Edward Soares, 1943

I was born on February 14, 1922 in Newman, California to Mary and Severo Soares, who were Portuguese immigrants. When I was about a year old, my family moved to San Jose, where I grew up on a dairy farm. I had three brothers and two sisters. Carl was first, then Frank, Silverio, Mabel, myself, and finally Evelyn.

I graduated from Roosevelt Junior High School. Ironically, Roosevelt was a name that would hold much importance to me later in my military career. My education stopped there because I had to go to work. I picked prunes in Santa Clara Valley in my teen years. Later I worked for Pacific State Steel in Niles, California.

Young Love

During my teen years I met a wonderful girl named Mayme Costa at a Portuguese fiesta in San Jose. She was also of Portuguese heritage. At the first dance I asked her out but she said no. But I was persistent and told her that I would see her next day. I went to her house and met her parents and we began our courtship. We were never alone. Whenever I took Mayme out her mother accompanied us.

We were engaged when I received my draft notice. It was October 29, 1942, and I was 20 years old.

Our family had heard all about the war after the bombing at Pearl Harbor the year before, but I was a little taken aback because none of my older brothers had been drafted. Of course, they were older than I was. My oldest brother, Carl, did join the National Guard but stayed stateside.

On November 12, 1942, I went to the Presidio in Monterey for induction into the U.S. Army’s 16th Ordnance Battalion as a mechanic.

Boot Camp

I was sent to Fort Warren in Cheyenne, Wyoming for two months of boot camp. I endured marching and target practice in the bitter cold. I also went to mechanic’s training. But all was not bleak there. One day I was called into the general’s office. I was very nervous, wondering if I had done something wrong. It seems that my parents, who worked as gardeners for a Colonel Gibbs in Monterey, had asked if somehow the Colonel could request that someone look out after me, their youngest son. Colonel Gibbs sent the request to my battalion general.

When I arrived in the General’s office, I saluted but he told me not to bother saluting and then offered me a chair. I sat down, dumbfounded. He told me that I was being promoted to the rank of corporal and was being given my own platoon.

If I thought I was cold in Wyoming, then I knew real cold when I was transferred to Tacoma, Washington to the Mt. Rainier Ordinance Depot that same winter. Our barracks only had tarpaper on the outside. There were 50 of us in that barracks. Each of us paid 25 cents a month to a soldier to keep fires going inside so our quarters would be bearable. While there, I received six months of specialized training as a mechanic.

Hawaii  

From Washington I was sent to Pittsburg, California for a few hours as we prepared to disembark. On May 23, 1943, we departed from San Francisco’s Fort Mason headed for Hawaii. It took our ship 10 days to reach Oahu, where we were awaiting placement. Many of the men on board became violently ill during our passage. I was lucky and never got sick.

I worked as a mechanic at Fort Shafter in Honolulu, repairing jeeps and trucks. One day in 1944 I visited Honolulu at Hickam Field, which was operated by the 7th Air Force. I liked what I saw of the aircraft maintenance and heard the stories of the crewmembers traveling a lot. I saw a lieutenant and asked if I could transfer to the Air Force. Amazingly, when he saw my interest he agreed. My transfer was completed easily and I became a member of the 7th Air Force Headquarters Squadron, CenPac (Central Pacific Area) with my same rank of corporal.

I wanted to see more of the world so I figured I could do that by changing branches of the service. From Fort Shafter I was transferred to Hickam Field to work on C-47 cargo airplanes. But I was never sent to any of the Pacific battle zones. I think my parents’ request to have someone watch over their youngest son kept me safe from being in any combat zones.

Roosevelt Honor Guard

I was a crewmember aboard various planes so I was able to island hop. Parts of my duties were as a crew chief of a DC-3, which transported intelligence officers to various bases on the Hawaiian Islands to deliver information and supplies. The air bases we flew to were operational centers for various battles in the Pacific. Intelligence officers would hand-carry packets with orders and aerial reconnaissance information to commanders for the various battle sites.

I also worked on P-47s, P-38s, and P-51s. I never did fly anywhere else other than the Hawaiian Islands. But while I was at Hickam I reveled in the stories that I heard about Pacific war heroes – including aviation pioneer Hap Arnold, a fighter pilot and Air Corps Chief who helped shape the future U.S. Air Force.

While at Hickam, I saw the damage done at the nearby Schofield barracks during the Japanese bombing. There were bullet holes visible in many buildings more than a year after the shelling. I realized then how real the danger of enemy attack was.

Ed Soares (holding American flag) with platoon, Mt. Rainier Ordnance Base, 1943

Hickam was remarkable in my military history for another reason too. President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Hawaii in July of 1944. He arrived on a great day weather-wise — not too hot or humid. I was chosen to be part of the honor guard, and held the American flag to greet him as he landed. The President just passed by us en route to meetings with battle commanders. Unlike modern-day presidents, he did not seem to have a large security detail with him. It was a proud moment in my career.

In November of 1945 the points required for discharge were changed from 80 to 60; one point was awarded for each month of service. I received extra points when I was promoted to Corporal, and when I transferred from the 16th Ordnance Battalion of the Army to the 7th Air Force, Headquarters Squadron. That was my reward for being promoted from repairing trucks and jeeps to repairing aircraft. Since I had 61 after three years in the military, I was free to discharge.

I was sent back on a C-54 ATC, an American transport plane, to Camp Beale, California for two days while my discharge was processed. I was discharged on November 8, 1945. From there I was bussed home.

Civilian Life

Mayme and I were married in San Jose on February 24, 1946. We had two sons, Edwin and John, and raised them in San Jose. Initially I worked for R. Cali Transportation hauling hay and fruit and as a mechanic. Then I transferred to Milpitas Materials where I worked as a shop superintendent for 34 years ‒ quite a step up from picking prunes! I credit the military for all of my mechanical training.

Mayme stayed home with our sons while they were young but then worked in a school cafeteria, eventually becoming the manager. We had a good life during our working careers.

One memorable event was that Mayme and I traveled with some good neighbors to Australia in 1971 for our 25th anniversary. While “down under” we also visited New Zealand. We were gone a month. Upon return, we continued working until the conclusion of our careers.

Retirement

In 1979, Mayme and I retired and moved to Columbia. We retired within a week of each other. It was a much-needed slower lifestyle that we enjoyed. We moved to Tuolumne County because we had friends we used to visit on Italian Bar Road. We liked the area, so we looked for property. When Mayme saw this acre of land and fell in love with it, I bought it for us.

In retirement we traveled to see friends and explored Mexico twice. We also took a Caribbean cruise. We also traveled with the SIRS (Sons in Retirement) to places like the Golden Gate Fields to watch the horse races.

After moving to Tuolumne County, I set up a welding and truck repair business until I started receiving my Social Security. After I sold my business, I started making little cars out of red cedar. I’ve donated the cars to the SIRS to be sold at their fund-raisers. I made Model A’s and Model T’s and even a logging truck.

