Miss a newsletter or want to check out something you thought you'd read but couldn't remember? Visit our archives for these past editions:
304Breaking traditions: Our new year gets off to a bang — literally — when Ben suffers a driving mishap. We party at the Ferreira house, check out the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, lose money in the market, and... take a breather.
303From wedding bells to silver bells: We celebrate the wedding of Glenn's younger brother with a Vietnamese tea ceremony, tons of food, and get up close and personal with a barbecued pig. We enjoy Christmas at home for a change. A brazen shooting in our neighborhood leaves the community in shock.
302Holiday hang-ups and hang-outs: We get an early start on the Christmas decorations, build a console table, cheer on the home team at our first 49ers game, and celebrate Thanksgiving with the fam in Hayward.
301Two days to Durham: A rare opportunity finds Glenn traveling to North Carolina to attend a journalism awards banquet. We upgrade an iPhone, worry about our neighbors' pregnant cat, and attend a couple of festivals. We wither under the weight of a financial market meltdown.
300Rolling in the Isles: Cruising Europe: We mark our milestone 300th newsletter with a mile-long travelogue of our 12-day cruise around Europe. Journey with us as we explore the city of Amsterdam, visit ancient castles and churches, and brave the Liverpool rail and bus system to see the Beatles' childhood homes.
299Aw, scoot: Something happened between the Amazon warehouse and our doorstep; it looks like our scooter dreams will remain on hold. We visit Courtland and the Pear Fair for the 33rd time.
298Christmas in July: Glenn celebrates his 58th birthday with a new Insta360 camera and an impulse purchase. We head to Cosumnes River Preserve to test the camera on the Fourth of July. Our relationship with the virtual kittens turns out to be all too brief.
297The virtues of virtual pets: Introducing our new kittens, Laser and Skittles. They aren't really ours, but we explain. Glenn returns to San Francisco on business while Roni runs a booth at the Juneteenth celebration. Sometimes you eat the Apple and other times it eats you.
296Just a cherry-picking minute: We check out the U-pick cherries, prune trees, pull weeds and slice into fingers this month. Ben celebrates his 29th birthday. We continue to watch our investments underperform the markets.
295Ready for a roof... almost: We get quotes to replace the aging roof and gutters on our home. We hike among the lush green meadows and flowing streams of Round Valley Regional Preserve. An update on our investment activities. Glenn marks four years at Local News Matters with a business retreat in San Francisco.
294Celebrating love, mourning loss: We mark our milestone 35th wedding anniversary with a two-day trip to Monterey and a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but our joyful month is tempered by the loss of our cat Phoenix to his long illness.
293Silver, gold and diamonds: For three blissful years we forgot what it was like to be sick... until now. Glenn expands his silver collection, Sean gets engaged, and we have misadventures at the dentist's office including a first-of-its-kind two-day cleaning.
292The 49ers aren't going to the Super Bowl — and neither are we: We say hello to 2023 with lots and lots of rain. Ben goes to a wedding and on a hunt for something to wear. Glenn plays with concrete, our stocks bounce back (sort of), and we create stuff with AI art software.
291A Rose blooms in heaven: We mourn the loss of Glenn's last living grandparent, Rose Sorenson, at the age of 104. There is also time to rejoice with family during our annual Christmas celebration. Our investments stunk in 2022 and we recap the carnage.
290Dashing all the way: The election is finished and the holidays have arrived. Our little cat Phoenix is still sick. We visit family for Thanksgiving and make an effort to finish the fireplace before Christmas.
289Farewell, Katy Purry: We are shocked by the unexpected loss of our 12-year-old cat. Oktoberfests and a birthday party help raise our spirits. Glenn hits San Francisco for a business retreat. We get what (hopefully) will be our final round of COVID boosters.
288Why can’t pets tell us where it hurts?: Our cat Phoenix hasn't been feeling well and we are worried (and broke.) We build a concrete walkway in Winter's Garden. The Queen is dead, the heat is high, and we spend a fun afternoon in Old Sacramento.
