Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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A pun is defined as "a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings." I'm not very good at coming up with original puns myself, but I sure do appreciate reading and hearing them. I think there's nothing like a good play on words to brighten up your day, and based on the feedback I get from readers – not to mention the numerous puns I receive from friends and strangers alike – many of you like them as much...
I drove a friend to Bakersfield the other day, to a medical appointment on Truxton. We parked in the clinic parking lot, across the lot from the front door, and went inside. Not long after we got there, while I was waiting and reading my book, a couple of women came in and approached the reception desk. I didn't pay much attention to them until the receptionist asked the room in general who had the rust-colored Escape in the parking lot. I said I did. One of the women turned to me then and said...
June is Pride Month, a month-long focus on LGBTQ+ pride and history and celebrations. Some people wonder why a Pride Month is necessary today, but I think those people must not be paying attention. Sure, we've come a long way as far as equal rights and acceptance are concerned, but we have a long way yet to go. Just read any comments on social media when someone mentions something about being gay or trans – there is still a lot of hate and bigotry in the world, even right here in our little c...
I've been anxious to get back to the Tejon Outlet Mall to revisit the Bird Dog Arts Gallery and I finally got to do so a couple of weeks ago. Three friends and I all got together to go: Julee, Leila, and Lauraine had never been to the Tejon Mall at all, and I've only been there once (two years ago). It was one of the hottest days in June to date when we set out one midmorning for a fun day of friendship and discovery. It only took us about an hour to get there – the mall is located south of B...
One sunny afternoon recently friends Leila and Julee and I had a delicious lunch together at Thai-Hachapi and then went for a yummy ice cream dessert at Frosty Frills (we were celebrating Julee's birthday!). After all that we decided to go out to the glider port – Mountain Valley Airport, off Highline Road – and see if there was anything going on. It was a beautiful, breezy day, and there was. The tow plane was busy pulling a couple of different gliders and people were waiting for rides. It was...
I love getting out and about and checking out museums, and Kern County is home to several really special ones. Each one offers a different setting and feel, and each offers a different look at our world – both local and global – and its past. One of the more expansive museums in our area is the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History and Science in downtown Bakersfield. I've been to it before but every time I go, I learn more about the history of Kern County, and the world in general. Day...
The weather has turned (mostly) nice lately, and many of us have been eagerly awaiting Memorial Day Weekend to officially kick off the outdoor summer season. It may be the weekend you start on your garden or plant the flower boxes; it may be a good time for a long motorcycle or horseback ride, or a lazy session on the porch in a rocker with a good book. It might be the weekend of your first seasonal camping trip. That’s all well and good, but along with all the celebration of longer days and sum...
After I visited the Rio Tinto Mine in Boron (see the last issue), I drove south on Borax Road to Twenty Mule Team Road to get to the Twenty Mule Team Museum and the Aerospace Museum, also in Boron. The museums are side by side on the corner of Boron Avenue and Twenty Mule Team Road, and right across the street from the 20 Mule Café (and a block down from Domingo's), making an easy stop to visit both and have lunch while you're there. I decided to visit the Aerospace Museum first. When the...
I lost my mother over 20 years ago and I still miss her every day. I hold close so many wonderful memories of her, especially the ones where we laughed together. One time I shared an email funny with her titled, “Things my mother taught me.” Mom laughed as hard as I did because, after all, mothers are also daughters. And because we enjoyed this piece so much – and the underlying truths are timeless – I want to share this list once again with all of you in honor of the upcoming Mother...
As a kid I loved watching "Death Valley Days" on television in the '50s. The program was sponsored by "20-Mule Team Borax." At the time I had no idea what borax was and, to be honest, back then I was too young to care. I just loved the pictures of all the mules pulling those wagons, and I loved the stories of the Old West that the show told. And as a fan of "Death Valley Days," I visited the Boron mining area over 20 years ago shortly after I moved to Tehachapi, where I was shocked and...
Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite season is, my stock answer is, whatever season is coming next. That is, if someone asks me that question in summer, my answer will be fall; if someone asks in the middle of fall, the answer will be winter. And, so on. I think, therefore, that I really like all the seasons, but I especially like the fact that they change. I love the beginning of a new season, and then after a month or two, I’m ready for the next one, ready for a change. That’s one rea...
It's finally April and that means wildflower season. I'm hoping for a super bloom close to home this year, thanks to all the rain we've had this winter. Of course, you never know – it takes a combination of elements to make a very good year, including temperatures and wind, as well as rainfall, and they must all line up at the right time and in the right order. But no matter what, whether a super bloom or not, we're sure to see a variety of wildflowers this spring. In the lower elevations, l...
As I’m writing this, it is early April and outside it’s snowing. Well, it’s not just snowing, it is blizzarding – snow is coming down fastly and furiously and the mighty wind is blowing it sideways. I was pretty surprised when I got up this morning to see that it had snowed overnight, although snow had been in the weather predictions (it’s April, after all). It was snowing lightly still when I arose, and sticking on the ground, and the fog was so bad I couldn’t see the mountains that are ri...
