Sage advice about staying out of the rain

As we tire of looking out the window at a steady downpour, we all have weak moments when we consider the possibility of going for that walk or jog in spite of the elements. Right?

Okay, maybe it’s one of our own little peculiarities. After spending a cozy Sunday morning with the Chronicle and an East Coast Blazer game on TV, Laura and I not only pondered the notion of immersing ourselves in the maelstrom — we acted on it.

We had our wet weather gear, after all, including raincoats we’d splurged for at REI after getting soaked in a gully-washer on a Colorado mountainside a few years ago. Cinch the hoods over our hats and earmuffs, pull on an extra pair of sweats, and we’d be fine. Right?

If you find this idiotic, you’re not having an original thought. We could sense the questioning of our judgment emanating from every driver who passed us on Pebble Beach Drive as we first jogged with the northerly wind at our backs, then walked the return leg with it in our faces. Becoming airborne seemed a distinct possibility.

As for the sideways rain, well, the REI jackets did keep our torsos pretty dry. Everywhere else was drenched long before our house came back into view.

My advice — and this is the sort of knowledge one can impart only after becoming familiar with the subtleties of a place — is to stay inside during storms.

What about Del Norte?

Besides dispensing the sage advice of a local, another sign that I’m settling in here is that I take umbrage when someone implies that the northern edge of California is in Humboldt County. I realize some of you would prefer our piece of paradise remain undiscovered, but the fact is we need the tourists.

Someone working for the state parks system in Sacramento (which he probably considers Northern California) recently sent out a press release touting the natural wonders of the Golden State, including elephant seals and the “world’s tallest trees.” But for seals he directed “eco-tourists” to a state reserve 55 miles south of San Francisco, and for redwoods he pointed visitors toward a state park in Calaveras County.

When I hit “reply” and reminded him about what we have up here, he responded with some geographic name-dropping, saying he would follow up with the folks at Jedediah Smith, Lake Earl, etc. When he spelled Tolowa “Talawa,” however, I realized he still had a ways to go.

Goodbye, Jack Stafford

I didn’t know him well, but it was obvious others did. The longtime Del Norte High School speech coach touched the lives of hundreds of students, some of whom are now educators themselves.

Stafford, who died last week from complications of diabetes, graciously agreed to serve as timekeeper at each of The Triplicate’s three candidate forums last year. It was amazing how many people, candidates and otherwise, came up to say, “Hi Jack.”

He will be missed.