287Offensive fences and concrete plans: We fall afoul of city code when graffiti taggers get the upper hand on our back fence. Backyard improvements have us thinking about a new patio project. And the Pear Fair returns for the first time since the pandemic began.
286We've got ourselves a pot farm: We're getting concrete results from our latest cement crafting endeavor. Glenn hits 57. Roni goes wild with paint as she restores our yard ornaments. Our stocks went up this month... whaaaaat?
285Screen time: The arrival of our long-awaited patio screen doors is like a cool summer breeze. We fall in "LOVE" with the addition of a new garden ornament. We build a raised planter box for the garden. Our stocks and computers are crashing.
284DIGging those succulents: No one would accuse us of having a green thumb, but that doesn't mean we aren't suckers for a good plant sale. Our crashing investments plumb new depths. We get an unexpected visit from an uninvited guest.
283Sacramento by night: A business convention gives us an excuse to spend a night in Sacramento for the first time. April brings neither showers nor riches for our investments. We've got a wee bit of progress on some home improvement projects.
282Cutting the cord: Parting with our cable service after 31 years is a breakup made less bitter with the arrival of YouTube TV. Will this crazy stock market volatility ever end? Glenn wraps up two weeks of jury duty. Roni celebrates her 60th birthday.
281Courtship rituals: Glenn heads to the jury box for a child molestation trial as Russia invades Ukraine and the financial markets go insane. The masks come off as pandemic health restrictions ease, but Ben has a COVID scare. The fireplace now has tile installed.
280Crappy New Year: What if we started 2022 and nobody cared? Our fireplace project needs a bit of TLC after a month of slow progress. The stock markets are tanking. So are the 49ers. What a disappointing start to the new year, but at least we have free crab.
279All fired up for 2022: A desire for warmth in our cold house leads us to rebuild our fireplace. Our evergreen ash finally decides it's had enough and takes the fall. Christmas highlights and investing lowlights.
278Inspectors and detectors: A visit from the building permit department leads us in search of carbon monoxide alarms for our humble abode. We survive Halloween despite being a bit ill-prepared. Cash flow is king for our investments in a turbulent month.
277Windows of opportunity arrive, weather or not: Our much anticipated new doors and windows are installed. We try again to get the desk right in Roni's home office. We have a working dishwasher again — and it's so quiet.
276Another appliance is all washed up: Say goodbye to that old dishwasher, now that its pump has permanently seized. We return to the festival scene after a two-year absence, we celebrate a milestone family birthday, and we run with the Wall Street bulls as we add shares to our stock portfolio.
275Sand and sea with the family: Five days at Pajaro Dunes Resort is just what the doctor ordered for some mid-pandemic R&R. Glenn paddles up Elkhorn Slough as part of a kayak expedition, we eat at a popular seafood restaurant, and we toast marshmallows on the beach. There's even some time for investing.
274Windows, weddings, and another trip around the sun: We take the plunge on purchasing new windows and doors for our home. We celebrate the Independence Day wedding of our niece Kristy. Glenn turns the calendar on his 56th birthday.
273Deconstructing the family tree: "Ben's Tree" has a date with the tree removal company after 25 years in our front yard. The masks come off as COVID-19 health restrictions are relaxed. We get back to buying stocks and experience the highs and lows of market swings.
272What a way to Gogh: The "Immersive Van Gogh" exhibit comes to San Francisco, and we discover a lot about the show after our visit than during it! More Apple stock? Yeah, we've got that. Ben celebrates the big 2-7, and things get unexpectedly quiet at the Loud House.
271The Great Reopening, Act I: Getting our final COVID shots opens the door to reconnecting with family and friends and restaurant dining. Our window replacement project gets a reality check, life gets expensive, and Ben finally gets a PlayStation 5.
270Better to play a plumber than pay a plumber: Faced with sticker shock, we decide to go it alone on fixing the broken valve in our shower. Glenn endures a root canal, we make a few stock trades, and we celebrate our wedding anniversary with the best gift ever — a pair of matching COVID vaccines!
