Canary

First impressions are so important. They really set the stage for any relationship, big or small, moving forward.  That’s why so many were flabbergasted when President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, held a press briefing on Saturday, Jan. 21, the day following Trump’s inauguration. The first official press briefing wasn’t scheduled until Monday, mind […]

Don’t be rude, and don’t ask the wrong questions. That’s what I learned from Donald Trump’s recent press conference, anyway. As a bird, I know that it sucks to have your feathers ruffled, and it’s safe to say that’s what Buzzfeed and CNN have done to the Donald. But it was Buzzfeed that really stirred […]

Oh boy, all this rain is just great, isn’t it? California has been starved for water for six years now, a drought almost always punctuated with the word “historic,” and now we’re getting more water than we know what to do with! Retention basins are filling up, sinkholes have opened, and car accidents are happening. […]

It’s not easy doing a spit take as a bird. The beak just doesn’t allow the proper puckering technique it takes to send a geyser of coffee spewing across your computer screen. You end up just opening your beak and choking on whatever liquid doesn’t dribble down your front. That’s exactly what I did when […]

They’re pouring over the border from Mexico, stuffed into semi trucks and freight cars, and they’re now in our communities. Calm down people, I’m not going full Donald here; I’m talking about puppies! At least, that’s what Jeannine Wade from the Santa Maria Chapter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals […]

Lately, with the patchy rain that has fallen in these parts, I’ve embraced the chance to bundle up and take long flights under the gray cloudy sky. I’m an outdoorsy kind of bird. None of that caged stuff for me. But, of course, no one really likes to be caged. That’s pretty evident lately with […]

Who can a little birdy trust if she can’t trust the police? That’s the question that’s been knocking around in my head over the last week. In case you somehow missed it, a Dec. 1 Sun story about the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) issuing a ruse press release made national—and even international—news.  Chief Ralph […]

As years do, this one seems to have flown by, instantly bringing us to the end, exhausted and a little confused about why we’re suddenly holding holly in our hands when we were just celebrating new beginnings. And why do you land lovers use that expression “flown by” to refer to something that seems to […]

Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday. I don’t think this bird needs to explain why. However, I’m welcoming it this year. Not for the turkey but for the food, and for the opportunity to divert people’s attention toward all the reasons to be thankful this season. It’s always good to be thankful and appreciate the […]

Well wasn’t that a whopper of an election? All around me people lay deflated and defeated, and in the words of many, “grieving” for the loss of the presidential position to Donald Trump. With their last breaths they are now speaking out in protest that this will destroy our country, send us into war, and […]

Can you hear that? It’s the silence created by the sudden halt of lying, accusatory statements being flung far and wide by political candidates. Because it’s over! Now it’s all about popping a couple of ibuprofen, getting some much-needed rest, and trying to recover from the post-election hangover that comes after having endured months of […]

As you could probably tell already, I usually have a lot to say. I’m an opinionated little bird. But this week, I recognize that you have plenty to say as well! So in the interest of freeing up room on the Opinion page for everyone else’s opinions (oh geez, I’m regretting not running my beak […]