In San Jose I was a member of the American Legion. I remained active in Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Elks Club after retirement in Tuolumne County. I became a fixture as a greeter at the 9am mass at St. Patrick’s Church in Sonora for many years.

Memories of Mayme

Mayme died on January 15, 2010 after almost 65 years of marriage. Since then I have struggled with mobility issues and need a hip replacement soon, so my active lifestyle has been somewhat affected.

I am glad to have served my country in the military. I was able to see more of America by being stationed in Hawaii, and I learned a trade that served me well in my civilian career.

I am glad that I did not see active combat, now in retrospect. When I was young I wanted to be sent to the front lines but am grateful that I did not so I could return to my Mayme. She waited faithfully for my return for three years. I missed her terribly while I was on active duty and miss her now since her passing. Almost every day I wrote letters home to Mayme. Those letters were censored. Of course, Mayme wrote back.

Halfway through my tour of duty, I even called her – it cost me $9 for three minutes.

Food, Friends

We had good food to eat. Hawaii was full of fresh vegetables, fruit and meat. We picked up cartons of pineapple and other fruit as we flew around the islands. We even ate on china, not tin plates found in combat zones.

We always had adequate supplies because we could fly somewhere to get what we needed. That was an ideal situation because we could always get parts and tools for repairs. The aircraft that I repaired were for the island hopping that we did for intelligence and supply purposes. I never worked on a fighter jet.

The only stress I felt was that we were always flying over shark-infested waters. That motivated me to make sure all the aircraft were in good condition. When I saw the battle-scarred Pearl Harbor area, I was also reminded that there was a real enemy out there in the Pacific. I never carried a good luck charm, but I did keep a small prayer book in my gear.

I did not experience any combat stress but still found myself drinking a little more than my normal consumption. I think that may have been for something to do after work. My buddies and I would shoot pool and drink beer.

Luau

I had leave time every week, frequently on weekends. One time I went to a Filipino luau in Kalihi. They served dog as the main course so I never returned. But something good came of that luau. I met a Portuguese couple, Helen and Phil Pavoa, who lived six miles from Hickam near Diamond Head in a little place called Kamiki. I would visit them every Friday to eat some good Portuguese cooking.

In the late 1950s, Helen and Phil came to visit Mayme and me in San Jose. They brought a 100-pound bag of sugar from the islands. There were a lot of Portuguese who lived in Hawaii.

Other leave time was when Hollywood stars would come to entertain the troops. I remember seeing Francis Langford, but there were others too.

The only time I was ever in trouble was when I went AWOL for 24 hours. Helen’s brother called me to invite me to a luau at Kono Bay. I was supposed to work that day, but I was never one to pass up an opportunity to party. He picked me up in a 1937 Chevy. I was restricted to the base for a month, but because they still needed a mechanic to fly with the officers, they allowed me to be a crew chief. So my “restriction” really was not severe punishment, and the month passed quickly.

Buddies 

I stayed in touch with some of my buddies after the war. There were five of us from San Jose that went to Hawaii during the war. So upon discharge it was easy to keep track of them. I knew some of them before, during, and after the war. Clarence Mendosa lived one block from Mayme and I after we bought our home in San Jose.

Another flight crew chief was Andy Anderson; he lived in San Jose, too. Tony Lewis was stationed at Fort Shafter, living on School Street, while I was there until I transferred to Hickam.

Two of the San Jose men went into the Navy. My first cousin, Tony Frietas, was stationed at Pearl Harbor after the Japanese bombing. Because Hickam was nearby, we were able to see each other and then after we were discharged, I saw him at family gatherings until he became a Catholic Brother and moved to Los Angeles. He taught machine shop to underprivileged kids there.

The fifth man from San Jose that I saw in Hawaii was Charlie Maciela. He was a Navy officer who flew personnel and supplies between the U.S. and Hawaii. After the war we socialized in San Jose, too. [Photo: Soares and friends on a day off in Waikiki. Left to right, top row, Tony Lewis, Ed and Al Mattos; bottom row, Charlie Maciel and Tony Freitas, Ed’s cousin.]

Longevity

I’m the only one left alive of the five from San Jose who saw duty in Hawaii at the same time. I just turned 90, and I know that I am likely to live another good while because my Grandmother Souza lived until she was 104. Longevity must run in my genes.

I have never used the VA health benefits, because I still use the Operating Engineers health insurance I kept after retirement. But I did use the VA home loan program to buy my first home in San Jose. The mortgage was only $47 a month. When we retired, I was able to sell our San Jose home and buy our Columbia property outright.

Like most veterans who served during war, I feel war is hell. But the military and the war educated Mayme and me. It was a good life experience. As I told a local newspaper reporter once, “I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

At my age I would not want to be in the military again, of course, but I am glad I did when I was able to serve.

Mr. Soares at home, April 2012

Mr. Soares, 90, was interviewed in early 2012 by volunteer Mary Louis as part of the Tuolumne Veterans History Project.    

Which doesn’t mean surrendering your driver’s license is easy.

Giving up the car keys is one of the most difficult decisions many seniors will make. So difficult, in fact, that it sometimes takes intervention by grown children, concerned friends or even law enforcement to convince some elderly drivers that they should no longer be on the road.

Others stop driving only after their licenses are suspended, their keys taken or their cars sold out from under them.

Knowing when to quit is pivotal in avoiding a difficult, emotional and perhaps confrontational end to your driving career. This requires not only a candid, honest self-evaluation, but a willingness to give up the independence and convenience that driving allows.

Attitudes toward this daunting prospect range widely.

“They’ll have to tear my cold, dead hands from the wheel,” vowed one senior at a recent health fair, adding that driving “is a right, not a privilege.”

Others, like 96-year-old Tom Pugh of Jamestown, voluntarily give up the keys when they notice their abilities slipping.

Pugh stopped driving a decade ago, after noticing his car began to slip forward at stop signs because his leg wasn’t strong enough to keep the brake down. “I was afraid I’d drift into an intersection and get hit,” he says. “I wasn’t going to wait for that to happen.”

As head of Sonora’s AAA office for nearly two decades, Pugh would often advise aging customers to consider giving up the keys as their abilities began to decline. “I wanted to practice what I preached,” he says.

Even though his son-in-law takes him almost anywhere he needs to go, admits Pugh, “I miss it terribly. I still have my car, and sometimes I’m tempted to take the keys, go out there, and just drive away.”

To drive or not to drive?

The stakes are huge.

Without a license, seniors can no longer drive to the store, the post office, the movies or to see friends when they wish. A large measure of their independence is gone –particularly in rural areas such as ours, where public transportation is limited.

Studies have shown that taking keys from older drivers who have no other transportation can cause them to become depressed and inactive, lose access to health care and die sooner. Yet continuing to drive can have its own dire consequences, due to a harsh reality: Reflexes, vision, strength and reaction times deteriorate as we get older.

Drivers 65 and older are in only a third as many traffic accidents as 16- to 24-year-olds, California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) statistics show. But seniors typically drive less, so the two groups’ per-mile crash rate is identical. Yet their relative frailty means drivers 70 and older are four times as likely to die in crashes as 20-year-olds.