269The sound and the fury: The situation with our noisy neighbors reaches a boiling point as we consider ways to make our home more soundproof. We begin remodeling the Writing Sanctuary into a more accommodating office space. Our stock options trades go amazingly well.
2682021, a new hope: A new year is upon us, but it seems that the old problems still linger. The winter winds stir, and so does the investing community as short-sellers get squeezed.
267So long, 2020, and good riddance: The end of the year has arrived and none too soon! We celebrate Christmas, smog our cars, do some socially distanced socializing, and take a final look at our roller-coaster investments heading into 2021.
266Double, double, toilets are trouble: In a year that's turned to crap one needs a good crapper. We get through a socially distanced Halloween, vote in the biggest presidential election of all time, and get busy with the holidays. Ben decides it's time for a new phone and all the data he can chomp on.
265Haunted in a pandemic: Halloween just isn't the same with COVID-19 restrictions. We've officially proclaimed this "The Year of the Dead Battery." We confront everything from dying trees to falling stock prices.
264Movin' on up: Ben gets a management promotion at the grocery store. Roni tackles the yard work with weed removal and new plants. Glenn fixes a broken screen door and minds our margin account.
263A world in chaos and a TV remote: Not much to do while sheltering at home amid a pandemic, wildfires and a relentless heat wave, so we turn to YouTube for a view of the disarray sweeping our nation this summer. Protests, politics and a home improvement store visit for good measure.
262Neighborhood rotation: One family moves out and another moves in, and we go on a hunt for the former neighbors' wayward cat. A malfunctioning washing machine forces us to confront our unfinished floor. We mourn the cancellation of our favorite summer festival.
261Bug off: Invading insect forces won't get the better of us! Who ever thought a haircut could feel this good? Also playing the options market, and sending off a friend to the Peach State.
260We're on a (sushi) roll: We help Ben celebrate his 26th birthday with some interactive sushi making, another dead car battery spurs some observations about shopping amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and our cats' fascination with bugs leads us to an unwelcome discovery.
259Flattening the curve: We're suffering a touch of cabin fever as the state's COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders extend for another month. Fortunately we still have Zoom video conferencing and our animals to keep us entertained.
258Hunkered in our bunker: The spread of COVID-19 alters social norms and has us spending more time at home as we "shelter in place." We sift through the wreckage of our investments and find simpler ways to celebrate a birthday and wedding anniversary.
257Calm before the coronavirus storm: Spring means it's time for our yearly blossom walk, which is perhaps the best way to relieve the stress of watching our investments crash and burn during a viral market selloff. We also conquer our kitties' habit of climbing to the nosebleed section of our kitchen.
256Welcome to the Roaring Twenty-Twenties: There's nothing like the start of a new decade as an excuse to rid your home of clutter... or to take stock of your stocks. We did both in January.
255Our vacation of a lifetime (minus the sniffles): We interrupt the holiday season to bring you on a three-week trip through five foreign countries and the state of Florida. It's a Panama Canal cruise adventure that we'll never forget.
254When savage winds blow: Mother Nature takes another stab at our failing fences, we decorate for Halloween, Roni runs for a city council seat, and we buy stock in Uber.
253We're early for once, and floored by the news: It's about time we posted a newsletter before the last day of the month! Read on to learn about our kitchen floor installation, Roni's new iPhone 11, and the ever-changing world of our stock portfolios.
252Road to recovery takes an unexpected twist: A visit to a Greek festival leads to another doctor visit for Roni. Ben and Glenn ride BART to see family in Hayward. Lots of activity in our brokerage accounts. And the kitchen? Yeah, we've got that update too.
251At last... getting to the kitchen floor: We've entered the home stretch of our ongoing kitchen overhaul. We find a new solution to the old problem of what to do with the cat litter box. A topsy-turvy month in the stock markets brings mixed results.
250Sea Ranch redux: A month that begins with a relaxing family vacation along the Northern California coast ends with an emergency hospital trip after Roni suffers appendicitis. Things are happening for our investments, but not so much for our kitchen remodel.
