Avila Beach Life • April 2022

LOCAL NEWS ... BEACH VIEWS • APRIL 2022

AVILABEACHLIFENEWS .COM

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RUSS LOVED AVILA BEACH PAGE 4

POINT SAN LUIS

THE [LIGHT]HOUSE HISTORY PAGE 5

HOPPING AROUND BOB JONES TRAIL PAGE 6

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ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

2 | Avila Beach Life — April 2022

Making Communities Better Through Print™

Spring is in the Air

Publishers

Hayley & Nicholas Mattson editor@13starsmedia.com

LAYOUT DESIGN Neil Schumaker

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Ad Design Jen Rodman

-Thomas Edison

Ad Consultant Dana McGraw Brooke Brinar

We are thrilled to see smiling faces and events back on the two years, and it seems as though Abraham Lincoln was right calendar, longer days full of sunshine and BBQ’s each and every — you will be just as happy as you make your mind up to be. weekend!

Our team likes the real world. We like real people. We like So much has changed since we adopted Avila Beach Life creating something you can keep on the counter or coffee table. back in September 2019; little did we know that no more than We like printing something worth reading. six months later, the world would change like never before.

Since the beginning, you have given us something worth However, we made it through, and we thank everyone who writing about, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, supported and kept us going! We are happy to be on your team. and you can thank all our advertisers for making it all possible by shopping their stores and making a new friend for life. We So here we are now, after deciding in 2020 that we wanted to all appreciate it. grow and not die as a company. We picked up five new publications and now serve the entire county of San Luis Obispo We hope you enjoy this issue of Avila Beach Life. with great magazines, have a really young and fun team of 13 employees (yes, they are all Stars). We also serve Santa Ynez We hope you enjoy this month’s issue of Avila Beach Life.

Valley with the SYV Star and the amazing City of Malibu with Much love, The Malibu Times and Malibu Times Magazine.

Cami Martin office@13starsmedia.com

CONTRIBUTORS Barbie Butz

Mary Foppiano Betty Hartig

Kathy Mastako

Dr. Cindy Maynard John Salisbury

Contact Us 805.466.2585

We’ve all watched the world change (or not) over the past

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avila beach life is published monthly. all rights reserved , material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher . avila beach life made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this publication , but assumes no responsibility for errors , changes or omissions . avila beach life is a product of 13 stars media.

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April 2022 — Avila Beach Life | 3 FOUNDATION NEWS & VIEWS

Challenging but Extraodinary Times Rick Cohen

avila beach foundation

G

reetings, fellow Avilones.

As it has been said before, “spring has sprung,” bringing with it warmer weather and more daylight. Easter and Passover holidays are coming our way this April, and many of you will be celebrating with family and friends. By the time you read this news column, my hope is that the turmoil with Russia has been peacefully resolved and that we continue to see a reduction in COVID cases in spite of the relaxed rules on vaccinations and masking. And if we are really lucky, gasoline prices will have dropped down to less than $5 per gallon. These are extraordinary times and will find a place in historical accounts as one of the most challenging periods.

ODDS AND ENDS Part I: Some good news coming our way is the return of the popular Avila Beach

Farmers’ Market, celebrating its 20th anniversary on Friday nights from 4 to 8 p.m., beginning on May 6 and running through August 26, according to coordinator Julie Andrews-Scott.

Likewise, the free Avila Trolley will be up and running during the busy tourist season. You will soon be able to find route schedules on the SLORTA website. Also, the “Foundation” will once again be contracting with the PathPoint agency to provide sand and debris removal along the beach boardwalk, curbs, and planters on both side of the Promenade that are not maintained by the County. PathPoint crews will be on the job Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings beginning early May through early October.

Special thanks to SLO County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg and Chevron, for partnering with us to help finance the beach area cleaning project.

ODDS AND ENDS Part II: As most of you know, the “Foundation” has since its inception promoted and honored the history of Avila Beach.

Not to be overlooked is the historical schoolhouse that played such a prominent role during the early days of our town. In fact, not that long ago, a local group called – Save Our Schoolhouse - formed with a mission to preserve the original building as Avila was

going through a transformation that is still ongoing. Circumstances have altered their mission, and according to one of their original organizers, Pete Kelley…

“The Save Our Schoolhouse group of Avila Beach has changed its name to the Avila Beach History and Preservation Project. The reason for the change is to be more inclusive of all issues relating to Avila Beach history while not losing sight of the preservation of our historic schoolhouse, which was its founding and enduring goal. It has been a long and winding road as residential/commercial developments have been proposed for the school property. Some plans have called for incorporating the school into various developments or to move it to another location.