Nightmarish stories of elderly drivers killing pedestrians periodically rekindle debate over whether stiffer standards should apply to seniors seeking license renewal. The most notorious case was in 2003, when an 86-year-old driver plowed through a farmers market in Santa Monica, killing nine.

Three years later, in January 2006, a disoriented 79-year-old driver slammed into California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Remmel, who was working a nighttime crash off Highway 49 near Columbia. Remmel survived, but lost portions of both his legs.

Tragedies

The convenience of being able to drive for yet another year pales in contrast with such tragedies.

As for Remmel, he passed the CHP’s rigorous physical test and requalified for patrol. But since the crash he has become better known as the agency’s most eloquent and inspirational spokesman.

His advice to seniors: Don’t wait until you have an accident, get a ticket or are referred to the DMV for a driving exam. And just because you pass a vision test and get licensed for another five years doesn’t mean you will remain a competent driver. So, suggests Remmel, evaluate your own abilities and reflexes every time you get behind the wheel.

“Learn the difference between overcoming challenges and accepting limitations and consider potential consequences,” he adds.  “Driving gives you independence, but the consequences of driving unsafely outweigh any need for that independence.”

As for the woman who hit Remmel, the DMV immediately revoked her license without testing.

How old is too old?

How do seniors know when their driving odometer has run out?

First, there is no answer to the question, “How old is too old?” Age alone is not a true barometer of ability. Some centenarians (more than 300 are licensed statewide, according to the DMV) are safer drivers than 65-year-olds who might have poor vision, medical problems or a history of tickets or accidents.

The Highway Patrol, DMV, AARP, insurance companies and safety advocacy groups have come up with lists of “stop signs” (see related story, Time to quit? Top 10 signs). Any one of these signs can be evidence that driving abilities are slipping. And if you notice two, three or more, it may be time to seriously consider giving up the keys.

“It’s no one thing,” says Sonoran Marty Gerbasi, who has been teaching the AARP’s safe driving class for more than six years. “It’s a set of circumstances. Are you getting lost more often, having more fender benders, driving more and more slowly and being more nervous at the wheel? When you start to answer yes to these questions more often, it’s time to make an assessment.”

With the 76-million member Baby Boomer generation turning 65 at the rate of more than 7,000 a day nationwide, and with older drivers comprising an ever-larger share of the motoring public, such assessments will come more and more often.

‘Silver tsunami’

About 15 percent of drivers nationwide are now 65 and older, but by 2025, more than 25 percent will be, according to AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety.

In what the DMV calls a “silver tsunami,” the number of California drivers 65 and older is expected to increase from today’s 3.2 million to more than 5 million within the next 20 years, and to nearly 7 million by 2040.

In Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, that tsunami has already hit and will continue to swell: The more than 20,000 drivers over 65 in both counties now account for nearly 25 percent of the local licensed-driver total. That’s about twice today’s statewide percentage of older drivers.

Given the emerging boom in senior drivers, states are taking a careful look at licensing requirements. These vary from state to state. Only two, Illinois and New Hampshire, now require seniors renewing their licenses to pass driving tests. Ten states require vision tests. Many more require more frequent and in-person renewals after a certain age.

In California, drivers 70 and older must pass both a vision test and a written exam on traffic rules before being issued new, five-year licenses. Also, state law allows doctors, law enforcement officers, relatives, neighbors or anyone questioning a driver’s abilities to confidentially refer that person to the DMV via letter or a written form for a behind-the-wheel test. (“Request for Reexamination” form available online at dmv.ca.gov.)

Being “ratted out,” as this legal procedure is colloquially known, does not necessarily mean you will be tested, fail, and lose your license.

A friend at the DMV

“Before anyone is called in for a test, we investigate the referral,” says Charley Fenner, who heads the DMV’s Senior Ombudsman Office, an advocate for drivers 65 and older dealing with the sometimes-daunting state bureaucracy.

“A few years ago, a lady at a senior apartment complex in the Bay Area referred 10 of her neighbors for testing,” said the 73-year-old Fenner, who has worked for the DMV for a half-century and in 2005 helped set up the Ombudsman’s office. “It turned out that she wanted fewer drivers in her complex so she could get a better parking place. Obviously, we didn’t test those people.”

But about 10,000 senior drivers, most of them 75 and older, are given behind-the-wheel tests each year. About 65 percent pass the first of three trys allowed, another 15 percent pass on subsequent attempts, and the rest fail, says Fenner.

“It’s not easy,” he concedes. “Driving around with an examiner, especially for a senior who may not have taken a test like this for 50 or 60 years, is anything but normal.”

‘Twenty minutes of hell’

Sonoran Jim Duncan, a 77-year-old retired state correctional officer who must retake the driving test every two years because of cataracts, describes it more bluntly.

“It was 20 minutes of hell,” he admits. “Like a lot of seniors, I was nervous going in. But the examiner was fair and it turned out OK.”

License renewal is not an all-or-nothing proposition for seniors. For years, the state has issued restrictive licenses, typically allowing driving only with glasses, during daylight hours or in certain geographical areas. These days, says Fenner, such licenses are increasingly specific, often allowing only a few trips – to the grocery store or doctor’s office, for example – along pre-defined routes that examiners have ridden with the senior drivers.

The DMV may also issue “special instruction permits,” which allow seniors to drive with a licensed friend, relative or instructor to sharpen their skills for a behind-the-wheel test.

“Our goal is to keep seniors mobile as long as possible, as long as they can stay safe,” says Fenner, whose office handles about 3,000 cases a year. “Sometimes it turns out that license suspension is the only option, but we want to make sure our older drivers going through the process get a fair shake.”

To contact DMV’s Senior Ombudsman’s office, call (916) 657-6464.

Self-restriction

Many local seniors are doing what they can to stay safe, while constantly evaluating their abilities. Bill Endicott, an officer and then commander of the CHP’s Sonora-area detachment from 1958 through 1975, is still behind the wheel at 93.

“Just passed my tests,” says Endicott, whose lifetime record is spotless. “My license is good for five more years.”

But that doesn’t mean he’ll be driving for five more years. “My reflexes aren’t what they once were,” he admits. “When you’re a senior citizen, they just begin to fade away.”

So Endicott, who admits he is “not a car guy,” has curtailed his mileage. He drives his 1993 Nissan about 200 miles a month, and “never much farther than going to the dentist in Tuolumne.”

What “stop sign” would get Endicott off the road for good? “If I got into an accident that was my fault, that would be it,” he says. “That would be devastating.”

‘No rain, no night’

Ninety-year-old Mary Kessel of Sonora is going through the same self-scrutiny. Her late husband, Ken, gave up his license at age 86, realizing his own abilities were slipping. Now Mary, a World War II U.S. Navy veteran and retired teacher, is watching her own driving carefully.

“My vision is pretty good, but my reflexes aren’t the same,” she admits. “Just the other day a woman pulled out in front of me at Safeway and I didn’t even see her. I wasn’t looking around the way I should.”

