of insects with different carapaces and nomenclatures. That insightful moment alerted me to the entertaining choreography delivered from species that seldom hold our attention. Read More

Surfing Out Of The Box by Paul Finley

There is a true and distinct beauty of a plain, clear-finished surfboard.  The way the the foam is accented by the wood stringer and the outline is only defined by the true curvature of the board, speaks volumes through it's simplicity.  In its most raw form a plain surfboard is a magnificent piece of art.  My personality is drawn towards that simplicity.  Torn by a love of color, creating functional art has become a passion of mine.  This article is going to take a look into what goes into making the colors and patterns on a surfboard.  In a time of overseas manufacturing, mass production and unpersonalized products, it is sad to see art and craftsmanship be tossed aside. Read More

Receive a reminder to visit the Journal when the next issue or update is available. Send email to Update with "Update" in the subject line and be automatically joined.

Do you tweet? If so, follow us on Twitter. Click Here

Peregrine Falcon image on banner by Cleve Nash