The Save Our Schoolhouse movement grew out of the rebuilding of the town of Avila Beach after the UNOCAL cleanup. At that time, the school was slated for removal or incorporation into a larger townhouse project, but some in the community felt the school had historical significance and organized to preserve it.

Eventually, the building was granted historical status. Donations flowed in from members of the community and were incorporated into the

Avila Beach Community Foundation financial structure for investment and safe-keeping. The group is very thankful for the support of the Foundation.

As time has passed, members of the community realized there were other issues and historical documents worthy of preservation. Avila citizen, Pete Kelley, has taken the lead and has offered to curate historical items relating to the history of Avila and the school. It has been a labor of love, and he has been supported by the community and the Avila Beach Community Service District (ABCSD). So, not only did the group get a new name, but they now have a temporary location in the ABCSD building at 100 San Luis Street in Avila Beach. Updates on the preservation of the school are ongoing, and donations to support our effort are welcome and encouraged. Please contact Pete Kelley at pedrokelley@gmail.com for more information.”

Last but not least, please remember the April 15 deadline to submit applications for the Foundation’s $5,000 Community Impact Grant. For more information, email avilafoundation@ gmail.com. That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!

Is the “Bear market” Over?

This note is written about 10 days before publication so, the answer is, I don’t know whether the recent downturn in the stock market is “over” as you are reading this. What I do know is, for those whose future quality of life is somewhat dependent upon income from their assets, leaving things to chance may not be the best path to follow. Most investors use a “buy and hope” strategy when investing. In our view, it’s better to incorporate “rules” into how one invests.

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4 | Avila Beach Life — April 2022

Mary Foppiano

Avila Beach Civic Association

H

i All – March marked the second anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, I ran into an acquaintance that I met after the start. She said that it was so great to finally see what I actually looked like without a mask. It has been a long time coming, but I am very hopeful that we have seen the last of wearing masks. Of course, one indicator that we are done with masks is that the

Making Communities Better Through Print™

A view from the beach….

government distributing free N-95 masks and free at-home COVID tests expire this summer.

I am happy to announce that the Avila Beach Civic Association will be hosting our first fundraising event on Monday, July 4. We will have our annual Pancake Breakfast and Doggie Parade. Breakfast will be from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Community Center, with tables inside and outside in our Healing Garden. Our Doggie Parade will be at 11 a.m. on the Avila Beach Promenade. Details will be provided in the coming months.

We are in need of volunteers for both events, so please get in touch with me at (805) 627-1997 or avilabeachcc@gmail.com. We are looking forward to seeing all of you…especially your smiles!

Julie Andrews-Scott is teaching Cuesta Emeritus Healthy Cooking

classes on Thursday, January 20, from 1 to 3 p.m. for the new semester at the Avila Beach Community Center.

Kathleen Yeung is teaching Cuesta Emeritus Yoga classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. through May 19 at the Community Center. You can register at the class or contact Everardo Vences-Gonzalez at Everardo_ vencesgonza@cuesta.edu.

San Luis Obispo County District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg will continue hosting her office hours in our office on the second Thursday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. With so many important issues happening in our community, this is your opportunity to meet with Supervisor Ortiz-Legg to get answers to your questions.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

By MARY FOPPIANO For Avila Beach Life

Russ and Darleen Rosene

R

uss Rosene loved Avila Beach! He was born in Massachusetts of Swedish ancestry, moved to Flint, Michigan, and later to Los Angeles. He graduated from Hollywood High School and got his first job at Walt Disney Studios. A radio officer in the Merchant Marines, Russ served in both Pacific and Atlantic theatres of World War II. He was known for his stories and his sharp memories of the events of those years.

Russ worked internationally with the United Nations, the Peace Corps, the American Friends Service Committee, S.S. American Victory Radio Club and other organizations, which sent him to many countries throughout the world, especially to Latin America, where he became fluent in Spanish.

He returned to the sea for his last years of employment, working with the Chevron Oil Company tanker fleet, where he ended his career as a radio officer that spanned fifty years. At his death, he was a member of the Carl W. Minor chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans.

Russ always loved Avila Beach, having moved there with his first wife, Nita, and young family in the early ’50s. In early 1959, Russ and Nita, with their two small children, spent the winter living at what is currently the Inn at Avila Beach. However, with summer and high rates coming, he knew he had to find another location. Luckily, he had

Russ and Darlene Tunney Rosene

become friends with his neighbor, Antone Sylvester, a fisherman/tub boat owner.