249Turn on the tap and crank up the heat: We do some volunteer grilling on opening day at the Ironhouse Sanitary District's recylced water fill station. Ben and Glenn have adventures in Sacramento. Yet another kitchen update.
248Where's the party?: Miscommunication nearly results in disastrous consequences when we gather to celebrate the major-milestone birthdays of three of our family members. Glenn's got a new job, and the kitchen project... is still the kitchen project.
247A spring trip to SoCal? Give us a break!: A weeklong trip through Southern California takes us to Newport Beach, Palm Springs and the awe-inspiring Joshua Tree National Park. We also spend some quality time visiting Glenn's dad and grandma in Hemet and check out the new pier in Pismo Beach. The kitchen project rolls on.
246Taking a bite out of our portfolio: An investment in Blue Apron leads us to try the meal delivery service for the first time. We celebrate Roni's birthday by taking in the Monet art exhibit in San Francisco. Our cats come down with worms and we enrich our vet.
245A getaway by Monterey Bay: Roni's speaking engagement in Monterey turns into a fine opportunity to enjoy a mini vacation by the beach, despite the threat of rain. Ben shocks the tech world by purchasing an iPhone. We watch our investing fortunes rise and fall, and we head to the dump with lots of old chairs.
244Taking stock of 2019: Sofa so good: A hunt for a new chair for Roni turns into a whole living room set and an odyssey getting it home. Meanwhile, the kitchen remodel inches along while Glenn diverts his interests to earning interest and dividends via his retirement investments.
243Doing the Christmas season shuffle: Our kitchen starts to resemble a kitchen again with the addition of a new stove. We get a late start on the holiday decorating, but Christmas goes just fine. Ben now has his very own car.
242Time to get truckin': A pickup truck? How crazy an idea is that? Well, we finally get one thanks to an offer that was too good to pass up. We also celebrate Thanksgiving with family, continue work on our kitchen, and take the plunge (financially speaking) after investing in stocks.
241Return to Avalon: A 100th birthday celebration for Glenn's grandma brings us back to Southern California and another opportunity to vacation on Santa Catalina Island. But after last month's "counter attack" our kitchen remodel project is waiting for us back home.
240Counter measures: The never ending kitchen remodel project continues as we move from cabinets to countertops, demolishing the old tiles to make way for new granite. We aren't prepared for what we find underneath the surface. We also attend a festival and a feast.
239Norm Abram is laughing right now: The pros might not approve of our methods, but we plow ahead with our kitchen remodel. We build some cabinets and doors and shop for glass and tile. Glenn attends a rock concert, and we spook the neighbors with our effort to counter a yappy dog.
238Pardon our dust: Our kitchen remodeling adventures (and misadventures) continue as we finally move from planning to construction. But we still manage to find time to attend our 30th Pear Fair in Courtland.
237Cooking up a kitchen overhaul: It's time for another home improvement project, so we've got lots of planning to do. We learn about countertops, help our niece celebrate her graduation, and cheer as Ben passes his driving test.
236Pulling weeds and pushing deadlines: You want weeds, we got 'em. But not for long, as we work to eradicate them from our yard. We also travel to the Western Railway Museum, Asian Pacific Spring Festival, and celebrate birthdays galore.
235Dad's Driving School: Getting your driver's license can be a long, hard road. Ben is giving it his best shot, and he's got the world's best instructor by his side: Glenn. (Ha!) We also celebrate Roni's big honor as Outreach Coordinator of the Year.
234Another door opens: Why don't we have a barn door? Everyone has a barn door. Let's build our own barn door... and a closet door... and a coat rack... And while we're at it, let's celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary with a visit to Lake Tahoe.
233Bathroom beautification: One project leads to another as thoughts about replacing our kitchen floor lead to remodeling the guest bathroom. Spring weather affords opportunities for some day trips and Glenn's annual blossom walk.
