Joe's Early History

  • Bitterroot Mountains with blog title

    The Vastness and Scale of Our Country

    November 4, 2024

    As I began my drive from Ketchum and Sun Valley Idaho, not only the scale but also the vastness of our country began to sink in. I felt a little like…

  • Map of USA, title graphic

    1964, Exploring Our Great Country: Start of My USA Odyssey

    September 23, 2024

    Exploring Our Great CompanyAs I studied the map of our great country, our topography was the first thing that struck me. The west coast is a…

  • Junior College All-American Swimmer

    Junior College All-American Swimmer

    September 9, 2024

    State JC swim championships, good grades in math, a memorable weekend in San Francisco — and just like that, spring semester was over.

  • Carmel Coast

    My Life Begins to Accelerate

    August 26, 2024

    Setting GoalsThe semester seemed to be moving in a positive, constructive direction. My dry land training for swimming was going well. The…

  • Aerial view of college campus

    Fall Semester and a Brand New World

    August 13, 2024

    This was the first semester of the brand new campus of the College of San Mateo. Overwhelmed at first trying to find out where I needed to go, I…

  • Work in the Oil Fields title image

    Work in the Oil Fields

    July 29, 2024

    Chris Jones had married his girlfriend Pat and moved to Taft, California. Taft is an oil town west of Bakersfield in the southern end of the San…