Oh my golly! It's 4:15 a.m. already. I didn't wake up, as usual, between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. I must have been tired from all the bouncing around in "Our Community," participating in meetings that related to "Emergency Preparedness," "Our Cyberplace," and 'Our Cyberspace." When I finally got home yesterday; I turned on the computer and read, You Got Mail. It was a message from Michael Estigoy who wanted me to know that his first blog for the Argus-Courier had been posted. Click, click, click and there it was. What a message he delivered! All I could say to myself was, "Welcome home, Michael!"

What most readers do not know is that Michael is a volunteer Cybernaut. It was he who got me started as a blogger, back in October 2003, for a website that he was managing at that time - Petaluma Online. That website was the #1 portal site for information about Petaluma, by Petalumans, and for Petalumans. My first blog was titled, Our Cyberspace.

The Argus-Courier website, which was originally created by PetalumaNet volunteers that preceded Michael several years ago, maintained a link to PetalumaOnline. By now, you will have noticed my use of quotation marks. They highlight the titles of the various themes and topics that I blog about today. None of this would have happened without Michael's help and patience over the years. Just like the motto for PetalumaNet and the Petaluma CyberCity Roundtable, Michael is a perfect example of - "The greatest resource of any community is the wisdom, knowledge, and creativity of its citizens." His return is quite timely because the Argus-Courier is about to launch a new electronic vehicle for Our Cyberplace. His blog will be a great addition.

By now, readers of the other blogs that have appeared on this site have certainly communicated the thoughts, feelings, and passions of a variety of Petalumans who have stepped up to the plate and are helping the Argus-Courier reach its readers in a new way, using information and communication technology (ICT). Michael's thoughts and feelings about a recent phase of his life are presented in a simple, straightforward, and personal manner. It takes a "strong" person to do what he hopes to do through his blog.

Michael, welcome home to Petaluma. Stay tuned and check out ...
http://estigoy-blogs.arguscourier.com

Many years ago, we had two dogs - Cockapoos - and cute as could be. The male was named, "Sir Cedric" and the female was called, "Peaches." I loved them in spite of the fact that I had to walk them at least twice a day. They each lived for 16-17 years. After they died, we never replaced them because they were simply "irreplaceable."

Each year, I'm reminded of them - hush - I have a secret to reveal. When I go shopping for "Hush Puppies," I buy two pair when they are go on sale for 20% off. I don't even have to try them on to see if they fit. I "love" them because I can walk forever in them. I believe I've been buying them for over 20 years. (Size 10W.) They fit like a glove.

Over time, they wear out, so I'll throw a pair away. There's a pair or two in the garage for working in the garden. Another pair is near the bed in case of an earthquake. One of the new pair will be used for "dress up" events. The pair it replaces will be worn for my regular day-to-day activities, and the second new pair will be placed on the shelf for use next year. The boxes they came in will be used for storing "this and that" in the garage. (Which, BTW, still hasn't been cleaned up.)

What am I trying to say with this blog? Not much; just that I love my "puppies," in both forms - those that barked and made noises, and those that are quiet and remain "hushed." Even though you can't hear them - stay tuned.

For over 10 years, I've been engaged as a volunteerdedicated to making greater use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in order to strengthen a sense of community, by bringing people together to reach a common objective. As I read my daily dose of eNewsletters, I often come across references to a "coming together" metaphor that dates back to the 18^th and 19^th Century - Barn raising.

The Argus-Courier even used these words in an article describing how the "Folks in the Westridge Knolls area have banded together to form a Neighborhood Emergency Response Team." I was quoted as saying, "This is an electronic barn raising project." Since that article appeared last April, a dozen NERTs have been created, and a major role of each NERT is maintaining communications as it brings neighbors together to help one another in the event of a disaster such as a flood or earthquake.

I wonder if the folks who started this tradition, ever thought that the term, "barn raising," would be used as an analogy for describing the process of bringing neighbors together so that the "collective good will can be harnessed to do even greater things" in the 21st Century. A Google or Yahoo search engine will generate from 166,000 to 203,000 links related to "barn raising" activities and events in less than 0.30 seconds. The term, today, is used more often than not as a metaphor for "online communities" as well as a local community event. In either case, "barn raising" activities -

*Create benefits for a community

*Generates a sense of accomplishment within a short period of time

*Strengthens existing social bonds

*Brings people together, even though individual motivations may differ

*Requires trust, commitment, humility, and accountability by the participants

*Are a perfect example of PetalumaNet's main slogan, the greatest resource of any community is the collective wisdom, knowledge, and creativity of its citizens.

BTW, did you know that we had a "barn raising" event in Sonoma County as recently as 1997? The Annual Open House Gala at the Gold Ridge Farm, held during Sebastopol's Apple Blossom Festival, reconstructed the original Luther Burbank barn from an old photograph. The original barn had burned down in 1967.

I'm not sure why I got off on this "people coming together" theme, today. Perhaps it is related to recent national and international events. Maybe it's the current holiday season spirit or possibly, just the wandering thoughts of a senior citizen. Maybe it is simply a flashback to historic times, when neighbors used to come together - more often than they tend to do today - in order to tackle a common need or problem and solve it without wasting a lot time.

Stay tuned - maybe the time has come for Petalumans to step up to the plate, roll up their sleeves, mobilize the necessary resources, and raise a few more barns - together.