232Foreign exchange student: Glenn learns if he has what it takes to become a Forex currency trader, Roni cleans up with a big award from CWEA, and we contemplate home improvement projects. We also break in our new computer, which almost breaks us in the process.
231Christmas with bells on: Our holiday decorations survive the first year with Phoenix and Phyre. We check out the light displays at Global Winter Wonderland, and we look back on a momentous 2017.
230Cats up a tree: We go in search of a solution to keep our young cats off our counters and walls and tame their destructive tendencies. Then it's a little of this, a little of that, as we round up the doings of the past month or two.
229Our ship has come in: Our quest for a new vacation adventure takes us to Catalina Island and Ensenada, B.C., aboard the Carnival Inspiration cruise liner. Watch as we party and eat our way through the beautiful blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.
228Ashes to ashes, dust to dust: Our family gathers to celebrate the lives of our late grandparents Henry and journeys to the family cemetery near Sutter Creek to scatter their ashes. We also tackle the other side of our front yard in the never-ending driveway expansion project.
227Driven to succeed: Ben achieves a long-awaited milestone as he finally passes his driving permit test. We complete a load of work on the front yard landscaping project, and we all enjoy our annual visit to the Pear Fair.
226A sea change: Our family deals with the loss of Glenn's job and his grandmother in the space of a week, but there is also an unexpected opportunity to vacation on the coast with members of the Gehlke clan at a beautiful home in Sea Ranch.
225A wedding among the trees: Calaveras Big Trees provides the perfect setting for the wedding of our nephew Robert and his fiancee Rebecca. It's also a great excuse for a vacation for us. We also cave in to the rising temperatures and purchase a portable air conditioner.
224Kitten kaboodle: Introducing Phoenix and Phyre, our two furry new additions to the family. Can our house survive their antics? We also celebrate Ben's 23rd birthday, go hiking at Round Valley Regional Preserve, and pick cherries.
223A closer look at Locke: A school tour for the Delta Science Center brings us to the historical Chinese community of Locke. We also help Glenn's grandmother celebrate her 102nd birthday.
222In sickness and in health: We battle through a month of runny noses, fevers and relentless coughing fits to celebrate Roni's birthday, our wedding anniversary, and even perform a bit of yard work.
221Who'll stop the rain?: This wet winter is really getting us down. We head to Cosumnes River Preserve and Big Break Regional Shoreline to see flooded things, and we eat at a lot of restaurants. What else is there to do in the rain?
220Greetings from Dystopia by the Bay: We journey to Oakland for a workshop, battle the flu, buy a microwave and two computers, shop for furniture and repair a leaky roof. Roni also celebrates several awards of excellence.
219Lost in the smog: Ride along on a blacktop adventure as Glenn attempts to get a smog check for his aging car and stave off mechanical obsolescence (for the car, not Glenn.) We also celebrate the holidays as only we know how to do.
218Farewell, Eevee, our faithful friend: We lose our cat Eevee to old age after more than 15 years. We also offer observations on the end of the tumultuous presidential election, and we grapple with sickness and unexpected medical bills.
217Plugging in to current affairs: Our neverending landscaping project continues despite running into electrical problems. We install a brick patio and haul in several yards of sand and decorative rock. We also attend a flood safety fair in Rio Vista.
216Vacationing in the Aisle of Lowe's: We spend the month tackling home improvement tasks, starting with the painting of the front of the house and putting up a planked ceiling in our porch entryway.
215Eevee and the golden turd: Our big gray cat is diagnosed with pancreatitis after we make the rounds of several veterinary clinics to find out why he can't poop. Speaking of which, we journey to Monterey when Roni attends the California Association of Sanitation Agencies conference to receive a big award. And of course we spend time at the Delta Pear Fair and Martinez Beaver Festival.
214Lords of the flies: A fly invasion of epic proportions adds unwanted excitement to Glenn's birthday weekend. We go to the home improvement stores and wind up joining the "fan club" with new indoor projects. We also pay a visit to Old Sacramento amid the Pokémon Go craze.