So now she’s doubly cautious, looking in all directions at each corner. “And no more driving in the rain, driving at night or driving to Modesto,” adds Kessel, who renewed her license last year, but knows she won’t do it again.

What would convince her to surrender her keys?

“One more close call would do it,” says Kessel, who’s never received a ticket or been in an accident deemed her fault. “I’d give my license up in a minute.”

Then there’s Bill Hoffman of West Point, who at 103 has to be one of California’s oldest drivers. He just finished a 3,000-mile solo road trip to visit friends in Missouri.

“Well, there have been a few changes out there,” concedes Hoffman, who began driving in 1926 at the wheel of a Model T. “But as far as I can tell, my abilities are still pretty good.”

How will he know when it’s time to stop driving and to retire his ’06 Subaru Outback?

“When my license expires in 2015,” he grins, not missing a beat. “When I turn 107, that will probably do it.”

Staying sharp    

Meanwhile, many older drivers are doing what they can to stay sharp.

Endicott, for instance, signed up for a CHP program called Age Well, Drive Smart. It includes valuable driving tips, what to watch for in deciding when to quit, and ways to remain alert and competent behind the wheel.

“Mike Remmel led that class and the place was packed,” says Endicott. “It was really good.”

Remmel and Rebecca Myers, spokeswoman for the CHP command in San Andreas, both say more Age Well, Drive Smart classes will be scheduled. Check with the CHP (984-3944 Sonora, 754-3541 San Andreas) for dates and times.

AARP also conducts periodic two-day safe driving classes and one-day refreshers for seniors in both Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. Completion, depending on your carrier, can reduce insurance premiums.

“I’ve taught them for 14 years and every 30-member class is full,” says Sonoran Jerry Lewis, adding that each session includes instruction and a discussion of when to quit. “The feedback I get from those who take the class is almost all good.”

Call for AARP class times, dates and reservations (588-8982 Sonora, 754-1495 San Andreas).

‘Be hard on me’

Driving schools also offer behind-the-wheel refresher courses, and seniors who must pass a driving test to renew their licenses have found these valuable.

Jim Duncan took a class from Zertuche’s Driving School two years ago “and I told the instructor to be hard on me.”

“I think it did me a lot of good,” he says. “I was more confident going into the test, and passed it.”

Zertuche’s cofounder Mike Thomas says fewer than 10 percent of his customers are seniors. “We might get one or two a week, mostly seniors facing a DMV driving test or on instructional permits,” he says.

And yes, Thomas adds, if he or one of his instructors believes a client is not driving safely and cannot improve, “we’ll suggest considering other forms of transportation.”

“But that decision is really their own and the DMV’s,” he says.

No easy answer

It can be painfully difficult to acknowledge that your abilities have deteriorated to the point where you are no longer a safe driver – but not as hard as actually surrendering your keys.

“Loss of independence,” says Duncan, “is what scares the heck out of most seniors.”

That’s especially true in the foothills, where transportation options are limited – so limited, in fact, that older drivers here hold onto their licenses far longer than do their counterparts statewide.

Statewide, just over half those over 75 years old still have driver’s licenses, according to DMV and U.S. Census Bureau statistics (see related chart, Senior Driving by the Numbers). In Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, more than 80 percent of these older drivers are licensed.

How hard is it to give it up?

“I heard about one woman who had lost her license some weeks earlier, but would drive to the DMV office every day to get it back,” Gerbasi relates. “The office kept calling her son to come and pick her up.”

Yes, her son had taken away his mother’s keys, says Gerbasi, “but she had 15 or 20 copies made and had hidden them around the house.”

For thousands of other seniors who no longer drive, however, life does go on.

Without insurance premiums and car payments, and with proceeds from the sale of a car, those who quit see immediate savings. This can often cover months or even years of bus or cab rides.

With limited public transportation options, however, those living in outlying rural areas may be forced to move to larger communities where stores, medical care and transportation are closer at hand.

Quitting driving remains a difficult choice, with sometimes painful consequences.

On the plus side of the ledger, however, is the peace of mind that may come with giving up the keys before you become a danger to yourself or others.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

Why Mama chose Thursday, though Grandma on a nearby farm always washed on Mondays, I could never understand. I thought the weather should be the main consideration but not my mom or grandma. Rain or shine, the wash must go on. They might have to wait a day or more before hanging them on the lines to dry, but at least they would be washed.

Mama started the day by removing every sheet and pillow case from the beds, seeing that each member of the family had every garment sparkling clean and piling all dirty clothes in a big sheet. A vivid memory … she with the large bundle thrown over her shoulder, like a hobo with a pack on his back, walking toward the “separator room” where the washing was to be done.

The chore was done outside the house, unless the weather was cold or raining, when it was done inside. The first job, which was often done by my father, was filling the large black iron wash pot with water. It was kept upright with several short iron legs on the bottom.

Then a fire would be built under the wash pot. The first water would be placed in a large tub to rub the clothes clean in. The pot would then be filled a second time to bring to a boil the clothes which had been rubbed through two tubs of water with lye soap on a washboard.

I started rubbing clothes when I was so small I had to stand on a box to reach the washboard. The clothes were always sorted first. The whitest, cleanest clothes had to be washed first, then the next group and finally the work clothes and dark socks and stockings.

Mama always rubbed all through two waters, boiled all, then rinsed through two tubs of clean water. The last water had bluing put in. In the earliest days she used “bagged bluing,” which came six bags in each box. In later years she used a liquid from a bottle. The bluing was used to keep the white clothes from looking dingy.

The only woman in Erath County who had whiter clothes than Mama was Grandma Hamilton. Mama did not use Clorox – she used arm and back power, lye soap and boiling hot water. Was it any wonder it took her all day to wash once a week? … She had what today we would call “a thing” about cleanliness.

One time Mama’s sensitive nose and taste became disturbed. For several days she tried to decide why the butter tasted and smelled like gasoline. One day when she started to iron the clothes, she discovered the reason … The gasoline iron was kept in the bottom compartment of the “safe,” and the gasoline fumes had penetrated the butter.

The safe usually held the glassware and the dishes at our house. The lower part, other foods such as jam, mustard, pickles, catsup or other things would be placed there for storage. The country kitchen of that day did not have built-in cabinets. Those who could afford the “Hoover” cabinets had them. But they usually had a “safe” cabinet too. We had a cabinet that had a flat top, two pull-out dough boards, two three-or-four-inch-deep drawers and on the bottom, two drawers, one divided, where flour, cornmeal and sugar were stored.

I mentioned the gasoline iron above. Most of the country women in our area ironed with the “smoothing iron.” There were two kinds: one with attached handles and the other kind had detachable wooden handles. They generally used three irons but only one handle. Mama and Grandma Hamilton had the attached-handle type, but my Grandmother Carter used the detachable wooden handle with the separate irons.

These irons would be heated on the wood stove until hot enough to iron the wrinkles from the “sprinkled” clothes or other garments to be ironed. Sometimes an iron skillet would be placed over the irons to help heat them and keep them heated.

