Anyone In California?

[LeverGunner]

I'm going to make a trip to visit a friend in Northern California. He's in Humbolt County in McKinleyville. Any of our members here in that area or close? I'd love to meet and do a little shooting or talk guns.

[Bill in Oregon]

No longer in California, but I went to high school in Arcata way back when Reagan was governor -- and saw the Nixons and Johnsons fly in to the McKinleyville airport to dedicate the Lady Bird Johnson Grove and the new Redwoods National Park.
Hope you have a great visit and the weather is kind.

[El Chivo]

I got out in 2020, but I just heard my friend from LASC (silhouette club) who lives in Alta Dena lost his house and everything.

It's looking like they will prevent residents from rebuilding and turn everything into apartment buildings like Eastern Europe.

Tough to lose everything at 77. Haven't heard from him directly though.

[COSteve]

I moved to California in 1956 as a 9 yr old when my father left McDonald Aircraft Co. in MO and took a job at Lockheed Missiles and Space in Sunnyvale, CA. I grew up in 'The Golden State' and was fortunate enough to have a wonderful period to grow into an adult. However, that time is long gone. In college after the Army, my Master's Degree was in Public Administration as I mistakenly thought I wanted to become a City Manager in Northern California where I grew up.

However, I realized that the state was screwed up politically half way through my Masters in 1975. Anyway, I finished the degree in 1976 but instead of finding employment in government, I went back into Aerospace where I'd been working before and used my knowledge of the way political bureaucrats think to work to my advantage. By 1980 I realized that the focus of the state wasn't on the basic economic principles that support the population but rather on the left's current agenda.

That's when I got a job at Martin and we moved to Colorado. I thought it was bad when I left but the truth is it was still the 'good ole days' compared to now. The focus of the left isn't on the people of the state; it's on the Woke, DEI, and fringe elements at the expense of the voters.

While the fires and their destruction are horrible and mostly affecting the middle and lower class who have little or no say in the state and everything to lose, it's not surprising that this destruction is happening as the focus of the state and local politicians is and has always been on themselves for as long as I can remember. California isn't Golden anymore, it's not even tarnished. It a garbage dump and I ache for the friends I know that still live there.

[LeverGunner]

Thank you Bill. I've been trying to figure out what might be of interest to see there.

ElChivo, sorry to hear about your friend. When my house burnt at 30, one of my first thoughts was "I sure am glad it happened to me now instead of at 70."

Steve, My buddy says that the north part is quite a bit different from the other parts, I seriously doubt I'll be falling in love and wanting to stay though.

[COSteve]

LeverGunner, you're right about that, the north was always less screwed up even though in the 60's it was more liberal than the southern part of the state. Not liberal as in today, but liberal in the realm of being more laid back and not so wrapped up in yourself. I remember back in high school in early 60s, the worst insult you could give a girl was to call her an "LA Chick", however, these days the 2 halves of the state have moved much closer together; gone far left; and the whole state is pretty much on the path to self destruction.

[jeepnik]

Steve. You need to look at a county by county map of the voting in the last election. Geographically most of the state voted for Trump. But, like a number of other states, the large metropolitan areas, with their higher population density voted Harris.

[COSteve]

Steve. You need to look at a county by county map of the voting in the last election. Geographically most of the state voted for Trump. But, like a number of other states, the large metropolitan areas, with their higher population density voted Harris.

I understand. It's the same as it was in the 50's where the rural coast, middle and eastern part of the state always votes republican but the high density cities overwhelm them with democratic votes. It's the same thing here in Colorado. By land area we're heavily republican, however, most of the state's population lives in the Denver Metro Area (I live just outside of it) and they overwhelm the rest of us by voting democratic.

[oldebear1950]

costeve, My family moved from Oklahoma to San Francisco in 1958, My granddad got my dad a job at Bethlehem Steel shipyard.
We left the San Francisco area and moved to a small town outside of Bakersfield, 20 miles outside, named Arvin, CA.
That was in the summer of 1962.
I stayed there until I grad from High school in 1969.
I went into the Army Reserves in April 1968, High school gave me two credits to get my high school diploma, went on active duty in October 1968 to Fort Ord, for basic training, went off active duty at the end of Feb 1969 and was no
jobs at home. In July 1969 went into the US COAST GUARD, retired after 20 years, then retired from the post office.
After I left California never went back to stay.
But in the 1950s and 1960s was a lot different than it is now.

