Sonoma County Wine Country (photo by Howard E. Daniel) Last week, I wrote about our escape from the Kincade Fire. Actually, our experience was more like an unplanned family gathering than a helter-skelter flight of refugees. But if you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably also seen that the fire triggered the evacuation of roughly […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Wine-Country1.jpg32642448Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2019-11-10 19:42:472019-11-10 19:56:48Fire Can’t Shut Us Down! Sonoma Wine Country Is Still Open for Business
Three of the five thousand to whom we are grateful! (Courtesy: Facebook) Sandra and I are back home — safe, warm and grateful. For anyone reading this who may not know what we’re grateful for, it’s this: Despite what looked for a time like pretty unfavorable odds, Northern California’s Kincade Fire did NOT burn our […]
Trump’s letter to Erdogan Among the flotsam and jetsam washed up on my computer screen by this week’s deluge1 of Trump-related news was a letter that the U.S. president wrote to his counterpart in Turkey, the bloody-minded, bloody-handed Recep Tayyip Erdogan.2 Much-criticized not only for its threatening content but also for its distinctly unpresidential tone […]
Over the years, I’ve met a number of people who, when they want to sell their home, try to do it without the help of a real estate agent. From personal experience, I’ve learned that this is not such a great idea. Good agents are worth every penny of the commissions they earn. Here’s how […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/attachment_53548803.jpeg500500Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2019-10-13 18:55:062019-10-13 19:02:00Want to Avoid Real Estate Agent Commissions? Not a Good Idea!
Vinnie and Howard, at Vinnie’s house, a “few” years ago A guitar immortal succumbed to human mortality this week, but his music will long outlive him. Legendary studio guitarist Vinnie Bell (Vincent Gambella) passed away on Thursday, but left us an unsurpassed legacy in scores of hit songs, movie soundtracks and even advertising jingles in […]
Former U.S. Consulate, Leningrad We had a mini-emergency a few days ago in our senior community/mobile home park in Santa Rosa, California. In the dead of night, the pump that supplies our homes with well water tripped a circuit breaker. In order to be on time to a 7 o’clock meeting the next morning, I […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Lgrad-consulate-1.jpg540598Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2019-09-29 18:18:432019-10-19 20:31:33Déjà Vu All Over Again
Nat Daniel, at 80+ years, clowning around with champagne cork cages at a birthday party If my dad were still alive, he’d be marking his 107th birthday tomorrow (he was born on Sept. 23, 1912). Nat Daniel was a smart, innovative guy. He was also very funny. So I’ll celebrate on his behalf by regaling readers […]
Rosslyn’s most notable edifice. The Foreign Service Institute was housed in the glass-walled building at left. Trigger Warning: The following post may offend your religious sensibilities. In a little over two months, Sandra and I will be joining our son Adam and his family in the Washington, D.C., area for Thanksgiving. In beginning to think […]
Niagara Falls — Horseshoe (“Canadian”) Falls with Hornblower boat as close as it dares It’s back to the East Coast (well, almost — we didn’t get much past Lake Erie) this week, as I wind up this intermittent series on what Sandra and I did on our summer vacation.1 After an al fresco breakfast at […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/IMG_2788.jpg30244032Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2019-09-08 19:42:442019-09-08 20:45:10What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Part Three
Stockmann, Helsinki Here’s a vignette from the time I was posted to the U.S. consulate-general in Leningrad, 1976-78. Sasha, one of our Soviet-citizen drivers,* had just been granted a passport, a privilege that very few Soviet citizens enjoyed. This allowed him to drive the consulate’s truck (a vehicle very much like a UPS delivery van) […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Stockmann2.jpg960960Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2019-09-01 20:06:172019-09-02 15:29:04A Soviet Citizen’s Reaction to a Western Department Store
Fire Can’t Shut Us Down! Sonoma Wine Country Is Still Open for Business
/2 Comments/in North Bay, Places I've lived, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, Travel /by Howard DanielSonoma County Wine Country (photo by Howard E. Daniel) Last week, I wrote about our escape from the Kincade Fire. Actually, our experience was more like an unplanned family gathering than a helter-skelter flight of refugees. But if you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably also seen that the fire triggered the evacuation of roughly […]
Safe, Home, Warm and Grateful
/2 Comments/in North Bay, Places I've lived, Santa Rosa, Thoughts /by Howard DanielThree of the five thousand to whom we are grateful! (Courtesy: Facebook) Sandra and I are back home — safe, warm and grateful. For anyone reading this who may not know what we’re grateful for, it’s this: Despite what looked for a time like pretty unfavorable odds, Northern California’s Kincade Fire did NOT burn our […]
“Diplomatic” letters
/0 Comments/in History, Thoughts /by Howard DanielTrump’s letter to Erdogan Among the flotsam and jetsam washed up on my computer screen by this week’s deluge1 of Trump-related news was a letter that the U.S. president wrote to his counterpart in Turkey, the bloody-minded, bloody-handed Recep Tayyip Erdogan.2 Much-criticized not only for its threatening content but also for its distinctly unpresidential tone […]
Want to Avoid Real Estate Agent Commissions? Not a Good Idea!