Papa bought Mama a more modern iron, one that heated with gasoline. There were times when it might be frightening, when the flames flew up from an overflow of gasoline, but Mama learned to control that.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

My dad got into a little fender bender down in Dallas recently and knew at last, the way an aging slugger who whiffs at a pitch he used to wallop into the cheap seats knows, that it was time to call it quits.

I tried to cheer him up. “How old were you when you got your license?” I asked.

“Seventeen,” he said.

“You’ve been driving for 76 years!” I said. “Think of how many miles you’ve driven! Think of how many cars you’ve driven!”

That got him reminiscing about his first car, a Ford Model A with a canvas top. Playing the suave young suitor, he drove from the Bronx to Brooklyn to take his future bride and in-laws out for a night on the town. It rained. The canvas top leaked. Everyone got soaked.

That got me reminiscing about “The Magnet,” a finned, two-tone ’57 Dodge that was fatally attracted to other cars. As bad as The Magnet’s white-and-gold factory paint began to look, Dad made it worse when he tried to hide the dings and dents under a hideous light-blue-and-dark-blue cut-rate paint job.

The Magnet was one of a series of crummy cars that adorned our driveway in my youth: I also remember a ’58 Buick, black and massive as a Humvee; a sporty but past-its-prime silver-blue ’63 Pontiac Tempest; and a dowdy forest-green ’66 Buick Special. The ’58 Buick might have been the one that crushed my green tricycle with the streamers flowing from the ends of the handlebars. All of them broke down or got flat tires on a regular basis.

“I had no luck with cars,” my dad concedes. Nor I with trikes.­

You’d think his knack for acquiring unreliable vehicles would have made him cautious, but Dad was the quintessential New York driver: quick to honk, slow to brake and constantly chiding the “nuts” in the adjacent cars who were forever thwarting his progress or demonstrating their unfitness to share the road with him.

Dad’s worst driving habit was to stop so close to the car in front of him that he was practically sitting in its backseat, and then berate the driver for failing to spring to life the instant the light turned green.

“It’ll never get any greener,” was one of his favorite taunts. Or occasionally: “What’samatta, you don’t like the color green? Is there another color you would like better? Sky-blue pink, maybe?”

He wouldn’t yell any of this stuff out the window. The performance was for us, his amused and captive audience. He never sounded mad.

In any event (as he likes to say), the Dallas fender bender was a best-case scenario: He got the message that he was no Mario Andretti without hurting himself or anyone else in the process. (My sister might disagree: It was her car that bore the brunt of the lesson.)

Still, as we all know, driving is a powerful symbol of freedom and independence in American culture. So the loss of one’s driving privileges is a bitter pill. And for Dad, the losses are piling up. Last year, he and my mom gave up their condo in Florida and moved to an “independent living community” in Dallas, near my sister. Last summer, his bride, as he still calls my mom, died at the age of 89 – three months shy of their 70^th anniversary.

Wrap your mind around that number. To return to baseball metaphors, we’re talking the marital equivalent of DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak or Ted Williams’ .406 batting average – numbers we may not see again.

Before my parents’ generation, the odds were not great that both members of a couple would live long enough to celebrate seven decades of wedded bliss. These days we’re not likely to get married young enough or stay married long enough to get within range of a diamond anniversary.

Mom fought hard to make it to the big milestone. Her doctors didn’t think she’d be around for her 69^th anniversary.

Ah, well. My stock answer when people express their condolences is that Mom didn’t get cheated: She lived a good, long life and was married to a good, loving man – except when he was driving.

I always thought south Florida, where my parents used to live, was the scariest place I’d ever driven because the roads were crammed with ex-New Yorkers like my dad who were still aggressive but no longer skillful.

“These people should not be driving,” I’d say. But will I recognize myself as one of “these people” when the time comes?

Well, I’ve never found driving relaxing. I blame my adolescent experience with the family lemons. Even now, I can’t drive without listening for untoward noises and sniffing for untoward smells. And I’m already shying away from night driving, especially in the rain.

So I’d like to think it’s not going to take a fender bender to get me out of the driver’s seat. But I’m probably fooling myself. I saw how hard it was for my mom to go gentle into that good night during the last two years of her life. A month before she died she told me she thought she was getting better.

I think of the ritual exchanges between my dad and me when he’d hand me the key to one of those beater cars back in the 1970s.

“Be careful,” he’d say. “Lotta nuts out there.”

To which I would reply, “Lotta nuts in here, too.”

The key to surrendering the key is recognizing when you’ve gone from being one of the nuts in here to one of the nuts out there.

Russell Frank is a former Sonoran who now teaches journalism at Penn State.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

Hypothermia develops when the pet loses body heat faster than it can be replaced. Subnormal body temperature, decreased heart and respiratory rates, collapse, coma, and even death can result from hypothermia. Just like humans, animals can suffer from frostbite if conditions are severe. Frostbite occurs when body parts actually freeze, and ice crystals form in the tissue, causing it to die.

Most frostbite lesions in dogs and cats are in areas that are more exposed and have less hair, such as ear tips, tails, scrotum, nipples, and vulva. Dog and cat feet are much more resistant to frostbite than human feet and hands because they are covered with fur, have thick epithelial pads, and their circulating body temperature is much higher.

The family home offers the best protection from the elements, and can also keep pets from becoming bored and lonely. If your companions do not have free access to the house, it is imperative that they have a well-insulated, well-padded structure. If the garage is the shelter, another smaller, enclosed and insulated area should be provided within to help keep the pet warm.

Many pets, if they are active and spend time outside, will need more calories to stay warm in winter. This does not include the couch potato dog or cat that spends most of the winter in the house. These pets may actually need fewer calories. Also, make sure your animal companions have access to fresh water at all times, in an area that does not freeze. Short-haired, old or ill animals will also benefit from a sweater when they go outside.

Cats seeking warmth outside, or even in the garage, sometimes climb into the engine area of vehicles. When the unsuspecting owner starts the engine, the pet can be killed or horrifically injured. Be sure you know where your cat is, or thump on the hood to scare it out of the engine area, before starting your car.

The two most common poisonings we see in the winter are from antifreeze (ethylene glycol) and chocolate. Because antifreeze has a sweet taste, many animals will drink it if they have a chance. It is extremely toxic: Just one teaspoon can kill a small dog or cat. Once ingested, antifreeze is metabolized to form calcium oxalate crystals that basically plug up the kidney tubules, causing kidney failure.

Kidney failure is not immediate, and signs may not be evident for 24 to 72 hours after ingestion. Symptoms can include depression, decreased appetite, and vomiting. At this stage, almost all animals will die regardless of treatment.

If you suspect antifreeze poisoning, have your pet’s blood tested for the toxin, and begin treatment immediately. If treatment starts early, most animals will survive. After eight hours, most animals will develop kidney failure. By the way: Don’t put antifreeze in your toilets, as dogs can ingest it that way, too.