Captain Sylvester needed a larger house for his growing family, so the two men talked, agreed to terms, and sealed the deal with a handshake over the back fence. Russ lived in that house on First Street behind the Inn until 2005, when he married his third wife, Darlene Tunney, and moved to Shell Beach.

In 1992, Russ was one of the five members of AVAC trying to deal with the 600 barrels of Unocal oil that leaked into the ocean between Fossil Point and Pirate’s Cove. There

were years and years of analysis, re-examination, conflict of opinions, and an ongoing struggle to come to grips with the contamination. He read, listened, researched, and anguished over the dilemma until a vote was finally called. There were two votes to use enzymes to create oil removal through bioremediation. There were two votes demanding Unocal clean up the contamination. Russ had to cast the tie-breaking vote and voted to have Unocal clean up the mess. Darlene said that he came home that night exhausted from the long ordeal and exhilarated by the

standing ovation he received!

He was frequently seen with his camera, taking shots of the beautiful sights of the beaches, the rolling hills, trees, windflowers, and sunsets. He would say, “I am phototropic. I grow toward the light.” A gregarious personality, Russ was someone who truly loved life. He enjoyed outdoor adventures and meeting new people, and learning about their lives. Infused with Quaker principles as a volunteer in the Gaza Strip in 1949, he was also a humanitarian with an active interest in the plight of others. Though he left many times to take up international positions, he kept returning to the San Luis Obispo area.

Russ had many people who loved him because of his intelligence, dedication, generosity, and storytelling ability. His second wife, Wilda Rosene, is still involved 29 years later with the SLO Repertory Theatre as a member of the Board of Directors after being President three times and a staff member for 18 months. As a tribute to his character, all three of Russ’s wives became friends and continue to keep in touch to this day.

On April 13, we will be celebrating Russ Rosene’s 100th birthday by honoring him for all that he contributed to our community and the world. Friends Stan and Linda Siskey built, painted, and continue to maintain a beautiful park bench that is on the sidewalk above the Community Center’s Healing Garden dedicated to Russ after his death on August 23, 2014. Russ loved Avila Beach and will always be remembered for the wonderful man that he was!

FURRY SPOTLIGHT

Willow is our Pet of the Month!

By MARY FOPPIANO

W

illow is a 6-year-old golden doodle and was born in Michigan. Cameron Simoes attended Michigan State for law school and fell in love with this adorable little puppy that he saw at a friend’s home. When he left Michigan for summer break, he brought her to his parents, Glynette and Melvin, and she has been a California doodle ever since! She loves absolutely everyone and is a fluffy

NEXT MONTH’S ‘PET OF THE MONTH

Please send me your pictures and a short paragraph about your pet to avilabeachcc@gmail.com.

Thanks, and introduce us to your furry friend next month!

bundle of happiness. She loves her daily walks on the Bob Jones Trail and getting lots of pets while strolling Front Street. She even has an Instagram page so you can follow along on her adventures @willowthedoodle. I can attest to the fact that she is very friendly since I met her and Glynette and her daughter Jordan while walking one afternoon…where I love to recruit dogs for my Pet of the Month column!

April 2022 — Avila Beach Life | 5

The [Light]House that George Built Kathy Mastako

W

Board of Directors, Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers

e do not know who designed the Point San Luis Lighthouse. Nor do we know very much about the man who built it. What we do know, though, is that its construction was a messy business.

A Santa Barbara man, George W. Kenney, won the job with a low-ball bid. But the project, due for a December 1889 finish, dragged on until the following May. The weather was bad, the builder complained, and the man sent by the 12th district lighthouse engineer to inspect the work was an impediment. Kenney pleaded repeatedly for the government to rescind enforcement of its penalty for late completion, as did his daughter long after his death.

What Kenney had in mind when he bid the job is not hard to fathom. No doubt, he thought landing a government contract would be a lucrative business. However, he had no experience building lighthouses. And there is no evidence he ever built anything else.

In June 1889, W. H. Heuer, the 12th district engineer, published this advertisement: Proposals will be received at this office until noon on Monday, the 15th day of July, for furnishing all the materials and labor necessary for the construction of a tower and keeper’s dwelling, a double keepers’ dwelling, fog-signal house, oil house, coal shed, three cisterns, two privies, and draining, grading, etc., the grounds of the Light-Station at Point San Luis, California.

When the bids were opened, the lowest by far — at $18,893 — was Kenney’s. He was awarded the contract.

