CALIFORNIA TOUR    (Scroll down to see all photos)



Day 1 (Tues, March 21)
I was able to sleep a bit on the early morning hop from Madison to the Twin Cities, despite the plane being jostled by dense clouds. A freezing chill penetrated the ramp as I walked into the Minneapolis airport, turned on my cell phone and was surprised to hear it burst into electronic song almost immediately. It was a radio news bureau in Riverside, asking if I'd do an interview to air for KVCR, the NPR affiliate in San Bernardino. The flight to CA arrived early at Orange Country Airport and within minutes, I was adjusting the mirrors on my rented Dodge Charger and heading for Riverside. Alfredo Cruz  (at right in photo) and Jim Ness, President of Inland Empire News Radio, recorded my interview. Still wearing the superflous sweater I'd donned in Madison, I talked with Tori Lou by cell phone while cruising the now-familiar freeway to the San Bernardino Hilton, my home away from home in SoCal.


Day 2 (Weds, March 22)
Memories were in abundance as I again found myself in Loma Linda. I drove to the duplex on San Lucas where Tori Lou and I had stayed on two previous visits. I met the couple currently renting "my place", John and Lisa. They welcomed me in, then took me to lunch at a great little neighborhood restaurant. That evening, I had the pleasure of speaking to the weekly Wednesday night support group meeting at Loma Linda University Proton Treatment Center. The menu had not changed - egg salad sandwiches, cookies and a choice of concentrated fruit drink or water. Only the faces of the group had changed. The fun-loving, positive attitude and grateful hearts were the same. I met for the first time Ed Souder, one of my true heroes, now 84 years old. (photo at left).  It was Ed who sent me the email that clinched my decision to go to Loma Linda for proton treatment in 2004. The story and transcript of Ed's email fills most of Chapter 12 of my book.

Day 3 (Thur, March 23)
I love the quote, "The past is history, the future is a mystery, today is a gift." This day was a gift. It started with breakfast at the Hilton where I was joined by Ed Souder.  We reviewed the manuscript of a book HE is writing about his experiences in the trenches during World War II.  After breakfast I did a radio interview by phone with Steve Kelly of KPSI, Palm Springs, then drove over to Loma Linda and saw my closest living canine friend, Sebastian (photo at left).  He's one of the more colorful characters in my book and a favorite buddy of Tori Lou. I made a brief stop at Loma Linda University Book Store to see the manager, Stan, who told me he'd just ordered more copies of my book. Always like to hear that.

More Day 3
Then I pointed my rented Dodge Charger down Interstate 10 for the always interesting drive through the valley of windmills to the Palm Springs area. After getting lost for several minutes I managed to find my way into the gated golf course communities of PGA West, where I was greeted by longtime friends Tom and Sandy Koenig (photo at left). While watching NCAA basketball on TV we experienced a modest earthquake of 3.2 centered in Indio just a few miles away.  What a day! Good friends, good earthquake, who could ask for more?

Day 4 (Fri, March 24)
The expected early morning desert chill was in the air as I left the Koenig's rented-for-the-winter villa (they live in the Seattle area). Traffic was light and I arrived at the studios of KMIR-TV at exactly 6:00 a.m. Morning Show hosts Rebecca Thomas and Tom Durian made me feel right at home on the set. We discussed "Don't Fear the Big Dogs" and talked about proton treatment at Loma Linda (studio photo at left).


More Day 4
The next guests on the show were legendary jazz pianist/vocalist Buddy Greco and his wife, singer Lezlie Anders. (photo at left) They had the ribbon cutting for Buddy's new dinner club in nearby Cathedral City the night before. A longtime Vegas headliner, Buddy Greco has played with many all time greats including Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee and Nat King Cole. After Buddy and Lezlie finished their interiew we chatted for awhile. I gave them a copy of my book and they invited me to stop by and see their show at the club next time I'm in the area. I can't wait.


Book Signings

Friday night was our first California book signing, at Palm Desert. (store photo at left) Thanks to Community Relations Manager Jessica Cleeton for making all the in store arrangements. The events went well and we had a good turnout thanks to KPSI radio and KMIR-TV's coverage. We even had a couple of Loma Linda proton treatment alumni show up.




Saturday it was back to the Inland Empire for a "local authors" event at the Barnes & Noble store at Redlands. Authors participating (photo left to right) included Sierra Donovan "Love on the Air", Bill Vancil  "Don't Fear the Big Dogs", Sylvia Mendosa  "Book of Latina Women", Dell Wright  "My Life's Journey", Lara Rios  "Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps" and Angela Westengard  "The Trouble with Henry".




Just as I was leaving the Hilton Sunday afternoon to drive to the final California book signing I happened to run into Dr. James Slater.  What an honor to talk to this living legend again. It was Dr. Slater's vision that made proton treatment at Loma Linda become a reality.  (shown at left - Dr. Slater; Lyn Behrens; President of Loma Linda University; Bob Marckini, founder of Brotherhood of the Baloon; file photo courtesy of www.protonbob.com)