Harmony Outhouse by Kevin Cole
Cedar Waxwing by Cleve Nash
"Seasons Come, Seasons Go" by Judy Sullivan

Peregrine Falcon Image on Banner by Cleve Nash

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Ask the Doc by Dr. Robert Swain

Bleach smells and is unhealthy for you.  Bleach was invented in the late 40's.  It's a chlorine and was used to kill our troops.  Chlorine and iodine are of the same chemical family.  The body can only absorb one or the other.  Iodine is needed by your body  to maintain certain functions.  Chlorine has a negative effect.  Peroxide was invented in WW I and it was used to save our troops from infections.  Read More

Best Friends by Malcolm Riordan, DVM

There is no dog - or breed of dog - that does not shed. You may have a Chinese Crested or a Mexican Hairless Chihuahua, but what little hair they do have still goes through the universal hair cycle. Each hair has a phase of growth, a phase of remaining in place while no longer growing and, then finally, each hair is shed from the skin.  Read More

Beyond the Badge by Richard Hannibal

The glare of rush-hour taillights and honking horns, clash with the serenity of the evening's fading light. Motorists fight for their place in the homeward bound procession as the men in black and whites thread their way from call to call. The constant Friday night chatter on the police radio takes Officer Jeff Andrews into the world of poverty, hatred and heartache. The negative aspects of the job are seldom punctuated by the elusive touch of hope or goodwill. Jeff rarely experiences a happy moment, which would lighten his burden, like an oasis in the desert of misery. His stoic attitude is merely protection from being totally drained of spirit. It is insulation against the cold, damp reality where he spends his shift. Read More

Coastland Contemplations by Michele Oksen

 Don't be a turkey. Look around. Breathe it in. This is where the heavens have kissed the earth. Read More

Dear Abe by George Zidbeck

Squire: Hello again, Abe! How's things?
      Abe: Not bad. Not bad at all. I mean here we are, and the world remains round and spinning with the two of us still breathing. More to the point, I want you to know that I've given some thought on the subject to discuss for this meeting. Read More

Double Vision by Shana Ogren

What makes you an American?  What makes you a good American?  Do you rise somehow for your country of citizenship, through a type of fight or through some sort of compromise? Read More

Feel Better Forever by Brian Dorfman

The jaw presents a unique situation for someone like me in that it is both extremely powerful and highly accessible.  Unlike the über-powerful hip joint, which is covered beneath layers and layers of muscle, the jaw is there for the taking, with little between it and me.     Read More

The Human Condition by John Bullaro

People on the Central Coast of California, unite to save America. There is a small but blatantly misguided group of right wing Americans (I hesitate to refer to them as Americans, but I will) hell bent on bringing down the country one elected official at a time. No, I'm not referring to terrorists. I refer to a small minority group of loud, vociferous, mostly white, male individuals, who claim US citizenship but are really revisionists trying to turn the nation back to nineteenth century, pre-civil war days, when white aristocracy ruled most of the country. Read More

Northern Chumash Tribal Council by Fred Collins

The Nipomo Dana Adobe Amigos is in the Draft EIR process. The Northern Chumash Tribal Council (NCTC) has responded to this DEIR with the following comments and statements. NCTC is not happy with the Dana Adobe Amigos. The Chumash community has not had the best relationship with this organization.  They have in the past refused to follow our requests to follow good, sound, and meaningful consultation concerning their impacts to Chumash Cultural Resources.  For many years the Chumash community has been attempting to get them to follow proper protocols, to no avail.    Read More

A Roe Adventure by Yeager

As a child, I was fascinated with clouds.  There in Ohio they were billowy white and beautiful.  My friends and I would lay on the grass and find images of animals, birds, flowers, and all sorts of things in the puffy whiteness. Read More

Surfing Through Life by Paul & Katie Finley

Growing up you were most likely told that drinking milk would build strong bones and healthy teeth. There was an invisibly powerful message ingrained in our heads that the calcium in dairy products is the link that provides this desirable, strong-boned body that we as Americans hold in high regard. I wish to ask a few questions in hopes to stir a little curiosity if one has never explored the actual health benefits of dairy products. Read More

Double-crested, Brandt, and Pelagic Cormorants by Maggie Smith