What Kenney may not have taken seriously enough, however, was one particular contract clause: The work must be completed and delivered at the dates named in the specifications, and for each and every day’s delay in completing and delivering the work beyond such dates, the sum of $25 per day will be forfeited, the forfeiture to be enforced at the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury, and it is understood that the time of completion of the contract must be especially observed, and is to be considered as part of the essence of the contract, and that the penalty for failure will be strictly enforced.

The completion date was set for December 15, 1889.

Another contract clause stipulated that the work would be under the “personal supervision of an agent of the Light-House Establishment.”

These two contract clauses would come to haunt Kenney and, along with Mother Nature and his own underestimation of the cost of the work, prove to be his undoing.

Having secured the contract, Kenney set about hiring workmen and buying materials. For a time, construction seemed to be moving right along. In October 1889, a local paper reported: Mr. Kenney, the contractor for building the Point San Luis Lighthouse, was in town yesterday. The foundations of the buildings are well underway, and the work is progressing favorably.

However well the work started out, by December 1889, the local press was reporting construction issues. A series of severe rainstorms slowed down progress, finally causing a layoff of the work crew and a temporary halt to the project. It will come as no surprise that Kenney wasn’t finished when the due date came and went. On December 30, 1889, Heuer wrote to the Lighthouse Board about the delay in the contract’s completion, recommending, in spite of Kenney’s protests, that the $25 per day penalty be enforced.

Fortunately, by late January 1890, work had started up again, at least temporarily. A local paper reported: …we hear that the lighthouse building, by vigorous exertions, had all been closed in, and the windows all put in before the storm had reached its height so that work can now proceed without regard to the weather. There are fourteen men at work on the interior, and it is reported that the contract will be completed and ready to turn over to the government in about three weeks. The government inspector seems to have

occasioned a great deal of unnecessary trouble and delay, and the season has been anything but a favorable one for the rapid prosecution of the work.

The government inspector the paper referred to was George W. Bolan, one of three construction superintendents employed in the 12th district office. Heuer assigned Bolan to oversee Kenney’s work.

In late April 1890, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported: At last the construction of the lighthouse for the government may be considered practically completed. It is to be turned over to Uncle Sam on the 10th of next month…The lighthouse contract has been a disastrous business…It was taken several thousand dollars too low, has been unfortunate in management and in other ways.

Finally, on May 14, 1890, the contract was completed.

A July 1890, letter from the Lighthouse Board to the Treasury Secretary sets down the government’s version of what caused the delay: …the contract entered into July 27, ‘89 by Mr. Geo. W. Kenney, of Santa Barbara, Cal., with the Engineer of the 12th Light-House District for the construction of the buildings, cisterns, &c. for the Point San Luis (San Luis Obispo), Cal., light-station was finally completed on 14 May ’90.

This contract should have been completed 15 December ’89, the penalty provided for the delay being $25.00 per day. The number of days’ delay was 149 ½, and the forfeiture incurred was $3,737.50.

The Engineer of the 12th Light-House District reports that the delay was not occasioned by any fault of the Government, nor by bad weather, but was due to indifference, carelessness, and lack of ability on the part of the contractor, who throughout a great portion of the time neglected his work by absenting himself therefrom … In view of the facts set forth in the report of the Engineer of the 12th Light-House District, the Board recommends that the forfeiture incurred for delay be enforced.

After losing his shirt on the contract, Kenney left town. At the time of his death, he was living in Soulsbyville, Calif., pursuing mining interests.

In 1897, Kenney hired an attorney to write to the Lighthouse Board on his behalf. The attorney argued that there were a number of circumstances beyond Kenney’s control, particularly “the incessant stormy weather.” The attorney claimed the winter of 1889–90 was “the most severe in the history of the State,” and asked that the unprecedented winter be considered an act of God, and therefore a valid excuse for the delay: Such weather not only caused delay in the actual construction of the work but in the transportation of materials and in securing workmen to stay on the coast, besides the additional expense of employing an average of 25 to 30 men …The actual expenditure by said Kenney for constructing the buildings and improvements has exceeded the contract price by nearly $9000, which sum will be a loss independent of any penalty imposed...