Chocolate is very comforting for us during the cold winter months and consequently, it is also more available to our dog companions (most cats are not interested). Unfortunately, chocolate is toxic to dogs and must be kept away from “counter surfers.”

Another source of exposure may be those presents under the Christmas tree. With their superior sense of smell, our canine family members know if there is food or chocolate in a package, and will indulge if given the chance. Dogs cannot metabolize chocolate as fast as humans and, as a result, theobromine, a caffeine-like substance, rapidly increases in their blood and can cause heart and nervous system problems.

All chocolates are not equal. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains and the more toxic it is. A 50-pound dog would need to eat 14 to 20 ounces of milk chocolate to be in the toxic range, while only two to four ounces of bakers’ chocolate would result in toxicity. If your dog eats chocolate, call your veterinarian immediately to determine if treatment is necessary.

Christmas ornaments and tinsel can also be a problem for cats and dogs. If eaten, these can cause obstructions that usually require surgery.

Please keep your animal friends warm and safe and out of trouble this holiday season.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

Counselor Susan Reid has this advice for parents of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan:

No surprise parties.

The reason? In war zones, roadside bombs go off with no warning. Bullets fly. People scatter.

An unexpected roomful of friends and family, however beloved, could startle someone who has come to see surprises as potentially life-threatening rather than fun, so he or she may react with irritability rather than pleasure.

“People really don’t like surprises when they come back from war,” says Reid, a psychotherapist who counsels veterans and their families in Tuolumne and Stanislaus counties under contract with the VA Vet Center program.

As veterans return home, it’s not easy for family, friends and community members to decide what to do. Do we thank them for their service? Do we ask them about their experience? Do we offer to help them get a job? A car? An education?

All of the above, say Reid and others who work with veterans just home from tours of duty overseas.

“I always make it a point to thank them for their service,” says Barbara Childers of Sonora, whose 23-year-old son left for a second U.S. Army stint in Iraq in August. “It warms their hearts to know people care.”

Nearly 30,000 U.S. veterans return to California each year, many of them from Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the state Department of Mental Health.

While some vets don’t immediately report problems associated with war, like post-traumatic stress disorder, nearly all have changed, says Pat Noonan, a social worker with the Veterans Affairs clinic in Sonora.

“They don’t feel like they fit anymore,” she says. “They miss the brotherhood of service.”

Imagine: You’re a soldier with a unit in Iraq. For one year, you and your comrades do everything together, from eating to sleeping to patrols and combat missions. When you leave your compound, someone’s always got your back.

You fly back to the U.S., maybe with a few buddies. By the time you get home, you’re alone, or so it seems. It’s not easy to talk to your parents, or even your spouse.

“Their wives are still the high school girls they left behind,” Noonan says. “The vets don’t think their wives understand them, and some probably don’t.”

Pfc. Chris Wellhausen with his wife, Sarah

Even more puzzling for a veteran is not understanding his or her own behavior.

It’s normal for recently-returned soldiers to seem quiet or withdrawn, experts say. Take Chris Wellhausen, Childers’ son, a newly married 2006 Sonora High School graduate who is on his second tour of duty in Iraq.

“When I came home from Iraq the first time, I was nervous,” he says in an e-mail. “I didn’t really want to talk about it.”

People asked if he killed anyone. That’s a callous question, according to Reid.

“You never want to ask a vet that,” she says. “It’s a little like asking a woman who was molested as a child about her experience. It’s a private thing.”

So, what is OK to ask?

Reid’s suggestions: Are there people in your unit you are still in touch with? What was the hardest part? Were you in combat? What’s it like to be home?

Another way to break the ice is to offer help adjusting to life in the states. Help your veteran friend or relative land a job interview, get a loan, even buy a car or get into college.

Don’t be surprised if recently returned vets seem anxious, angry or have trouble concentrating. Those are signs of readjustment difficulty, Reid says, something nearly everyone coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan experiences for a while.

Veterans are also prone to longer-lasting difficulties like PTSD, brain injury and suicidal thoughts. Between 11 and 20 percent of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars live with PTSD, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Symptoms can include nightmares, difficulty experiencing closeness, feeling jittery, trouble sleeping or concentrating, and being prone to rage.

The incidence of traumatic brain injury is higher during present conflicts than in previous wars. Caused by powerful blasts of roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades, these injuries were recently found to affect about 60 percent of soldiers screened for them at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Suicide is also a problem, one the federal government is doing something about. In 2008 it launched the Veterans Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK). In 2010, more than 12,000 Californians called between January and July.

Do veterans commit suicide more often than non-veterans? A 2007 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health says yes. Veterans in this study were found to be more than twice as likely to die by suicide. The risk is greater, the VA says, if a soldier has endured frequent deployments, long deployments, a sexual assault or a service-related injury, among other things.

Hoping to help, the government last year launched Operation Welcome Home, a program designed to provide counseling and case management to veterans before problems escalate. Workers regularly check in with vets who sign up for services with the VA. In the first seven months of the program, they reached out to nearly 14,000 veterans.

It’s not easy for military men and women – trained to be resilient problem-solvers – to seek mental health help. It often makes them judge themselves as weak. Some mistakenly believe going to counseling could bar them from law-enforcement jobs, a common career path for veterans. Others might not want to acknowledge a problem.

“Who wants to be thinking, at 21, there’s something wrong with them?” Reid says.

Close friends and family may spot alarming changes, including excessive alcohol and drug use, or talk of suicide.

“It’s OK to ask, ‘You seem depressed. Do you want to talk?’” Reid says. “And, if a parent or wife is really concerned, they should call somebody.” (See resource list.)

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if something, like spending lots of time alone, is normal for a recently returned soldier, or if it indicates a more serious problem, says Childers, the Army mom. That’s where support groups come in.

Childers belongs to Operation Mom, a group for parents of service members that meets monthly in Sonora. At these meetings, Childers discovered many young veterans can be short-tempered or reluctant to talk about their time overseas.

“You find out you’re not the only parent who experiences this,” she said.

Another thing she learned from group members: Don’t hound them for war stories.

“They’re home to be away from that,” she notes. “Don’t keep needling them.”

Reid tells parents of new veterans not to take things personally. If a soldier only stays 10 minutes at a family gathering, or prefers not to come at all, he or she doesn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. They just can’t feel comfortable around people, even loved ones.

They may be silently bearing the burden of loss: Loss of friends, of innocence, and of feeling safe. It’s likely they need to be alone to come to terms with their emotions. And they may be wary of crowds due to their experiences at war.

Instead of surprise parties, Reid recommends quiet gatherings like intimate lunches, picnics in the hills, or fishing.

And, even if you notice they seem different, don’t tell them they’ve changed, she says.

“They know that,” she says, “and it makes them feel really bad. It’s not something they need to hear.”

Instead, tell them you’re glad they’re back.

“Tell them something ordinary and funny,” Reid suggests. “Make them laugh. Share your life with them. Help them normalize this life without war.”