[oldebear1950]

I went to my 50 year reunion in 2019, and from the San Juaquin valley and the mountains north and west of Sacramento vote republican and the big cities vote democrat

[jeepnik]

costeve, My family moved from Oklahoma to San Francisco in 1958, My granddad got my dad a job at Bethlehem Steel shipyard.
We left the San Francisco area and moved to a small town outside of Bakersfield, 20 miles outside, named Arvin, CA.
That was in the summer of 1962.
I stayed there until I grad from High school in 1969.
I went into the Army Reserves in April 1968, High school gave me two credits to get my high school diploma, went on active duty in October 1968 to Fort Ord, for basic training, went off active duty at the end of Feb 1969 and was no
jobs at home. In July 1969 went into the US COAST GUARD, retired after 20 years, then retired from the post office.
After I left California never went back to stay.
But in the 1950s and 1960s was a lot different than it is now.

Oldbear, did your dad move from shipbuilding to the oil industry? When the Bethlehem yard in L A Harbor closed quite a few of us made that shift.

[oldebear1950]

No , my dad had quit working in the shipyards, as he had a finger cut off there.

By the time you are talking about he had retired, and passed away in 2008.

[oldebear1950]

but I went to the ROY ROGERS MEUSEUM IN 1973 when it was in Apple Valley, and then again in 1999 when it was in Victorville, before it moved to Branson Mo.
The one in Apple Valley was larger and had a lot more exhibits.

my brother was stationed at George AFB., just down the road from the back gate of Edwards AFB, and he and his colonel were in the same gun club as ROY ROGERS

my brother said he saw him shooting skeet, and go about 120 clay targets and never missed. that was in 1973. and ROY ROGERS was an old man

[jeepnik]

but I went to the ROY ROGERS MEUSEUM IN 1973 when it was in Apple Valley, and then again in 1999 when it was in Victorville, before it moved to Branson Mo.
The one in Apple Valley was larger and had a lot more exhibits.

my brother was stationed at George AFB., just down the road from the back gate of Edwards AFB, and he and his colonel were in the same gun club as ROY ROGERS

my brother said he saw him shooting skeet, and go about 120 clay targets and never missed. that was in 1973. and ROY ROGERS was an old man

I was stationed at George from '71 to '74. What was your brothers's job? Roy Rogers used to bowl at the Victorville bowl He was a pretty good bowler too.

[oldebear1950]

My brother went there from tech school, at Chanute Ill. he was a jet engine mechanic.
George was a TAC base at least that was what he said. He got there from 1972 to 1975. In 1975 I was at a COAST GUARD school in Petaluma, CA. In July I grad and was transferred to Kodiak , AK. He had reenlisted and was
transferred to Fairchild AFB outside of Spokane, Wa, We traveled together until we got to Seattle, and he turned east and I turned my car in to be shipped to Alaska.

[jeepnik]

My brother went there from tech school, at Chanute Ill. he was a jet engine mechanic.
George was a TAC base at least that was what he said. He got there from 1972 to 1975. In 1975 I was at a COAST GUARD school in Petaluma, CA. In July I grad and was transferred to Kodiak , AK. He had reenlisted and was
transferred to Fairchild AFB outside of Spokane, Wa, We traveled together until we got to Seattle, and he turned east and I turned my car in to be shipped to Alaska.

Yep, George was TAC. It was the Phantom training base. We did get a few F-105 Wild Weasels back from SEA just before I left for Spain.

[oldebear1950]

what was your job? My brother was 2 years younger than me, I had reenlisted in 1973, was transferred to the COAST GUARD RADIO STATION IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

We had been reading gun books and magazines since we were 10 years old, and always wanted to go to Alaska, but I was the only one that got to do that

[oldebear1950]

I retired from the COAST GUARD in 1989 and my brother stayed in and retired from the Air Force in 1991

[oldebear1950]

When we left California none of us went back to stay the politics got really bad if you like to fish and hunt as we did

[jeepnik]

Old bear. I was a fireman. Ask him if he remembers the Husky rescue helo that was kept at the far end of the ramp.