The work has been performed in a perfectly satisfactory manner, with one exception, the element of time…

Two months later, Kenney’s attorney sent a follow-up letter, this time pointing the finger at Bolan: In addition to the considerations submitted and the reasons given on a former occasion …I respectfully submit the following, regretting the necessity of indulging in any personalities in this connection …Through the prejudice of the Government Inspector in charge of the work, the contractor was retarded at almost every step … the Inspector proved himself arbitrary, willful, and very abusive. Shortly after the work started, the Inspector caused repeated trouble with the men. Two of the best foremen the contractor could secure left on account of the overbearing manner and abuse of the Inspector. The contractor was continually applying to the employment agencies for men, for besides the difficulty in securing men on account of the weather and the inconvenient situation, many would not come because it was known that the Inspector’s abuse caused men to leave after a few days stay. Many would not come unless their fares were paid in advance because they were not sure of steady work on account of personal differences between the men and the Inspector. …At times the Inspector would come on the work under the influence of liquor and howl at the men without cause and sometimes, when in this state, threaten them. Thus he would keep the men ill-tempered and impair their usefulness… …the Government got good buildings, well-constructed, with more labor and material than was bargained for, and Kenney was absolutely penniless because he faithfully carried

1890 photo of Point San Luis light station under construction. Double keepers’ dwelling at right, fog signal building at left, Keeper’s dwelling and tower in back. Courtesy of the National Archives.

1894 photo of the living quarters George W. Kenney built for the use of George Bolan, the construction superintendent sent by the government to oversee Kenney’s work. Photo by Herbert Bamber.

Courtesy of the National Archives

out and performed his work.

How the Lighthouse Board answered is not known, but we can guess.

Kenney died in August 1899; his wife four years later. Their daughter Grace was named executrix of Mrs. Kenney’s small estate.

It was perhaps in Grace’s capacity as executrix that, on February 6, 1912, one more attempt was made to recover Kenney’s penalty charges. Grace’s attorney wrote to the Lighthouse Commissioner, enclosing a copy of an undated letter written

by Kenney explaining the delay: I built a light house plant for the Government at Pt. Harford, San Luis Obispo Co., in 1889 and 1890. I was 149-1/2 days over the time I was to have the plant completed. Through the agents in charge of the 12th district, and their recommendations, I have been kept out of $3,737.50...

I wish to say to you that it was the rain of 1889 and 1890 which was the principal cause. …The heavy rain compelled me to suspend operations entirely for weeks, and I could not put wet boards in the building for the inspectors would not allow it.

I sent a petition to Washington asking for an extension of time. It was not granted. You know that no man has control of the elements. Other contractors have had extensions of time granted them, and I cannot see why I should be a special target. I am up in years and am poor with a family to support.

On February 15, 1912, the Commissioner wrote back: …On July 27, 1889, a contract was entered into by Mr. George W. Kenney with the Engineer of the then Twelfth Lighthouse District for the construction of certain buildings for lighthouse purposes near San Luis Obispo, California. The time of completion was set at December 15, 1889, and the work was finally completed on May 14, 1890, liquidated damages in the sum of $3,737.50 being incurred thereby.

Mr. Kenney filed a number of petitions and letters protesting against the enforcement of this provision, which were duly investigated and reported upon by the Light House Board and on July 17, 1890, a letter was addressed by the Board to the Secretary of the Treasury recommending enforcement, which action was approved by the Secretary on the same date.

The matter was subsequently reviewed several times, and on each occasion, the original recommendations were concurred in by officers of the Board … From careful examination of the correspondence on file bearing on this matter, the Bureau is of the opinion that the findings of the Lighthouse Board were correct and just.

Twenty-two years after the lighthouse was built, efforts to recoup some of Kenney’s losses finally came to an end.

Kenney’s attorney was right, though, when he argued in 1897 that “the Government got good buildings, well-constructed.”

Kenney, even if still bitter, would be proud to see his lighthouse now, 132 years after it was finally finished.

6 | Avila Beach Life — April 2022

Making Communities Better Through Print™

NATURE

Hopping Down the Trial

By BETTY HARTIG For Avila Beach Life

S

mall furry rabbits are often only thought about during Easter time, but they are around throughout the entire year. The little creatures can be seen hopping around the shrubs that line the Bob Jones Trail in the early morning hours or right before sunset.

Rabbits pop in and out of vegetation, frequently in a zigzag sprint, which helps avoid being caught by any of the abundant wildlife waiting for an opportunity to devour a tasty bunny meal. The cottontail must always be on high alert.

The brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) is the cottontail species seen along the coastal area in California, and we have plenty of them. Brush rabbits are a wary and secretive dark gray mammals with strong medium-length legs, a fluffy short tail with white underneath, and distinctive long pointed ears that are used to detect and avoid predators. Adults are usually about 11 to 14 inches long and weigh 18-32 ounces.

The brush rabbit is confined to the Pacific coast from the Columbia River to the tip of Baja California. It does not live east of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades. Brush rabbits, just like their name suggests, require dense brushy habitat. The rabbit forms a crisscross pattern of runways throughout the thick vegetation. The Bob Jones Pathway in Avila Beach is one of many trails that provides a comfortable oak and conifer environment for the brush rabbit to easily flourish.