Today, I am "thankful" for many things, including family and friends that stretch from coast to coast and around the world, a professional career that enabled me to wake up each morning anxious to "go to work," and most important of all - a loving and understanding wife who, by the way, is also my best friend.

My thoughts are also about Petaluma - the community where we have lived since 1993. We could not have selected a nicer or friendlier place to spend our retirement years. It is a town with a rich history, outstanding citizens, and many community accomplishments to highlight. However, IMHO (that's techie talk for in my humble opinion) it is also a community that can become even better. Many residents feel that the civic focus has been primarily on the downtown and commercial areas. Other residents are more concerned about our neighborhood areas - the places where, we, the citizens live. Some have raised the question, "Are our neighborhoods S-A-F-E?" (Safe, Attractive, Friendly, and Environmentally-liveable.)

Recently, the Argus-Courier has published articles, editorials, and blogs dealing with community and parental concerns about alcohol, drugs, gangs, traffic, graffiti and cost of living in Petaluma. The Police Log reports DUIs, vandalism, thefts, and other unlawful activities. I am not thankful for human behavior of this type. Yes, I know -many other communities and urban areas have similar concerns about the increase in these kinds of activities; but, I don't live elsewhere. Petaluma is where I live - it's my home - and I believe we "can do better." Stay tuned for thoughts about what "we" might do to improve the quality of life in our city, in future "Our Petaluma" blogs.

For today, however, Happy "gooble-gobble!" Or, should I say for my fellow Cybernauts,
"google-google!" To my wife of 38 years, a great big XOXOX - today is also our wedding anniversary!

The "environmental" side of my brain was ignited, once again, as a result of participating in the a Senior Fulbright Scholars' retreat at Asilomar, where this year's theme was "Addressing Environmental Challenges, Gobally and Locally." I wasn't one of the scholars; I just tagged along with my wife who initiated this annual event when she was the "enrichment program coordinator" for the Bay Area in the 1970s. All the international participants are post-doctoral degree holders who are pursuing additional research opportunities at one of the San Francisco area universities.

The Asilomar conference grounds always was (and still is) a very popular conference center for many state-wide and regional organizations. In my "previous life" as an ECO Educator (Environmewntal, Conservation, and Outdoor Education), I participated in and helped to organize dozens of conferences, meetings, and workshops at this beautiful Monterey Peninsula site. My personalized license plate for over thirty years included the letters - "ECO EDUC."

As I listened to the presentations by these scholars, my thoughts drifted back to 1965, when Bill Mott (former director of both the California State Parks Department and the U.S. National Park Service) delivered the keynote address to a gathering of leaders from the American Camping Association (ACA) and the Association for Outdoor Education (AOE). He told a story about two friends who were walking through Times Square in New York City, when the out-of-state friend stopped suddenly and said, "I think I heard the sound of a cricket! Did you hear it?" The NYC friend replied, "No, I didn't, there's too much noise in Times Square." They went back a few steps, turned into an alley and found a cricket living in a pile of trash.

"What do you know," exclaimed the city-dweller, How did you hear that sound with all the other noises being made by the traffic and people talking?" The country-dweller reached in his pocket, took out a few coins and dropped them on the sidewalk - clink,clink, clink. Immediately, several pedestrians stopped in their tracks and picked them up.
So, what is the meaning of this tale?

When you walk around your town or city, do you hear the "sound of the cricket, or the clink of the coins." In other words, are you tuned in and aware of your natural environment or just the man-made improvements? Think about it. There are many meaningful answers to these questions. Stay tuned - or, better yet - post your answer and/or thoughts under "Comments," below.

It's been awhile since my last blog - why? Did I run out of topics to "talk" about? Did somebody finally get this blogger to "shut up?" The answer is, "none of the above." But, I did get a "new name.

As of November 16, according to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission),I am now known as KI6GOO. I am now considered an active Amateur Radio Operator or "Ham" and may now use those radio frequencies available for holders of a "Technician-class" license. You may call me "GOO" for short.

This new name change was the result of passing the written exam for the Technician license (Element 2). The test covered four basic areas: (1) Rules & Regulations; (2) Basic Operating Procedures; (3) Basic Electronics; and (4) Radio Frequency Safety. I took the test, along with over 20 other adults who spent most of Veteran's Day (11-11-06) studying for an exam that consisted of 35 questions selected from a pool of over 300 questions.

I was amazed that my 78 year old brain could remember that much information; but it did. BTW, I had earned a Novice Class license over 46 years ago; but only used it for a few months before moving to San Francisco. My current license will be good for 10 years, if I live that long. Now, I'll have to raid my wife's "cookie jar" in order to buy the equipment to create a ham radio station.

Among the group that passed the exam were 10 other friends who are volunteers connected with a local NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team.) Since we all live in various sections of Petaluma, our respective neighborhoods will be able keep in touch with the "outside" world whenever an extreme disaster occurs and all other modes of communications are "down" and unable to operate. (Just like Katrina in 2005.)

Since I am one who likes acronyms like CERT-NERT-ALERT and STAR, what does GOO stand for? How about - for the "good of others." Stay tuned, as I usually say at the end of my blogs; however, this time, I really mean it. Listen for KI6GOO on the 10-meter amateur radio band.