“Here and Now” would seem to direct one’s attention to the present, but the past is not far behind in this inspiring film made by the Bay Area Open Space Council. (You can watch it here: https://vimeo.com/139467688) The past isn’t even past, to paraphrase William Faulkner. The film profiles progressive partnerships between the Amah Mutsun tribal band and the Kashia Band of the Pomo Indians and various land trusts. Basically the idea is to return traditional land holdings to t

​​Last week my 15-year old son and I did a “fast raft” whale watch in Monterey Bay. It was wild! At one point our boat was surrounded by more than two dozen humpbacked whales. There was constant breaching, sometimes two whales leaping up in tandem as if they were doing a star turn in an Esther Williams production. Similarly they frequently “tailed” together — two double-heart shaped tales almost languidly arising up out of the water and then sliding back down into it. The wha