What does a brush rabbit eat? Bugs Bunny, the animated cartoon charac-

ter, led us to believe rabbits feasted on carrots. Despite this depiction, carrots are not a principal food for rabbits.

Brush rabbits have 28 teeth, thus allowing them to feed on grasses, forbs, berries, and shrubs. Their preferred food is green clover, and yes, occasionally, they will nibble on a favorite garden plant of yours! Just like Beatrix Potter’s, Peter Rabbit snacked in Mr. McGregor’s garden; rabbits often take excursions into domestic areas. Brush rabbits come out at dusk and dawn to feed.

During the day, rabbits rest, but it is not unusual to see this mainly nocturnal fauna venture out during a sunny day for short periods of time. It normally is a quick dash out, a few munches, then back to the safety of the shrubs.

A brush rabbit does not dig or build its own den; it uses the burrow of other species, brush piles, or forms. Although far from a member of the deer family, female rabbits are called does, and males are called bucks. In California, breeding season begins in December and ends in May or June. The gestation period is around 27 days. The average litter size is 3-4 babies. They produce about 15 young in up to five litters per year. That makes for a lot of bunnies hopping year around. Babies are called kits or kittens. The young are born altricial, which refers to being undeveloped.

Newborns eyes are closed, are furless, and with the inability to regulate their own temperature. The kits remain for about 14 days in a covered-lined nest.

You may wonder where or how the word “bunny” originated? It is thought to come from bun, a regional word used for both a rabbit and squirrel in England

around the 1500s. Nowadays, it generally refers to a baby rabbit.

Mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, weasels, snakes, and various raptors are brush rabbit hunters. Rabbits use several survival strategies, such as remaining immobile for a long time, serpentine running in open spaces, and the ability to climb onto low branches. Bodycolor keeps them camouflaged in wooded land zones.

An additional anatomical benefit these little animals Bush rabbit eating. Photos courtesy of Betty Hartig possess is their eye location.

Eyes placed on the sides of their heads allow a 360-degree vision for detecting potential threats. Even with all these preventions, the lifespan of the rabbit is relatively short. It is interesting to note that when frightened, the rabbit’s response is usually foot thumping that can last for several minutes.

Bunnies, as they are fondly referred to, for the most part, are a joy to see while wandering on a trail. Rabbits are an essential part of the ecosystem as herbivores. They also provide a food source to other animals. How the rabbit became associated with Easter eggs is another story. Enjoy the wildlife that lives in our area. Nature is full of fascinating life forms, each one uniquely designed and interesting to learn about.

Look around while walking or hiking, and you are sure to catch a glimpse of something special; perhaps a brush rabbit will hippity-hop down the trail right before your eyes.

Local Bush rabbit.

MENTAL HEALTH

No Regrets...

Dr. Cindy Maynard contributor

R

egrets? Sure, we’ve all had a few. But you don’t get to be a certain age without experiencing some regrets along the way.

The problem lies in not being able to let go and they become an albatross around your neck. Like one friend said to me, “Regrets are like carrying an extra suitcase on my back.”

Regret is defined as “an emotion of self-blame, experienced when people realize or imagine that their present situation would have been

better had they decided differently in the past,” according to Dr. Marcel Zeelenberg, Professor of Behavioral Research at Vrije University, Amsterdam.

According to research on the science of regret, we typically feel more regret for things we didn’t do rather than mistakes that we made in the past. Regret, an emotion of self-blame, negatively impacts our mental health and causes rumination thinking about “what might have been.” Romance matters tend to top the list of regrets, followed by family, education, financial matters, paths not taken, or losing touch with an important person.

Regrets are an inevitable part of life. It’s not the moment-by-moment experiences where perhaps we flew off the handle or said something inappropriate and we could easily apologize for it. It’s the lifelong regrets that we seem to obsess and ruminate about that cause us the most pain.

What are some tangible ways we

can deal with regrets? We can learn and evolve from them rather than having them cripple us.

“I regret that I never did comprehend how brief my life on earth really is.” Avila Beach local Ann Feeser states. “Too much of my time was spent thinking and planning about the future. I am now firmly in my future and there is no future in it.”

Acknowledge your feelings.

This can be liberating and break the power of isolation and shame.

Many people are surprised to learn they aren’t the only ones who have gone through the same experience.

Another way to deal with regrets is to accent the positive in our lives.

