It might have been cold and windy Sunday morning, but the sun came out later in the day and Rick’s overreaction to the weather left me with nowhere to sit outside. Watching Rick hustle around the yard with a rake and a trash bag made me feel a little guilty. So I grabbed my garden gloves, some hand tools and the six packs of Territorial Seeds I purchased recently and threw them all in a bucket and moseyed over to one of our raised beds. Time to plant our winter crops, one square at time.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Rick in the last 10 years, it’s that he is patient, disciplined and will research a project thoroughly before he jumps in. I, on the other hand, can hear about something one day and be anxious to try it the next.

For years, Rick has been intrigued by the science of square foot gardening (SFG). It’s not a new idea. In fact, the method dates back to 1976. The basic premise is that instead of gardening in rows, you garden within square foot grids in raised beds. A 4x4 raised bed, for example, is divided into 16 squares. In one square you could plant four heads of red lettuce or 16 carrots or 32 radishes or one head of cauliflower.

And it’s not even big challenges that would be called disabilities, but goofy little things that, nevertheless, impact our daily lives. The human mind is so complex, I suppose it’s no wonder little things don’t always compute.

What brings this to mind now is a new pair of shoes. I buy locally if at all possible, but I go to Oregon for my shoes. Harmony is in Harbor. That would make a rather nice Zen koan, but Harmony is the young woman who manages On Your Feet, a store in Harbor that carries upscale footwear. If it exists, she’ll find it for you, and I’ve discovered that you can handle virtually anything if you're wearing comfortable shoes and socks.

In the process of learning that it’s possible to pay more than $30 for a pair of shoes, I found myself insisting upon step-ins. I will never again wear shoes that must be tied. I used the creaky back that makes it hard for me to reach my feet as an excuse, but there’s more to it than that.

Enough to rouse me from the television set for a low-tide stroll that, for all its twilight beauty, was most remarkable for what it lacked. At the time of day when bluster is almost a given on the coast, the sea was holding its breath Sunday evening.

My plan for a quick down-and-back dissolved. The second half of the Steelers game could wait. I’d been watching it in bizarre fashion anyway, with a chair pulled close to the TV so I could follow the action on one of eight miniature video feeds on what my satellite provider calls a “sports mix.” This is thanks to the Eureka NBC affiliate refusing to grant a waiver allowing me to watch its network on an L.A. station since DirectTV doesn’t provide the local channels, but all that seemed trivial in the pink-hued surf.

After gazing at the spectacle from above, I started along the sand determined to take in whatever the darkening sky had left to show. The stillness was almost eerie, as if I were on a tropical island. That thought took me back to Wednesday, when an earthquake in the South Pacific swamped the Samoas and prompted a tsunami alert here.

Del Norte County has finally secured ownership of Whaler Island in Crescent City harbor, according to word received from Wash­ington by City Attorney T.F. Peterson.

This fact is settled in a telegram which stated that the U.S. Supreme Court had denied a writ asked by Eric Lyders, San Francisco attorney.

Lyders originally claimed title to the island several years ago. The county contested his claim and the case had been in court ever since, until it reached the highest court in the land.

Work-together spirit

Larry was a 1951 Warrior graduate that excelled in both football and track. Larry’s name appears on the old warrior blanket as the 1951 outstanding football player, but he was much more than an athlete. Larry was a total ball of energy and enthusiasm in whatever he did.

Sports only took up part of Larry’s interest, as he was involved in all phases of student body offices including student body president in his senior year. After graduation Larry enlisted for a three year tour in the army.

When he completed his tour in the service he first started college in Texas. That was too far from home so he returned and enrolled at Humboldt State. There he received his degree in psychology with an emphasis on the use of hypnosis to overcome various types of problems.

The 2009 Health Care Reform Act, HR 3200, is a work in progress with many details that need to be worked out as it moves through the legislative process. There have been erroneous claims about the bill and health care from all sides.

As physicians, we feel it is important to give our views of HR 3200.

Health care reform is not socialized medicine.  It will preserve the employer-based care system and give those buying coverage for themselves a selection of  private health plans to choose from, including the so-called “public plan.” Health care reform is not a government takeover. It’s a way to guarantee all Americans have a choice of health care plans they can afford.

Health care reform is not rationed care. It will allow patients to keep their doctors and let every American have a choice of affordable health care.

Health care reform will not hurt Medicare. It will help lower drug costs for people in the “doughnut hole,” keep the doctor of your choice and improve quality of care and eliminate billions in waste.