Columns

There once were two barn cats whose job description can be completed in two words: eat rats. They were the property of Wilson and Lucas, two boys on the farm about eight years ago, so both boys and cats have grown up considerably. At the...

On Thursday, Oct. 24, from 7 to 9 p.m., the Windsor Democratic Club will hear presentations on how local activism improves community life.

You hold in your hand a copy of the local newspaper. It is a collection of reports, news, commentaries and advertisements all focused on your community, the place you have chosen to live, work, retire or raise a family. It is just as likely that...

It's natural to seek an escape from the disappointments of the global pandemic, and one need look no further than the library for a few ideas on how to find that escape. Of course, a visit to the library isn't the same as before, so a nostalgic experience isn't within our grasp; luckily, the pandemic can't stop library staff from dreaming up new ways of putting a good read in your hands or creating a little more joy in our lives.

Have you ever been with your teenager and experienced a Jekyll and Hyde moment? When everything seems fine but within seconds their mood dramatically changes and you are left puzzling over what just happened? There are times as a parent of two teenagers that I have to stop and make sure that I am not in the Matrix. The teenage “being” is a very complex, extremely hormonal and difficult thing to understand. It often leaves us parents feeling overwhelmed and bewildered. Sometimes it’s easy to handle their behavior with humor, and other times it’s emotionally draining. Right now, my tank is pretty empty.

This Week in H’burg is a weekly column featuring photos and fun facts from local photographer Pierre Ratté. Each week we’ll feature a new photo from Ratté along with a fact about the subject matter of the photo.

For years our beautiful and majestic dogwood tree stood silent. When we first bought the farm 20 years ago, it was like clockwork, and every spring our dogwood would bloom gorgeous white flowers, right in the front of the house. Cars stopped on Yoakim Bridge to photograph it. I think it is the most beautiful tree on our property, and maybe even in the Dry Creek Valley, though others would argue that. Perfect is the shape, shocking white is the bloom. Every spring we would marvel at this gem, and it was always a trigger, for when the dogwood blooms, we know we need to begin thinning our peach trees. 

The following snippets of history are compiled by volunteers of the Windsor Museum & Historical Society. The museum is open, free to the public, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment. The museum is located in the historic Hembree House at 9225 Foxwood Drive. Learn more about Windsor history at windsorhistory.org.

Maybe it was irresponsible. But I was recently within earshot of the following comments at an outdoor event at which I was the only one wearing a mask an hour after reading in the morning paper that COVID-19 cases were spiking in several states, including California, and several counties, including Sonoma: