Chinese Pistache

There are a lot of these trees in Santa Rosa, and at this time of year, they are stunning. Not all of them have berries, but they all have the most amazing fall foliage, ranging from green through yellow and orange, to a flaming red. Driving home as the sun was going down the other evening, the trees lining the street looked almost unreal, lit by the setting sun against a darkening sky. I couldn't stop to take a picture, but sometimes just enjoying a scene without having to worry about lining up a shot can be very satisfying.

There is a new casino which opened in a nearby town on Tuesday, after 10 years of controversy. In its wisdom, the state of California voted to allow only recognized Native American Indian tribes to build casinos. This was seen as a way to provide them with a source of jobs and income. I see it as pathetic. First, we take away the land they have sustained themselves upon, in some cases creating reservations in the least desirable places for them to live on. Then we allow them to hire big developers of gaming companies to build and run casinos for them. It has caused endless hassles within the tribes as to who is actually an enrolled member, since only they can share in the massive profits that are made.

The Graton Casino in Rohnert Park, is "the largest structure ever built in the county". It contains 3,000 slot machines, hundreds of gaming tables, a poker room, four upscale restaurants, bars, a shopping mall and a food court. Although it is billed as very grand, I personally, do not see the allure. On opening day, at 10 am it was packed, with mobs of people waiting outside since the fire marshall only allows 5,000 people inside at one time. Traffic was backed up on the highway for 20 miles, and parts of the town were gridlocked. One police officer was quoted as likening the crowd to "a bunch of zombies...they just kept coming..."

I hope it lightens more lives than it ruins, but I'm skeptical.