Local and National Resources for Returning Vets

Sonora VA Clinic, 13633 Mono Way, Sonora. 588-2600

8am-4:30pm weekdays. Pat Noonan, mental health social worker; Erin Dale (588-2622), Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF-OEF) social worker, will run support group for returning veterans. Clinic offers eligible veterans access to medical and mental health care, referrals, support groups and mobile outreach clinics. Support groups (including those for women and new veterans) emphasize education and coping skills for PTSD, anger management and depression. Schedules available at front desk.

VA Vet Center Program

Nationwide network of centers specializing in post-combat readjustment counseling. Susan Reid, 533-2679, is the program’s outreach counselor in Sonora; call for appointment. PTSD assessments, individual and group therapy focusing on trauma recovery, readjustment skills. Services free of charge to combat veterans.
Modesto VA Vet Center, 569-0713.

Veterans Services Offices

Help with registration and claims related to disability, compensation, pensions, health care, in-home and nursing home care, VA-backed mortgages and referrals. In Tuolumne County: 105 E Hospital Road, Sonora, 9 am-noon, 1-4pm weekdays, drop-in basis only, 533-6280. In Calaveras County: 509 E. Saint Charles St. at Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas, 9am-5pm weekdays, by appointment only, 754-6624.

Military OneSource, 800-342-9647, militaryonesource.com.

A 24/7 phone line staffed by professionals, many of whom have returned from deployment. They answer questions, provide referrals and offer a listening ear to active duty military, veterans, retired military, civilians with Department of Defense, and National Guard reservists.

Suicide Prevention Hotline, 800-273-TALK, followed by 1
A 24/7 line staffed by professionals for active duty military, veterans and family members in emotional distress.

Operation Mom
Sonora branch of national support group for parents meets second Saturday per month. Members also assemble care packages for servicemen and women overseas. Email Pat Padavana, (209) 532-8051.

Center for Trauma Recovery
Inpatient program for active duty and veterans needing intensive help with PTSD symptoms, through Palo Alto VA HealthCare System. Referrals through the Sonora VA Clinic and VA Vet Center program. Online at ptsd.va.gov, more info plus articles on deployment, homecoming suggestions and more. Also available: Inpatient treatment for substance abuse, accessed through Sonora VA Clinic.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

Nearby: Ideally, your trustee should live close to you, so he or she can perform duties efficiently and economically. However, not every family has this luxury. But if your trustee has other qualities listed here, they still may be the best person for the job.

Responsible: Choose someone who can handle his or her own financial affairs. It is a good indicator whether they can handle yours. There will come a time when your trustee will handle your bank accounts, paying your bills and maintaining your insurance, etc. While your trustee does not need to be an expert in all the financial and legal matters involved, he or she must know when to seek guidance from an attorney, accountant, or a financial advisor.

Organized: Make sure your trustee doesn’t have stacks of disorganized bills piled on his or her kitchen table. Your trustee must be organized, so that trust account balances and all bills, invoices, and other documents are handled promptly and properly.

Practical: Common sense is valuable in administering an estate. Good business judgment is important when selling assets and dealing with insurance and other financial matters. Because of this, do not choose your trustee solely on the basis of friendship. Make sure he or she is able to make practical decisions relating to your care if you’re incapacitated and to your estate after you die.

Not all of us have the luxury of choosing an ideal trustee from among family and friends. If you find yourself at a loss, consider an independent trustee. Often, certified public accountants, enrolled agents, professional trustees or estate advisors are good candidates.
While these professionals may charge more, their ability to work efficiently and fairly often makes it well worth the cost – both in saving time and in helping curb the drama that sometimes grips families during these proceedings.
Some people who lack an ideal trustee try to solve the problem by naming two or more less-than-ideal family members to serve as co-trustees. Parents may name two children as co-trustees, even though the two don’t get along. They think that forcing them to make decisions together will keep them from fighting.
Unfortunately, that is not usually the result. Instead, the co-trustees fight bitterly and nothing gets done until one is forcibly removed by the court. Instead, simply choose one of the children to serve as sole trustee, or name an independent trustee.

Tirzah Woodward is an attorney with Gianelli & Polley, a Sonora law firm.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

This simple statistic tells me that the number of potential victims of elder abuse will skyrocket in the next decade – just as dire financial issues combine to hinder law enforcement and put more criminals out on the streets. Laws need to be tougher on those who target seniors, and seniors themselves need to be more vigilant.

Scam alert: Seniors should be aware of phone calls, purporting to be from a relative (often a grandchild) asking them to send money to help with some urgent legal problem such as bail or attorney’s fees. The call usually comes from out-of-state or overseas, and includes a request for the senior not to inform the caller’s mother or father.

The “relative” usually requests the money be sent via money gram (again, to an out-of-state or overseas location), and time is always of the essence. FBI offices in Northern California field hundreds of calls each month from victims of this scam. Apart from the difficulty in finding and prosecuting perpetrators, it should be noted that if the loss is under $10,000, nothing is ever done by authorities.

Apart from the obvious financial loss and the nearly impossible hope for restitution in these cases, there are other possible consequences. The victims are faced with reporting the crime and facing scrutiny of their mental capacity by relatives or county agencies, or staying silent and living with their loss (and I believe the latter is the most common approach).

What about the actual relative whose identity was used to scam the senior? Other family members often blame that person for destroying the senior’s finances, and family tension can spiral. The lesson here is don’t act hastily, and beware of any requests to keep other family “out of the loop.”

Perpetrators want the cash wired because it gets the money out of the victim’s control the quickest, so don’t wire without some confirmation of the story. One call to another family member (or calling the alleged caller on another phone number) to verify any part of a scam story can save the potential victim thousands of dollars.

And finally, ask your “relative” some questions that only they would know (like in the Battle of the Bulge, during which GIs asked other soldiers who had won the World Series that year, to ferret out enemy soldiers in U.S. uniforms). If they don’t know, hang up.

Convicted: A local jury recently returned guilty verdicts against a Tuolumne County woman who gained control over her 88-year-old grandmother’s finances. The woman drained the victim’s savings account, stole thousands from her checking account, and racked up more than $6,000 on a credit card in the victim’s name.

The defendant was convicted of financial elder abuse, identity theft, forgery and numerous counts of commercial burglary. She was sentenced to five years’ felony probation, fines, and one year in county jail. Restitution will be fought over at a later date. The victim has since passed away.

Eric Hovatter is a deputy district attorney with the Tuolumne County District Attorney’s office.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

During my first winter in Twain Harte a wise neighbor told me, “When you hear a big storm is coming, get all the laundry done right away.” Sage advice, considering we had a five-day power outage last year.

Winter storms and their resulting power losses are just a part of life in the Mother Lode. Extensive outages can be dangerous for anyone who is caught unprepared, and seniors can be particularly vulnerable. Outages are often accompanied by hazardous driving conditions and impassable roads. Because of this, it is vital that people of all ages prepare to survive in their homes for several days.

Having emergency food on hand can go a long way to making an outage safer and more comfortable to endure. In fact, Tuolumne County Meals on Wheels, aided by 4-H members, plans to provide 250 of its elderly and disabled clients with emergency food kits – “angel boxes” – this winter.

