creiter's blog

It’s that time of the year again, when people start worrying about West Nile Virus. It’s a nasty disease for a small percentage of people, and it can kill.
West Nile is spread by mosquitoes, those nasty little insects that bug us all during the summer.
But there are things that you can do to make sure those bugs aren’t too overwhelming.
First, wear long sleeves if it’s not too hot, and if it is, put insect repellant with DEET on. Also, make sure you aren’t unknowingly breeding the little buggers by dumping any standing water you might have around your house. That means check for tires, buckets, anything that can hold even a bit of water. And, if at all possible, don’t go outside when the mosquitoes are out, early in the morning and at dusk.

This time of the year, agriculture is really heating up, along with the weather. And to get their fields and animals taken care of, many farmers and ranchers are out on the roads on tractors.
Those tractors can be dangerous. Not to the folks who are driving them, but to the people who are sharing the road with them. Tractors don’t go very fast, and a lot of them take up a lot of room on the road. Too many times, I have seen cars passing these tractors on a blind curve, or when visibility is too low.

A trip to the Merced County Fair is always fun, especially for kids. But don’t just ride the rides or eat all the gooey, yummy food that’s there. Remember what fairs were originally for - the animals.
And at our fair, it’s still all about the animals. And the 4-H and FFAers that bring those animals to the fair. Those kids work hard for sometimes up to two years, and then spend at least 12 hours a day at the fair, watching over their project animals and keeping them safe and happy.

I was in the seventh grade, ready for the end of school and the beginning of summer. I had struggled through a tough year of algebra and I had finally busted my tail enough to get a C in the class.
The year was 1968, and my father was the traveling freight and passenger agent for Southern Pacific Railroad in Merced. A fancy title for a guy who spent a lot of time driving around the tiny towns of Mendota, Firebaugh, Planada and Dos Palos, making sure farmers got their crops of sugar beets, sweet potatoes and cantaloupes loaded into box cars and gondola cars.

‘My name is Crabby Appleton,
I’m rotten to the core
I do a bad deed every day,
and sometimes three or four.
I can’t stand fun for anyone,
I think good deeds are sappy,
I laugh with glee, it pleases me,
when everyone’s unhappy!’

Everyone knows someone that fits this description. The song is from the old “Captain Kangaroo Show,” sung by the villain on the Tom Terrific cartoons.

I am a native Californian. My dad was a native Californian, and so was my grandmother and my great-grandmother. In fact, my nephews are both natives too, so that makes those two boys fifth-generation Golden staters.
Most of those folks were born in the San Joaquin Valley. My dad and my nephew were both born in Oakland, but the rest of us claim good old Fresno County as our birthplace.
So I can pretty much say that I know what I like about this area, and what I don’t like. I’m not going to make a list or anything--just bring up one thing that’s been bugging me.