213Maybe we should sleep on it: Glenn's adversarial relationship with caffeine and sleep is documented, as is our decision to finally wall-mount the TV in our master bedroom.
212Meandering through the Birthday Zone: We celebrate Ben's 22nd birthday — twice — and Roni completes her Delta leadership program.
211Where does the time go?: April is rapidly absorbed between work and taxes, although we find a few minutes on a quiet Sunday night to photograph the moons of Jupiter.
210Rock on: Some vacation time and a little spring weeding inspires us to create a pebble mosaic in Winter's Garden, and puts us on a rocky road to another misadventure.
209Finding love in a cuppa joe: It took nearly 28 years of marriage for us to get our first coffee maker, and now we wonder how we ever lived without it. We also attempt to do some birding despite the weather and other issues.
208We'd like to thank the Academy: The weather outside is frightful, so we stay indoors for a major movie marathon. Eventually we actually get to take some photos with Roni's new camera lens.
207Dashing through December: We complete our Peanuts Christmas scene and celebrate the holiday at home as well as on the streets of Tracy. Roni gets a big gift. Can't believe it's almost the start of a new year!
206It's beginning to look a lot like 'A Charlie Brown Christmas': A classic Peanuts holiday cartoon inspires our decorating efforts as our Christmas display takes shape. We also take a look at one of our favorite times of the year — Halloween.
205Pacific Northwest adventure: It's time to hit the road for our first major vacation in eight years as we travel to the San Juan Islands in Washington. We recap the entire eight-day trip in this long (yet riveting!) entry.
204Up, up and away for Labor Day: Hot air balloons beckon us to Ripon for the annual Color The Skies event. We also visit the gourmet food trucks at the Off The Grid event in Concord, and we get familiar with the abilities — and limitations — of the Amazon Echo.
203Battle with a paddle: Our first kayaking misadventure: A kayaking excursion on the Delta proves to be more than we bargained for. We hit our favorite festivals in Courtland and Martinez, and rent a U-Haul truck for a weekend of dumping, hauling and a hair-raising race to Oakland.
202How does our garden grow: Our plants are responding to their new regimen of recycled water, leading us to invest in some new ones. We also take note of Glenn's 50th birthday, plus an update on the DSC rice project.
201A few drops in the bucket: The drought drives us to take advantage of the new recycled water fill station in town. We also battle the elements at the Jersey Island rice greenhouse and win prizes at the Contra Costa County Fair.
200200 newsletters and counting: The sad saga of our washer and dryer concludes somewhat successfully. We celebrate Ben's 21st birthday. Another staycation gives us time to build rice greenhouses.
199All washed up: Who ever thought that replacing a broken stackable washing machine could be so hard? We discover the evil truth about stackable washers and dryers, and we also celebrate Glenn's grandmother's 100th birthday.
198Workin' for a livin': Ben lands his first real job as a courtesy clerk at the new Grocery Outlet store in Oakley. We also explore the Hazel-Atlas Mine at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch, and we celebrate Roni's birthday and our 27th wedding anniversary.
197Rites of spring: Glenn's on the road to Hemet with his brother, which allows plenty of time to write about two blossom walks, crappy fence repairs, unexpected vet bills and so much more.
196Making a clean start: It's home improvement time, as we replace just about everything but the kitchen sink (we wanted to!) and add bookshelves to our den. We also fly the quadcopter and perform squirrel relocation.
195Had ourselves a merry little Christmas: Glenn restores a classic Christmas tale from the 1950s for a gift to his siblings. We celebrate the holidays and then go flying with our first quadcopter.
194Reaching the end of the bottomless pit: It has been a few years since we started our backyard pond project, but the old spa finally makes it into the ground. We also enjoy some Halloween hijinks.
193That new car smell: We cruise the car lots of Northern California in pursuit of our new Toyota Corolla, and then we take it on a trip to Bodega Bay.
192The dog days of summer: We engage the services of an electronic bark control device to combat our neighbor's obnoxious dogs, and an unexpected failure of our refrigerator finds us with a new model in our kitchen.
