Secrets of a Serene Spirit

In a surprise twist, I re-learned the secrets of a serene spirit at a recent memorial service. I met with the family before, and they detailed a very difficult life for their mother Darlene. When just 16, a car accident not only killed the driver in her car, but injured her badly, including the loss of all her teeth. She married three times, and each husband died. Humorously, she wouldn’t marry her longtime boyfriend—she wanted to keep him alive. She lost a young son, one of the most difficult losses when your child dies young. But…

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Sometimes You Win, Sometimes...

Some locals claim the upper Sacramento River, right under the I-5 bridge in Dunsmuir, may yield the best trout fishing in California. Pines creep right down to the water’s edge of the gorgeous stream, yet leave enough space to cast and still not get hung up. Too often, at least.

Wild blackberries give ample reason to study the river, and large boulders in the 20-yard width provide holes for the trout. The rumble of nearby freight trains adds a sense of timelessness.

I’m not sure about the quality of fishing, but I did come to doubt the fisherman’s rationale, “The worst day fishing beats the best day working.” I’d caught…

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