A few years ago I became certified to teach Dignity Therapy, a program developed by psychiatrist Harvey Max Chochinov that helps end-of-life clients write their legacy of important memories and accomplishments to pass onto their loved ones. It is a tangible way to look back on a life well-lived and show that their lives have had

meaning.

But why wait until we are at the end of our lives to write this document? Each time you find yourself ruminating about past regrets, try focusing instead on the positive things you have accomplished in your life. This decreases the focus on regrets and unforgiveness common in one’s later life and shifts the brain to a positive focus which literally changes our brain chemicals.

Here are some questions asked of clients in the Dignity Therapy program: • Tell me a little about your life history and the parts that you think are the most important?

• When did you feel most alive?

• What do you would want your loved ones to know or remember about you?

• What are your most important accomplishments; what do you feel most proud of ?

• What are your hopes and dreams?

• What have you learned about life

that you would want to pass on to others?

Regrets can either shackle you to the past or serve as an agent for change. If you have the ability to apologize for past behavior by all means, do. Vow to do better. If you can change your current situation for the better, do. If not, try and have compassion for yourself for past regrets you can’t change.

If you didn’t follow a certain path, it’s possible that the path you chose was the best one after all. For those relationships that were hurtful, try and find the gift, or life lesson it taught you. Think, rather, how much you have changed or evolved. Lastly, for regrets where you missed out on doing something, put the “what ifs” behind you. It’s never too late to accomplish the dreams you had on the back burner.

Cindy Maynard PhD, RD, is a health psychologist, registered dietitian and a health and fitness writer.

You can contact her at drcindymaynard@live.com

April 2022 — Avila Beach Life | 7

The Repercussions of War

John Salisbury

A

contributor

t this time, writing this article, deadline mid-March, things may be different in a couple of weeks, but short of a miracle, the Ukrainian disaster will be most likely worse in many ways. Besides the horrific damage and loss of life, there are many of Ukraine’s agricultural products that will suffer. Ukraine and Russia are large suppliers of imports by low and middle-income countries where millions of people are already short of food. Ukraine also will see a long period of food shortages.

There will be greater hunger and instability of the food produced by both countries worldwide because of the war. The reverberations are tremendous. Ukraine sends 95 percent of its wheat crop to Asia, including the Middle East or Africa, and in total supplies usually 12 to 14 percent of the world’s wheat export. They supply 18 percent of the world’s sunflower, safflower, and cottonseed oil plus 12 percent of barely and 13 percent of corn. Ukraine and Russia make up a large part of “Europe’s Breadbasket.”

Ukraine and Russia combined wheat exports

make up 70 percent of Egypt and Turkey’s imports. The Middle East and North African region, Lebanon, Libya, Indonesia, Pakistan Yemen, count on Ukraine for a large part of their wheat. Hardly any of these countries are stable, and food shortages will be a major problem. These countries and many others also import lots of corn, barley, sunflower, and safflower oil from the Ukraine and Russia. Russia has just announced a suspension of all grain exports to former Soviet countries to protect domestic food markets after heavy sanctions from the West, adding to a disruption of the availability of grain.

Farmers in Ukraine have two crops of wheat.

One is a planting in the Fall and harvested in June. The present crop looks good but will it be harvested with the conflict raging, especially in the crucial southeast part of the country where much of the wheat is grown, which looks to be heavily controlled by the Russians? A third of this area now, with more later, will have accessibility problems. Much of the infrastructure has been damaged, roads to the fields are mined, silos and farming equipment blown up, shells in the fields, and employees fighting alongside the Ukrainian army. Two other obvious problems are fuel availability and opened banks to make cash flow loans available.

The other planting is in the spring and should be starting now as soon as the ground dries up, and equipment can get in the fields, that is, if you can find operators, let alone get to the farms and be unbothered by the war. Not much chance of that at this point. Another major problem is fertilizer availability because Russia is the largest

supplier exporter in the world, including much of of a large bag of dog kibble or BBQ charcoal it coming to the United States. Fertilizer needs when the invasion started, and here on the 15th to be put into the ground when planting seeds of March, it is holding around $11/bushel. That which also might not be had. Two-thirds of is up from last year’s prices that bounced around Ukrainian fuel comes from Russia and Belarus $7 to $8 per bushel from June to just before the and is no longer available, and invasion. You also need to throw in whatever there is goes primarily “Hunger rates are to the military. With much of the the drought condirising globally infrastructure destroyed, includtions here in North significantly, and ing roads and ports, the whole America. A lot planting to export cycle is a mess. of acres of grains one of the largest “A hungrier world is a less stable were planted in the drivers of hunger one” has been a common quote fall to be irrigated is manmade for a long time, and we are losing solely by rain; that the battle. is not happening. conflicts.”

