Chuckle from the Past

While going throught the bowels of the garage, recently, I found this picture. It is my graduating class from psych tech training at Atascadero State Hospital, 1972. Not hard to pick out the 5 of us conscientous objectors from the local folks. Can you imagine how unsettling it must have been to be a psychiatric patient in the care of this group?

Night Walk

Last night was a wonderful night for a walk through the marshes and old salt ponds southwest of Napa. The sights and sounds at night are virtually another world! (The bottom 4 pictures can be opened up.)

Artwork

Nick made this charcoal drawing for me, which I treasure. Thanks, Nick! (Try to ignore the glass reflections).

Mischief at Hudeman Slough

Nick and Rocket have been home this weekend, so last night we all went out to Hudeman Slough just across the border. We were overcome by a weird sensation as we crossed a painted line in the road, reading Napa on one side, and Sonoma on the other. The road immediately became rougher, the sky darker... it just didn't feel right. We pulled down a dirt side road, over some tracks, and parked. The big hay barn beckoned.

Big hay barn.

Rocket is fast as a rocket with his tongue. As you can tell, Nick wasn't about to let Rocket get cold.

We scaled a gate, walked down a dirt road, and were startled by this old riderless tractor emerging from the slough.

Even more startling, when we turned and fled, a shocking apparition appeared.

After snapping a couple shots, we bolted for the van...

and couldn't get back to the Napa County line fast enough.

Saturday at IBRRC

When the e-mail goes out requesting a volunteer to transport birds, you better be at your keyboard, because everyone loves to release healthy birds back to nature - especially pelicans!

My job was to help catch and ready 16 pelicans that were cleared for release. It was a pelican rodeo! Care is needed, however, not to maim or get maimed. Loading up the birds for their trip to the coast are a number of lucky volunteers. We are now down to about 24 pelicans - yeah!

Below, is Megan Prelinger. She was a rehab manager at IBRRC for a few years, but still comes back to volunteer or sub for the current manager, Marie.

At lunch, Megan showed us an advance copy of the book she just finished. She put about 4,000 hours into it, including research at the archives in Wahington DC. Megan explained that she had an early interest in space travel as a child of the late fifties/early sixties. Advertising and other media fed imaginations of how space travel would look, but it turned out to be far from reality. Not being able to find a book on the subject, she wrote one. I can tell you, it looks fascinating, and one of the reviewers, a props manager for Mad Men, states that he wished he had the book earlier. I am continually amazed by the talent and diversity of the staff and volunteers at IBRRC.

Megan's book is due out this May - it will blow your mind!