Preparing emergency food for seniors may involve special considerations. Many have chronic illnesses that require certain dietary guidelines. For example, if someone has been prescribed a low-sodium diet by a physician, that kit should contain low-sodium versions of recommended foods.

Other factors to consider:

• Select foods that can be safely stored on shelves, without refrigeration. Include some single-serving items, and foods that can be prepared without cooking.
• Include at least a three-day supply of water – and at least one gallon of water per person per day – in case frozen or broken pipes affect a household’s water supply, or if a home is reliant on an electric-powered well system.

• In homes still able to cook with a barbecue or propane stove, emergency kits can include dried beans or peas, hot cereal, pasta, etc.

An emergency food kit can make a great gift for the holidays. Make sure it includes a variety of foods, to provide a balanced diet and avoid boredom:

Protein: Canned tuna or salmon, canned chicken, canned beans, peanut butter, nuts and seeds, beef or turkey jerky, protein drinks such as Ensure, Boost or Carnation Instant Breakfast.

Vegetables: Canned vegetables, canned or boxed soups, vegetable juice.

Fruit: Dried fruit, canned fruit, applesauce, 100-percent fruit juice, individual fruit cups.

Grains: Crackers, cereal, granola bars, rice cakes.

Dairy or High-Calcium Foods: Canned milk, boxed soy or almond milk (fortified with calcium); powdered milk; canned spinach; pudding cups.

Clare Hicks is a registered dietitian with Sonora Regional Medical Center.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

That’s the beauty of this popular wintertime sport. Unlike skiing or ice skating, there’s not much of a learning curve.

“It’s easy to learn and takes almost no skill,” says Irene Patton, 65. “Plus, you’d sink in the snow without them.”

Snowshoes, which are attached to the boots, distribute the wearer’s weight over a larger area, keeping his or her feet on the surface of the snow.

Traditional snowshoes have wooden frames and latticework lacings, while newer models are lightweight and aluminum or molded plastic.

Irene Patton

Snowshoes vary in price from as little as $50 for youth shoes, to $100 to $200 or more for adult styles, and are available from local shops and area ski resort shops, and also from large retailers such as Costco and Cabela’s.

Patton, who lives in the Cedar Ridge area, recently purchased a new pair of snowshoes from REI for $200.

“People used to think of snowshoes as these giant tennis rackets, but that’s not true anymore,” she says.

Marie Malo, an interpretive specialist with the Stanislaus National Forest, recommends renting snowshoes before buying them to make sure you enjoy the sport.

She offers these tips for first-time snowshoers:

• Use a wider stance than if you were walking in regular shoes.

• Use poles if you need help with stability or to ease knee pain going downhill.

• Dress warmly and in layers, and make sure to wear waterproof boots.

When in the mountains, Malo says, it’s important to use snowshoes with crampons on the bottom to help with going both uphill and downhill.

“They look like little metal teeth,” she says.

Women’s snowshoes tend to be narrower, while men’s snowshoes are designed to fit larger boots and heavier weight. The heavier the person, the larger the snowshoe.

Patton says when carrying a backpack in the snow, snowshoes provide agility that skis don’t.

She uses poles, mostly because it helps with her stability while carrying a pack, especially uphill.

Patton has a passion for the outdoors: Her day job is helping visitors at the Summit Ranger Station near Pinecrest. In her free time, she volunteers for the Pinecrest Nordic Ski Patrol and Stanislaus Wilderness Volunteers.

She began snowshoeing in 1994, after taking a snow camping class from the Sierra Club.  She has been a volunteer assistant leader with the club’s Snowcamping Training Section since 1996.

“You can get to places you can’t get to with just boots,” Patton says.

While snowshoeing can be a fun way to stay in shape during the winter, it’s also practical: Patton has strapped them on to check her Cedar Ridge mailbox when snow has piled up on her front yard.

Long Barn resident Patricia O’Gara brings her dogs to the high country for snowshoe outings.

“They’re perfect for walking dogs. Skis are too fast,” the 70-year-old says. “It’s great exercise, and it’s fun to be outside, especially when it’s snowing.”

Snowshoeing is relatively safe, although there’s always the potential of tripping on something like a tree root or rock. You could also trip on your snowshoes as you adjust to your new, and at first awkward, form of transportation, experts say.

If you do fall, chances are there will be plenty of snow on the ground to make for a softer landing, Malo says.

Carol Crouch, who is in her early 70s, enjoys trekking in snowshoes in the backcountry off Calaveras County’s Highway 4 corridor.

“What I love about it most, I think, is that you’re outside at a beautiful time of year when snow’s on the ground,” she says.

Another advantage to the sport? Snowshoeing burns more calories than walking.

“It’s more difficult than just hiking,” Malo says, “because you’re using more muscles.”

Where to Snowshoe

Tuolumne County

Marie Malo, an interpretive specialist with the Stanislaus National Forest, will lead free morning snowshoe hikes in the Pinecrest area on these days: January 7, 14, 15, 21 and 28; February 4, 11, 18, 19 and 25; and March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31.

The hikes, lasting for one to two hours, will start at Dodge Ridge Wintersports Area.

For information about the guided hikes or specific snowshoe routes in the Pinecrest area, such as Crabtree and Gooseberry, call Summit Ranger District, 965-3434.

Snowshoes can be rented from Dodge Ridge from 8am-5pm daily for $15 per pair.

They can also be rented from Heidi’s Ski Shop along Highway 108 in Cold Springs, as well as Sierra Nevada Adventure Co. in downtown Sonora.

Calaveras County

Calaveras Big Trees State Park offers guided snowshoe walks each winter Saturday at 1pm. The park, off Highway 4 just east of Arnold, offers snowshoeing trails among giant sequoias; there’s also a warming hut open on weekends. Day-use fee is $8 per vehicle. 795-2334.

Farther east, check out Bear Valley Cross Country & Adventure Co. along Bear Valley Road. The resort offers 35 groomed trails for snowshoeing, from flat meadows to steep hillsides. Trail passes ($10-22 per day, depending on age; $1 for 8 and under) include amenities such as warming huts and stations to pick up water and tissues. Call 753-2834.

Rentals are available in Bear Valley or at Sierra Nevada Adventure Co. in Arnold.

Yosemite National Park

Any trail in Yosemite with snow on it is considered open to snowshoeing.

Each winter day, park rangers lead free snowshoe hikes starting at the Badger Pass A-frame. A $5 donation is requested for snowshoe use. Call 372-0200 (this is also the number for snow conditions and chain control information).

DNC Parks and Resorts, the park’s concessionaire, offers a variety of guided snowshoe treks to places such as Dewey Point and Crane Flat. They include guided full-moon walks ($18.50, includes snowshoe rental). Reservations required, 372-1240.

Snowshoes can be rented from the Badger Pass Nordic Ski Center, Crane Flat Gas Station and Mountain Sage in Groveland.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine