The Art Hop Birthday Bash was a huge success, from all we saw. There were lots of people out and about, and so much to see and do. We went for quality over quantity, spending time at Kimberly Nicole, and also catching a set of Just Married at the Discovery Shop. The Redding scene continues to evolve…

You know it’s a mild July day in Redding when Hula dancers can perform barefoot on asphalt while the sun’s still up in the sky.

And of course every performer’s dream gig is a corner in a secondhand store, but sometimes certain things just fit comfortably in Redding, and you are compelled to go with the flow.

Yes, they are Still Married, and they offer their authentic CD’s for a mere $5. How can you go wrong on that? A perfect Art Hop birthday present.

Thanks Art Hoppers and shoppers!

Have you seen somebody with a new video camera, or perhaps been asked to buy a used one at an attractive price? I ran across the ad below on Craigslist and wanted to bring it to your attention. I don’t think the particular type of scum who prey upon camper’s cars read my blog, and appealing to a thief’s “conscience” seems pointless. But I thought the more people were aware of the ad, the better. For any number of reasons.

I spotted this car yesterday with this big sign taped on it. Not something you see everyday. Certainly, the sentiment was thought provoking. As we sat at the light in front of Trader Joe’s, I snapped this from my cell phone camera. The sign is a bit hard to read here, but is plain enough in person. As we waited for the light to change, I wondered why the driver felt so compelled.

Every president is endangered. Obama more so than others, for reasons we don’t need to go into here. I see in the news today, the Obamas are in Europe. On reflection, I find I share the driver’s unexpected concern, and extend my prayers to members of his security team as well. It’s a shame this is so, but it can’t be ignored. Godspeed Geo Metro driver, and know your prayers are echoed.

We went up to the city of Mt Shasta for 4th of July. While this is not ‘Really Redding,’ it is typically cooler up here and filled with Reddingites anyway, since it’s just an hour north. They have a terrific 5 mile run, and 2 mile Fun Walk. We chose the fun. So did many others…



There’s all kinds of entertainment and food along the way.






And since it’s always good to name-drop on my blog, here’s KRCR Accuweather-Ace Mike Krueger, along with the youngest Krueger.


A good time was had by all. Have a happy and safe Independence Day wherever you are!

TANC has proposed putting in a new high voltage line through Shasta County, and on east and south. If you live underneath, or nearby the proposed routes of the wires, you are probably very unhappy. For good reason. We are familiar with living near high tension powerlines in the Redding area.

Although the actual final route has not yet been determined, and although the project is far from approved to go ahead at all, the impact on the value of the affected properties was immediate and severe.

Imagine yourself receiving one of those registered letters. Whatever plans you had for your property are now under a cloud. If you want to sell you have to tell. If you want to stay, you better pray. It’s become very rough on a large number of people. And with no way of knowing whether the lines will come their way, or even will be built at all. It could take years to sort it out. Even though it’s all years away, the human impact has already begun.

There is an anti TANC website. The irony for that group is that the bigger the battle they put up, the longer it will take to sort it out. And the longer that cloud affects those underneath.

The printed headline reads like our already battered housing industry is taking a bigger hit yet. Our formerly beloved newspaper has opted to add this randomly pessimistic sounding headline about housing on top of an article about Shasta County’s declining tax basis for property tax revenue. Huh? Then to add insult to idiocy, they ran a completely different, and somewhat more topical headline at their online version at Redding.com. WTF?

In fact, housing is not slumping at all lately. Local sales are up. They’ve been trending up for a few months. Prices are down, and tax revenue is down, but that hardly qualifies as a housing slump. How odd that they would choose this somewhat deceptive and irrelevant headline. I really miss the good old days when the paper tried to make sense. A lot of the the local agents think the paper just “has it in” for the local housing industry, but I never want to believe that. However, sometimes the evidence is hard to ignore. Or explain.

Yesterday, I happened upon a doe feeding her fawn.

Click. Here you see, she noticed me.

She thinks it’s better safe than sorry. Time to move along.


Are you coming?


Photos by Skip. All deer reserved.

We stopped in over at Wild Thyme after lunch at Tapas. A perenial favorite Redding destination. Took some shots. A small world filled with whimsy and wonder…






Highly recommended!

“Brewer at Trusted Friends says about half his members are professionals like doctors, lawyers and real estate agents.”
This quote today from the RS caught me by total surprise, and had me snorting coffee out my nose. The newspaper was profiling the legal marijuana dispensaries in town, right next to the article about the illegal marijuana garden shootout in Shingletown. The juxtaposition of stories of medicine and violence is making this whole prohibition situation look even more idiotic than it normally does, which utterly foolish indeed. But that isn’t why I choked on my coffee.

I have always tried to lift the whole profession of REALTOR into the same level as doctors and lawyers. But that’s an ongoing effort. Its much easier to become a real estate agent than a doctor obviously. Still, it doesn’t take long to meet people who have been affected by bad real estate advice that has negatively impacted their finances, relationships, and ultimately even their health. I would never lay claim to being as helpful as a doctor, but I have seen people hurt by bad real estate decisions. I wish that all REALTORS live up to our Code of Ethics, and I work hard to make sure we all do just that. I have served on the Grievance Committee at the Board for years, and also on Pro Standards Tribunals. I see the good and the bad, and fight for the good. I was happy to see at least one person lump us in with doctors and lawyers.

But as always, you have to take the good with the bad, since we are now led to believe that doctors, lawyers and real estate agents are all busy self medicating within their prop 215 rights. Well, at least newsprint absorbs coffee, even if it came out my nose. Score one for the newsprint version of Redding.com.

BTW Since I editorialized here in favor of legalizing and taxing marijuana, I’ve gotten several remarks as the “marijuana guy.” Not what I had in mind, but if that’s what it takes, so be it. For the record, I don’t partake in the herb, medical or otherwise. But I don’t think people who do indulge without harming others should be criminalized by our government at any level, even if they are doctors lawyers or real estate agents. This is America, and it’s supposed to be a free country. If small time growers making $10,000 a month without paying any taxes, and gunfire exchanges in Shingletown is what you want, then by all means, don’t change a thing.

Yesterday a group of folks gathered at the north end of Redding’s Sundial Bridge to observe the Solstice, and perhaps to verify that their cell phones report the same time as the planet. Noon. Yep.

There was a band, and some booths. At one of the booths you could look at the sun, but there were no sunspots or flares, so it pretty much looked like just a bright disk.


Redding lays claim to the tallest known sundial on the planet at 217 ft. We humans have a history of building large and relatively permanent structures to observe the planetary movements.