Although stockpiles of grain So, a big jump that are at an eight-year low, other big you are starting to Steve Tarravella, UN World Food grain-producing countries can see in your grocery Programme help alleviate some of the loss store bill. The other from Russia and Ukraine. India commodities like has had five good years and has the inventory corn, safflower, and other grains are showing to ship. Australia also had a good harvest this similar price increases. Then there is the increased year, but the ships to haul the grain are already cost of fertilizer, particularly nitrogen, which goes booked months in advance and may be a prob- into most crops, fuel, and labor costs, especially lem for them to be able to get the crop out to the here in California, now requiring time and a half international market. With food markets high, for farmworkers. Which, by the way, my farmthere is a big incentive to plant, especially in the worker friends say is ending up in lower net Northern Hemisphere, but costs for energy and wages because many pressed growers are limiting fertilizer will make a big dent out of any increased hours close to only 40 hours weeks to make ends value. The U.N. estimates that food prices because meet. Time to start planting Victory Gardens? I of the assault on Ukraine and deserved sanctions am, and much to Maridel’s disgust — she is not on Russia could make international food prices pleased about my garden expansion to the roof over my shop and man-cave! to be raised by 22 percent.

Chicago wheat futures bounced up around $12.50 per bushel (60 pounds), about the size

What If...

TASTE OF AMERICANA

‘April Showers, Bring May Flowers’

You soon will see crowds of daffodils So keep on looking for a bluebird, And list’ning for his song Whenever April showers come along.”

Barbie Butz contributor

I

f I could carry a tune, I’d sing the following song to you. Instead, I’ll just send you the words via print. It’s my favorite “April” music, and with everything that has been going on in our world, the words are meaningful if you try hard to relate.

The title is “April Showers,” with words by B.G. deSilva, music by Louis Silvers, and was published in 1921.

“Though April showers may come your way They bring the flowers that bloom in May So if it’s raining, have no regrets Because it isn’t raining rain, you know, It’s raining violets.

And when you see clouds upon the hills

cup orange marmalade 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon soy sauce teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Directions: Let ham stand at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap ham and wipe surface with damp paper towel. Trim off extra-thick layers of fat. Score outside surface of ham in a diamond pattern, making crosscuts inch apart. Place ham in large roasting pan, rounded side up.

Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make glaze: In small bowl, stir together orange marmalade, mustard, soy sauce, and pepper. Remove ham from oven and spread half of the glaze over the surface of ham. Return to oven and bake, basting every 20 minutes with remaining glaze until it is used up. The ham will take about 12-15 minutes per pound and is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the Baked Ham with Orange-Mustard-Pepper thickest part registers 140 degrees, about 1 hour Glaze longer. Remove ham from oven and transfer to Ingredients: a warmed platter. Cover loosely with foil. Let Fully cooked bone-in or boneless butt end stand for 20 minutes before carving. Slice and ham, about 6 pounds arrange on the platter to serve.

For Glaze: Cheers!

In April, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, as described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD. Easter, like Christmas, is a religious holiday that has a commercial side to it, with the entrance of the Easter Bunny replacing Santa Claus. I like to think of it as a religious holiday, but also a time to gather with family and friends to celebrate the rebirth of the earth after winter’s ways.

Often, ham is the choice of meat for an Easter gathering. My search for this month’s recipes was for ways to bake the ham for Easter and then use the leftover ham in a different way. I hope you will like what I found.

• One could invest with a maximum loss known in advance?

• One could invest while protecting up to 20% of losses?

• One could invest with 100%+ stock index price participation?

“Buffered” investments allow investors to potentially profit from gains in major stock market indexes while providing full or partial protection from downside losses. Sort of like having your cake and eating it too.

“Safe” money pays little, so one must continue to invest. Relatively new to the investing landscape, “buffered” investments, offered by major Wall Street firms, may be an option for investors in these uncertain times.

Please call or email to learn more and to receive a prospectus and important information.

Thomas B. Paine

Paine Financial Services 6627-A Bay Laurel Place (Avila Village) Avila Beach, CA 93424 805-473-6679

www.AvilaValleyAdvisors.com Advisory Services and Securities offered through Centaurus Financial, Inc. member FINRA and SIPC, a registered broker/dealer and registered investment advisor.

Paine Financial Services and Centaurus Financial Inc. are not affiliated.

Branch office: 1186 E. Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 — (805) 473-6670

8 | Avila Beach Life — April 2022

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