In this episode, Hal George revisits the childhood upheaval that taught him to hide his feelings and move through life like a robot. Tim Yearnshaw shares two snapshots of 1950s boyhood: the triumphant homemade police wagon that made the local paper and the shocking moment a single swear word opened the door to growing up. And Dan Rott recalls the wild freedom of chasing DDT fog trucks on bikes, a reminder of the danger and innocence that shaped his generation.
In this episode, Jean Jackman traces a joyful birthday of local adventures with her husband, hiking flower-bright canyons and planning future travels. Maggy Gorrill turns a rogue cockroach into a witty, heartfelt look at vermin and the vulnerability of building a new life on the West Coast. And David Blake shares three hilarious animal escapades—from a naked bird rescue to a cat-launched midnight attack, plus the fire-saving dog—that reveal how creatures shape our lives in the most unexpected ways.
In this episode, Hal George discovers unexpected grace in the quiet work of a cemetery office. Kathi Hickey follows a trail of uncanny rainbows while carrying out a promise to a dear friend. Jean Jackson recalls how a local protest suddenly put her on the Rachel Maddow Show. And Justine Murray reflects on Kyiv, holding both her memories of the city she once knew and the losses Ukraine has endured since the 2022 invasion.
Kathleen Stack journeys from bustling Bangkok to remote Thai villages, encountering elephants, rivers, and hill tribes, and later returns twelve weeks pregnant to discover her child’s first heartbeat and a vision for empowering women. Kathi Hickey braves Nepal’s chaotic buses, wild elephants, and near rhino encounters, finding danger, humor, and the thrill of the unexpected.
Jim Purdy takes us on a flavorful journey through Central Texas barbecue, from his first taste of smoky Austin brisket to a lifelong quest to recapture that perfect bite. David Blake turns a summer evening in Normandy into a fiery, hilarious Tex-Mex adventure, complete with hot sauce mishaps and a family-inspired country ballad. And Ann Russell immerses us in the final summer at Fish Camp, capturing leaping salmon, tireless net hauling, and the bittersweet rhythms of a life spent on the river.
David Blake takes us on a wild midnight adventure from posh Woodside to the tattoo parlor frequented by Hells Angels. Maggy Gorrill shares a 4 a.m. brain dump of insomnia and menopause. Hal George remembers a single thank you note that shaped his career, growth, and love, and Maggy Gorrill joins us a second time to reflect on mentoring a shy student abroad and the lasting power of a dance lesson.
Late life love, seniors who fall in love, experience the same passion and fascination as younger people who are in love. Seniors don’t always marry; they don’t always have sex; but they find themselves more intimately connected than ever before. What do we have to learn from people who’ve learned what really matters?
David Blake entertains us with the babysitter who somehow finds the ‘special’ brownies, while Dan Rott’s service station uniform seems to change size. Xiaomei Chen’s story begins when her mother was a girl at the beginning of the cultural revolution in China.
Michael Lewis’ “The Parlour Maid’s Pearls” is the story of a house maid who’s given a lovely string of double pearls for her wedding. “Skateboarding with Billy” and “The Fight” describe our “go-outside-and-play” generation of children’s games.
Jim Goodnight approaches gorillas in the wild Africa, including the magnificent silverback known as Kwisanga. He learns how veterinarians from UC Davis help these animals survive and stay wild. Jan Bower also spent time in Africa but as the wife of an archeologist who makes discoveries of her own.
Once Kathi Hickey decides what will cure her cluster headaches, not even a major earthquake can prevent her treatment. Ann Russell imagines that the sound of the meteor which caused the extinction of the dinosaurs was loud beyond measure. But what is the sound of the species that we lose everyday?
Each of these stories is about trying something new. Mo Ose tried meeting a new person every day for a year, while Pieter Pastoor tried new bedding, a duvet, and it changed his life. David Blake tried poetry for the first time, then thought better of it.
