The Odyssey

My book for June is The Odyssey by Emily Wilson. With Christopher Nolan's film version of the Odyssey coming out in July, I wanted to read the book before we saw the movie.

Published in 2017, Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey made history as the first complete English version of the epic poem published by a woman. Wilson chose to match Homer's original line count exactly and translated the text into regular iambic pentameter, resulting in a pacing that feels incredibly modern, swift, and natural to read.

I put together two related posts. First, a one sentence summary of the each of the chapters (called books) is here. Second, a bulleted outline tracing Odysseus' travels is here.

I enjoyed the book immensely. I hadn't read it in high school or college. The structure of the story is very different than I expected. I was generally familar with the struggles that Odysseus faced after he left Troy, but that is really only a part of the story. I also read Circe by Madeline Miller; Odysseus appears in that book. [Note to self], I should read Emily Wilson's translation of the Illiad.

Summary of the books of the Odyssey

The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson

Odysseus' travels in The Odyssey

• Books 1–4: The Telemachy (The Search for a Father)
  • Book 1: The gods agree it is time for Odysseus to return home, prompting Athena to visit Ithaca and inspire his son, Telemachus, to stand up to the insolent suitors plaguing their estate.
  • Book 2: Telemachus calls an assembly to condemn the suitors, but meeting fierce resistance, he secretly sails away to gather news of his long-lost father.
  • Book 3: Telemachus arrives in Pylos, where the pious King Nestor recounts the fates of other Greek heroes but directs him to Sparta for more information on Odysseus.
  • Book 4: In Sparta, King Menelaus and Queen Helen reveal that Odysseus is alive but trapped on the island of the nymph Calypso, while back in Ithaca, the suitors plot to ambush and murder Telemachus upon his return.
• Books 5–8: Odysseus's Liberation and Arrival in Phaeacia
  • Book 5: Released by Calypso on orders from Hermes, Odysseus builds a raft but is shipwrecked by Poseidon, barely surviving to wash ashore on the island of Scheria.
  • Book 6: Odysseus is discovered by the Phaeacian princess Nausicaa, who gives him clothes and guides him toward her parents' royal palace.
  • Book 7: Wrapped in a protective mist by Athena, Odysseus enters the Phaeacian palace and successfully begs Queen Arete and King Alcinous for safe passage home.
  • Book 8: The Phaeacians host games and feasts in Odysseus's honor, but when a blind bard sings of the Trojan War, the weeping stranger finally prompts King Alcinous to ask for his true identity.
• Books 9–12: The Apologue (Odysseus Tells His Tales)
  • Book 9: Odysseus reveals his name and narrates his early wanderings, including his raid on the Cicones, the drug of the Lotus-Eaters, and his clever but prideful blinding of the Cyclops Polyphemus.
  • Book 10: Odysseus explains how Aeolus's bag of winds backfired, how the cannibalistic Laestrygonians destroyed most of his fleet, and how they spent a year with the witch Circe, who turned his men into pigs.
  • Book 11: Following Circe's directions, Odysseus travels to the Underworld to consult the blind prophet Tiresias, speaking with dead comrades and his own mother.
  • Book 12: Odysseus recounts how he survived the deadly Sirens, navigated the monsters Scylla and Charybdis, and lost his remaining crew after they ate the forbidden cattle of Hyperion, leaving him stranded with Calypso.
• Books 13–16: The Return to Ithaca and Reunion
  • Book 13: The Phaeacians safely deliver Odysseus to a misty Ithaca while he sleeps, but Poseidon punishes the Phaeacians by turning their ship to stone, and Athena disguises Odysseus as an old beggar.
  • Book 14: Odysseus, in disguise, visits his loyal swineherd Eumaeus, who hospitably feeds him and laments the ruin of his master's estate without recognizing him.
  • Book 15: Athena guides Telemachus safely past the suitors' ambush back to Ithaca, where he heads directly to Eumaeus's hut.
  • Book 16: Telemachus arrives at the hut, and once Eumaeus leaves, Odysseus reveals his true identity to his weeping son, and they immediately begin plotting their revenge against the suitors.
• Books 17–20: Entering the Palace in Disguise
  • Book 17: Telemachus returns to the palace while Odysseus arrives later as a beggar, suffering verbal and physical abuse from the suitors, though his old dog, Argos, recognizes him and peacefully dies.
  • Book 18: Odysseus is forced into a fistfight with a beggar named Irus for the suitors' amusement, while Penelope tricks the suitors into giving her expensive gifts.
  • Book 19: Odysseus secretly talks with Penelope, spinning a false identity, while his old nurse Eurycleia recognizes him by a childhood scar on his leg but promises to keep his secret.
  • Book 20: Odysseus spends a sleepless night plotting revenge while the suitors ignore ominous portents sent by the gods and continue their abusive behavior during a feast the next day.
• Books 21–24: Slaughter and Resolution
  • Book 21: Penelope challenges the suitors to string Odysseus's old hunting bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe-heads, a feat only the disguised Odysseus successfully accomplishes.
  • Book 22: Tearing off his rags, Odysseus kills the suitor Antinous, kicks off a bloody battle in the hall, and slaughters every single suitor and treacherous servant with the help of Telemachus and loyal herdsmen.
  • Book 23: Penelope tests her husband's identity by asking to move their immovable bed—which Odysseus built around a living olive tree—leading to a joyful, emotional reunion.
  • Book 24: Odysseus reunites with his grieving father, Laertes, and when the angry families of the dead suitors come seeking revenge, Athena intervenes to enforce a lasting peace over Ithaca.

