Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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This little inspiring story came to me from a friend over the Internet. In doing my own research on it, I found that it is a story repeated often in many different countries and cultures, and with many longer and shorter variations, always with a credit of "author unknown." However it is shared, and no matter when it was first told or by whom, it seems to me to be a timely addition to share with you today: According to an old Native American legend [sic], one day there was a big fire in the fore...
Thanksgiving is fast approaching and may be here by the time you read this, signaling a time of reflection and gratitude for all the many blessings we have in our lives. That may seem a little more difficult this year, especially considering the big picture, what with the United States still being so divided and all of us facing a rather unchartered and uncertain future. Things will get better, as some folks say, or they'll get worse as others say, but the thing about life is (as most of us can...
I understand that a lot of people have been dealing with a lot of mice over the last few months, and I have not been spared. As I settled in to write my column for the last issue of The Loop, I saw a little mouse run across the floor in my living room. It was not an isolated incident. Indeed, it had become a common one in what I was beginning to think of as my own personal mouse war. I've lost track of how many mice I've caught in traps so far (since sometime in July), and I know others have...
I've always thought it's pretty weird that fall election time comes right after Halloween. As if ghosts and goblins aren't scary enough for us, we have to be bombarded by the final onslaught of politicians and special interest groups telling us in a never-ending array of commercials how to vote on this, that, or the other thing. Soon, however, we will all go to the polls on Nov. 5 (unless we've already voted by mail) and put an end to the campaigning when we actually elect a new president, some...
Every month has a special designation, and every year around this time I like to write a reminder that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's a great time to get those breasts checked and catch any abnormalities early. Early detection can save lives, and early detection depends on actually getting checked out. October is the month to get that done! So that's my reminder for this year. Because in researching the month of October, I also found a lot of other fun stuff to remember and...
Like many of you, last February I was terribly sad to find out that the Hitching Post Theater in our fair little town had closed its doors for good, due to the untimely and unexpected death of owner Will Viner. And then like many of you, I was delighted to find out the beloved little four-screen theater was reopening this summer with new owners. Open it did, refurbished and improved with a new look – but still with the small town feeling so many of us had come to love – a welcome happening for...
Mel Makaw (aka Mel White), contributing writer for The Loop newspaper, is also an author of four books. Her most recent is the newly published "ON TILT," six short stories, a poem and a novella. Previous publications include "woman proud, woman strong" (a collection of woman pride and lesbian pride writings), "Morningland of Dreams" (poetry and lyrics) and "On the Bright Side" (a collection of columns). To celebrate the release of her latest, Mel will be signing books on Saturday, Sept. 21 from...
The Internet is a wonderful source of facts (and, I admit, a fair amount of nonsense) and a great place for communication and inspiration. I especially love hearing from friends who share those precious little stories of inspiration, which I like to pass on to you. This is one of those stories (author unknown): "My dad has bees. Today I went to his house, and he showed me all of the honey he had gotten from the hives. He took the lid off of a five-gallon bucket full of honey, and on top of the...
I first wrote about the theme of a You-OR-Me world verses a You-AND-Me world almost 20 years ago. But things have changed in recent years and not for the better. I think the theme is worth another go 'round today. Over the last few years, I've seen a You-OR-Me attitude grow within our country, an "US v THEM" attitude that divides us like never before, sometimes verbally, sometimes violently. Some people seem to be outright embracing and glorifying the ugly side of language and attitude and actio...
Like many of you, I felt the earthquakes a couple of weeks ago, the ones in Mettler and Lamont, and I admit they scared me a little. I was sitting in my rocking recliner in my living room, minding my own business and watching the Olympics on television, when my chair started rocking from side to side instead of forward and backwards. That's how I knew it was an earthquake. Then the alert on my phone startled me by going off and telling me to duck and cover ... and I knew it was a significant...
As near as I can recall, the last time my living conditions didn't include a pet of any kind was back in 1987. Now, 37 years later, I find myself in the same condition. A few days ago, I noticed my cat Anni – my only remaining pet – had a mouthful of blood. I took her to Tehachapi Veterinary Hospital, where I left her to be evaluated. A few hours later I received the call that no one wants to receive – Anni had cancer and the prognosis was grim. I made the decision that is so hard to make,...
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...