/0 Comments/in Places I've lived, Recollections, Thoughts /by Howard DanielOver the years, I’ve met a number of people who, when they want to sell their home, try to do it without the help of a real estate agent. From personal experience, I’ve learned that this is not such a great idea. Good agents are worth every penny of the commissions they earn. Here’s how […]
Vinnie Bell, July 28, 1935 – October 3, 2019, RIP
/0 Comments/in Danelectro, Recollections /by Howard DanielVinnie and Howard, at Vinnie’s house, a “few” years ago A guitar immortal succumbed to human mortality this week, but his music will long outlive him. Legendary studio guitarist Vinnie Bell (Vincent Gambella) passed away on Thursday, but left us an unsurpassed legacy in scores of hit songs, movie soundtracks and even advertising jingles in […]
Déjà Vu All Over Again
/0 Comments/in North Bay, Places I've lived, Recollections, Santa Rosa /by Howard DanielFormer U.S. Consulate, Leningrad We had a mini-emergency a few days ago in our senior community/mobile home park in Santa Rosa, California. In the dead of night, the pump that supplies our homes with well water tripped a circuit breaker. In order to be on time to a 7 o’clock meeting the next morning, I […]
Speechless!
/0 Comments/in Danelectro, Humor, Recollections /by Howard DanielNat Daniel, at 80+ years, clowning around with champagne cork cages at a birthday party If my dad were still alive, he’d be marking his 107th birthday tomorrow (he was born on Sept. 23, 1912). Nat Daniel was a smart, innovative guy. He was also very funny. So I’ll celebrate on his behalf by regaling readers […]
Streetcorner Blasphemy
/0 Comments/in Humor, Places I've lived, Recollections, Uncategorized /by Howard DanielRosslyn’s most notable edifice. The Foreign Service Institute was housed in the glass-walled building at left. Trigger Warning: The following post may offend your religious sensibilities. In a little over two months, Sandra and I will be joining our son Adam and his family in the Washington, D.C., area for Thanksgiving. In beginning to think […]
What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Part Three
/0 Comments/in Recollections, Travel /by Howard DanielNiagara Falls — Horseshoe (“Canadian”) Falls with Hornblower boat as close as it dares It’s back to the East Coast (well, almost — we didn’t get much past Lake Erie) this week, as I wind up this intermittent series on what Sandra and I did on our summer vacation.1 After an al fresco breakfast at […]
A Soviet Citizen’s Reaction to a Western Department Store
/0 Comments/in Places I've lived, Recollections /by Howard DanielStockmann, Helsinki Here’s a vignette from the time I was posted to the U.S. consulate-general in Leningrad, 1976-78. Sasha, one of our Soviet-citizen drivers,* had just been granted a passport, a privilege that very few Soviet citizens enjoyed. This allowed him to drive the consulate’s truck (a vehicle very much like a UPS delivery van) […]