At about 2 AM, June 11, 1943 a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber crashed between the towns of Weed and Mount Shasta, California about 8 miles north of where we live.  The bomber was on a night navigation training mission out of Salinas, CA army air force base, with a crew of 10 aboard.  The cause of the crash was the failure of two engines on the the same wing.  Four of the crew bailed out and survived.  The other six lost their lives in the crash and subsequent fire.  The site of the crash can still be visited and small pieces of debris found.  Several of us have been involved in producing and installing an exhibit about the crash at the Sisson Museum near the town of Mount Shasta, CA.  The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of the young men who gave their lives in service to their country.  The photo above shows the size and configuration of this famous World War II aircraft.

I recently finished a biography of Isak Dinesen by Judith Thurman.  Isak Dinesen is the pen name of Danish author Karen Blixen.  Blixen's most famous book is "Out of Africa", her memoir of the 17 years she spent in British East Africa, now known as, Kenya. It was published in 1937.  The book was made into the Academy Award winning film, of the same title, staring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.  Blixen's next most famous work is "Seven Gothic Tales."  These dense, dark stories are a challenge, but worth the effort.  The photo above of Karen Blixen, her mother, and an odd driver displays the author's whimsical side, one facet of her complex personality.

Were the Stanford grad below and Alex Trebek ("Jeobardy") above separated at birth?

Will this Stanford grad recognize himself?  He's pointing to the year he graduated.  There is a brass plaque every couple feet along the quad colonnade for all the years that Stanford has been in business, which is quite a few plaques.

If you are ever in Santa Rosa, CA and were or are a "Peanuts" fan, be sure to visit the Charles Schultz museum.  It's very well done with hundreds of original Peanuts panels and a recreation of  Shultz's studio among other interesting items. You can also pose beside life size Peanuts characters as seen above with yours truly and our former Sunnyvale neighbors, Janet and Glenn Hubbard who now live in Santa Rosa.  In this rare case, Jennie was the photographer.  For more information and photos see the web site www.shultzmuseum.org

The photo above depicts the subtile beauty of the Kansas "Flint Hill" country.  In his book, "PrairyErth", William Least Heat-Moon fills 624 pages with a poetic, yet factual and historical tale of the people and places of Chase county, Kansas in the heart of the Flint Hills.  It's a read that will not disappoint. 

Here's how it looked after the series February, 2009 record snows had passed. Posting this in celebration of Jennie's birthday.  She loves it when Mount Shasta is solid white and the sky is blue.  

Here's a photo of the Big snow of mid February, 2009 that fell in Mount Shasta, CA