57.2 F
Healdsburg
December 20, 2025

Snapshot: The OG conservationists

Amish country in Ohio
Living in a tech-dominated world, it’s hard to imagine a day or year without a cellphone or car, yet that is every day, every year, for the Amish.

Snapshot: ’Tis the season for scarecrows

Scarecrow in Healdsburg
The creative scarecrows that show up in town around Halloween are a tradition that started in 2020 to foster community during the pandemic. This year’s beneficiary is Heartizens, which  sponsors art programs for young people.

Snapshot: Showy Shohei in playoff game

Baseball glove and ball
Like many other baseball fans, Pierre Ratte was impressed by Shohei Otani's performance in the final game of the National League championship game.

A symbol of unity, division and shared history

Veterans Day occurs on Nov. 11. It was originally conceived as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The holiday’s name changed in 1954 to honor all...

Thanksgiving, open roads and a dog’s life

Dog on a sunset road
Border collies, like Gus in the photo with this column, are recognized as a smart breed with exceptional stamina, capable of learning over 500 words and running 30 miles. Border collies appear in the movies Babe and Mad Max: Fury Road, which grossed $254 million and $368 million, respectively.

Snapshot: Talkin’ turkey—mushrooms

Turkey tail fungus
Talkin’ turkey here. Nope, not Thanksgiving turkey. Turkey tail mushrooms. It’s mushrooming season in Sonoma County. When the weather turns cold and damp, fog rolls in and rain falls, and mushrooms’ fruiting bodies pop up.

Snapshot: Big Sur’s sunny winter weather

Big Sur coast
It’s mindblowing that Sonoma County is buried under a marine layer for weeks while the coast from Bodega Bay to Big Sur is sunny. Big Sur is having a spectacular streak of sunshine: no rain, no fog, no wind. Yeah, I know. Big Sur...

Snapshot: Taking it to extremes

The guys and gals from Xtreme Xperience came to Sonoma Raceway last Sunday with 14 supercars, including: a Nissan GT-R, a Corvette Z06 and various Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches, including this 718 Cayman GT4 RS in the photo above.
4,780FansLike
1,659FollowersFollow
0FollowersFollow

Arts & Entertainment

Christmas music like it used to be, with swing

Now widely known as “The Harlem Nutcracker,” Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn wrote it for Columbia Records, along with film scores and other work. It was met with a sensational reception
Santa Claus and kids

Holiday Happenings: Dec. 18-27