I've written a couple of times about winter walks, fine places to go for a day or an afternoon to just take an easy stroll on a cool winter day. I've also been saving my favorite winter walk – in the woods at the Audubon Kern River Preserve in Weldon – which was what I wanted to write about today. But, alas, as sometimes happens, my day trip to Weldon did not go as I had planned. I headed out of Tehachapi on a rare sunny day with high hopes of taking a walk through the woods in the Kern Riv...
March Madness is upon us, and I'm not talking about being disgruntled with the wet and wild weather we've been having this month. I'm talking about the fan-fueled frenzies surrounding the NCAA Basketball Tournaments, and I'm mad about it. Mad in a good way, as in "very enthusiastic about someone or something." Actually, truth be told, I'm not very interested in the men's side of the tournament. I'm mad for the women's side and happily, this year, thanks to a number of talented players and more...
The weather this winter has been iffy, mostly rainy and cold. But if you can find a nice day in the forecast, this is a great time of year to stay active and take a winter walk in some of the lower elevation, desert locations, as I've noted before in this space. Here are some more suggestions to do just that: The California City Desert Tortoise Preserve is one of my favorite places to take a winter or spring stroll. I've been there several times over the years as it is a peaceful desert...
It's St. Patrick's Day this weekend, and you know what that means: it's the day when everyone claims to be a little Irish. And why not? If this is a holiday that brings us closer to a feeling of togetherness and camaraderie through green colored celebrations and adopted heritage, then I say Faith and Begorrah, let the celebrating begin! St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays even if I don't typically do anything special on the day (I do usually try to wear something green, even if...
Like many of you, I was terribly sad to find out that the Hitching Post Theater in our fair little town has closed its doors for good. I'm very sad for the reason it closed – the death of the owner – and I offer my condolences to his family and friends and employees. I only met Will Viner one time years ago, when my Art Center was having an art show opening with an Ode to Hollywood theme. I went into the HP to buy some movie popcorn for our grand red-carpet event, and he just donated two lar...
Seems to be the rainy season lately in our area, which means 'tis the season to do indoor things. So, one cloudy, cold, and wet day recently friend Leila and I decided to go down the hill to check out the current displays at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. It was well worth the trip as the exhibitions there are unique and varied, and thought-provoking. By the way, the drive down there was especially gorgeous with all the hills turning a vibrant green, thanks to all the rain, and it was sunny in...
The puns just keep on a-comin' and a-comin', and I gotta admit, I'm glad they do. There's nothing like a good play on words to brighten up dreary rainy days like the ones we've been having lately, especially the ones that provide a good chuckle (or even a good groan). And based on the feedback I get from readers – not to mention the numerous puns I receive from friends and strangers alike – many of you like them as much as I do. So here, then, are some more funny punny offerings from my acq...
Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate love, is coming right up. And we all know what love is, don't we? Or do we? It's hard to define, for one thing. Love is something easier to describe than define, actually, although poets have been trying to do it for years. Some of them have done a pretty good job of it, too. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...." thanks to Ms. Edna St. Vincent Millay, or Shakespeare's "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" For most of us, whether we're poets or...
A new art show has recently opened at Lancaster's Museum of Art and History (MOAH), and it's a good one. I really enjoyed viewing the various artforms when I went down there a couple of weeks ago. Called "Formation" the show features a number of ceramic sculptures and wall displays and offers some very unique pieces. The show runs through April 14, so you have plenty of time to see it if you're so inclined. Nine different artists are featured, including Kiel Johnson, Kevin Kowalski, Galia Linn,...
Winter has definitely arrived in our Tehachapi Mountains, and in the surrounding valleys. Some people like to use winter as an excuse to stay in and stay warm, others like to get out and be active in the cooler weather. For those in the latter group, today I'm suggesting a few good places to take a nice easy walk this winter – great places to get out and enjoy nature that won't leave you huffing and puffing, and that are easy to get to. One of my favorite places is the Arthur B. Ripley Desert W...
When I was a kid, I loved playing board games and card games with the cousins, and then with the adults as I got older. I especially remember hours of Monopoly with cousin Steven and Chinese Checkers with the other cousins, and Clue and the card game Touring with the aunts and uncles. As a teen and young adult, I spent many a happy hour playing Casino with my mom, and Life, Sorry, S*** on Your Neighbor, Spoons and Uno with friends and family. When I went to college, I was warned not to learn to...
Another new year is upon us. And I'm meeting this new year once again with mixed feelings and emotions. In many ways 2023 was difficult, and in many ways it was a great year, and all things considered I'm ready for it to end and another new one to begin, I've always loved new beginnings, and the start of a brand new year is always a good one as far as I'm concerned. It's as if when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, everything changes; possibilities are endless. Everything old is new...
