Bone-on-bone is not a dog treat
In past reports, I have referred to the Great Squirrel Incident, which involved me dragging my HC (human companion) through about eight feet of juniper hedge while I was in hot pursuit of a pesky squirrel. One of the unintended consequences of that episode was that he munched up his meniscus, really badly. While that has ended his running activities, he continued to get me out on walks for four to five miles every day regardless of weather. That took place a few years ago.
Over time, his knee has become problematic to the point that he started walking like Grampa McCoy on the TV series The Real McCoys, which ran from 1957 to 1963. My HC says, “For you young ’uns who have no idea what I am talking about, check out The Real McCoys on Wikipedia.”
But I digress. The bottom line is that the knee is now bone-on-bone and later this month my HC will be going under the knife to have a partial knee replacement on his right side. This should be interesting, and, of course, I will keep you updated on the misadventures.
Earlier this week, I was honored as the official spokesdog for the Alameda Today Facebook group. Deb Qoe made some reference to me being the Herb Caenine of Alameda, and I didn’t understand the reference. Apparently, this guy ran around San Francisco gathering gossip about people and printing it in the S. F. Chronicle. He referred to San Francisco as the Baghdad-by-the-Bay, kinda like Alameda being known as the “Isle of Style” back in the day. Just to clarify, as a true reporter (see my press pass) I don’t report gossip.
In a previous report, I had covered all the wires that were left attached to the “debris pole” when a new utility pole is installed. There are several of these unsightly situations around the city. I contacted Alameda Municipal Power to see what the story was on these eyesores. My source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the organization (Damn, I have always wanted to include this phrase in a report!) said that AT&T is the owner of the first 16 to 27 feet of the pole from ground level and that it is responsible for the old pole removals and transfer of their utilities. My contact was not aware of any rules and regulations for AT&T to transfer their lines or to require any other third-party renters to move their lines to the new pole.
Perhaps the most egregious example of this visual nuisance is located near 1525 Ninth Street. As you can see, all the wires have been transferred to the new pole, and the old pole is attached by rope and one thin metal bar. Time to file a report with SeeClickFix and see what might be done.
Last week, I noticed that my HC and I appear to be getting shorter. We go for our walk about the same time every day, but our shadows seem to be getting shorter with each passing month. What is going on??
Alameda’s weather was magnificent through most of January, which triggered the blooming of many of the city’s magnolia trees. I love their soft magenta and white colors. The sunny days contributed to the ripening of our Meyer lemon tree. Does anyone want some lemons? Just send an email to [email protected].
In a throw back to the early COVID-19 days, I found some nice chalk art on the sidewalk. Thanks, DAD!

If you haven’t driven along Grand Street near Clement Avenue recently, there is a huge housing project going up and I am monitoring the construction.
Lunar New Year runs from January 29 to February 3, and I am planning on getting an order of potstickers to celebrate. Please support our local restaurants by enjoying a meal from one of Alameda’s great restaurants serving Asian food.
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos and videos by Jeff Cambra.