191To our health: A visit to the doctor prompts us to lose weight and get in shape. We partake in three area festivals, including our annual trip to the Delta Pear Fair, and Glenn helps count Lange's metalmark butterflies at the Antioch Dunes.
190In search of the perfect restaurant: A quest for the perfect "diner, drive-in or dive" takes us to Sacramento for Glenn's birthday. We get the rice transplanted at the DSC's Jersey Island field. The fireworks are popping all over as we enjoy a toasty Fourth of July week vacation.
189Home free: Gather 'round the virtual campfire as we torch our mortgage and celebrate owning our home debt-free. We also take a look at progress at the Delta Science Center rice greenhouse and roast in the heat of the DSC booth at the Big Break Regional Shoreline.
188It's not easy being green: The legacy of our garage cleanup is a pile of trash that we now must find a way to dispose of. Join us on a jaunt to the dump! Also, Roni and her Delta Science Center volunteers build a new rice greenhouse on Jersey Island. Ben turns 20.
187Spring cleaning: Watch how we spend an entire nine-day vacation cleaning the garage! Also, we celebrate Roni's birthday, our wedding anniversary, and some other miscellaneous stuff.
186Adventure on the Delta high seas: Come aboard the Hawaiian Chieftain as Roni sails off to a mock battle on the San Joaquin River. We attend a ceremony launching renovations of the Bing Kong Tong building in Isleton, Ben lands his first job, and Roni takes part in the Trout in the Classroom program.
185A bridge to the 21st century: Our website gets a long overdue facelift, we make more changes to our Wandering Webcam, and Glenn takes his annual blossom walk through town.
184For the birds: We introduce our new "Wandering Webcam," pay a visit to Cosumnes River Preserve during SacAnime weekend, and wrap up our Christmas season.
183The dog days of autumn: Our new neighbors move in, but it's their canine companions we meet first. Plus, Roni joins the county Fish & Wildlife Committee, and we can't believe the holiday season has arrived.
182Azure Arts buttons up some sales: Ben launches his new button-making business with a booth at the Oakley Harvest Festival. Glenn's newspaper says farewell to its old offices. We look back on Halloween.
181Marine World redux: We visit Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo for the first night of Fright Fest. We travel on various day trips during Glenn's vacation. The Delta Science Center holds its "Fish Tales" fundraiser.
180A business for Ben: We come up with the idea that Ben can make pinback buttons as a way to pay his way into SacAnime. Roni desperately tries to save her iPhone after a tumble into the rice field. A wildfire burns Mount Diablo. Glenn gets addicted to Candy Crush.
179Seeing the Pear Fair in a whole new way: Festival season is in full swing. For the first time ever, we have a booth at the Delta Pear Fair in Courtland. We also visit Taste of the Delta, the Martinez Beaver Festival, and the Bethel Island '50s Bash. An update on the Delta Science Center's rice project.
178Leaving the nursery: We spend a day with volunteers to transplant rice seedlings on Jersey Island. We enjoy a week of vacation and a hot Fourth of July weekend. Glenn gets a new camera for his birthday and we test it out with a trip to Sonoma.
177Get us to the church on time: Glenn is the best man at his friend Glen's wedding in Sonora. We learn all about roller derby during a visit to the Contra Costa County Fair. We get into the gardening spirit, and take part in the East Bay Regional Park District's Trails Challenge.
176If you build it, rice will come... maybe: Our trials and tribulations getting the rice to grow in the DSC's Jersey Island greenhouses. Changes are afoot at the newspaper as Glenn's office prepares for a big move to new headquarters. Ben celebrates his 19th birthday.
3Looking back on 1998: A recap of the year's highlights. It's been a year of trips, trains and torrential rains.
2Don't be a turkey... read this!: We enroll Ben in his first preschool class. Also, a brief recap of our Halloween.
1A ghoulish October greeting: Our inaugural edition of our family newsletter recaps a visit to Truckee Railroad Days and an air show in Fairfield.