Odysseus' travels in The Odyssey

The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson

Summary of the books of the Odyssey

• Troy: The starting point after the fall of the city.
• Ismarus (Land of the Cicones): Odysseus and his men sack the city but stay too long, losing many men to a counterattack.
• Land of the Lotus-Eaters: A few crew members eat the sweet lotus plant and completely lose their desire to return home.
• Island of the Cyclopes: Trapped in a cave by the one-eyed giant Polyphemus, Odysseus blinds him to escape, triggering the curse of Poseidon.
• Aeolia: Aeolus, the god of wind, gifts Odysseus a bag of winds. The crew opens it out of greed right before reaching home, blowing them off course.
• Telepylos (Land of the Laestrygonians): Cannibalistic giants destroy 11 of Odysseus's 12 ships by hurling massive boulders.
• Aeaea (Circe's Island): The witch goddess Circe turns the crew into pigs. Odysseus resists her magic with help from Hermes and stays for a year.
• The Underworld (Kingdom of the Dead): Odysseus travels to the realm of Hades to seek the prophecy of the blind seer Tiresias.
• The Sirens: Odysseus plugs his crew's ears with beeswax and has himself tied to the mast so he can safely listen to their enchanting, deadly song.
• Scylla and Charybdis: The ship must navigate a narrow strait between Scylla (a six-headed monster who eats six sailors) and Charybdis (a deadly whirlpool).
• Thrinacia (Island of Helios): Despite warnings, the starving crew slaughters the sacred cattle of the sun god Helios. Zeus punishes them with a storm that destroys the last ship, leaving only Odysseus alive.
• Ogygia (Calypso's Island): Odysseus washes ashore and is held captive for seven years by the nymph Calypso, who offers him immortality if he stays.
• Scheria (Island of the Phaeacians): After escaping Calypso on a raft, Odysseus is shipwrecked here. The hospitable Phaeacians listen to his story and finally provide him with a ship home.
• Ithaca: Odysseus arrives home disguised as a beggar, defeats the suitors, and reclaims his kingdom.

Michael

Sunday night, Sharon and I watched Michael.

Michael is a biographical film about Michael Jackson directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan. Michael's son, Prince, was an executive producer and kept track of the film's development.

Jackson is portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson and as a child by Juliano Valdi, both in their film debuts. The supporting cast includes Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, Mike Myers, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo.

The film follows the early life of American singer Michael Jackson, covering his childhood with the Jackson 5 in the 1960s to the Bad World Tour in the late 1980s. It explores his complex, abusive relationship with his father, Joe. The film details how Michael took creative control of his solo career to engineer record-breaking albums like Off the Wall and Thriller.

After it was over, Sharon said that she wished we had seen it in the theater. Although it received generally negative reviews from critics, we both thought that the movie was good. I was surprised by the protrayal of Michael Jackson's father. I didn't realize that there were allegations of abuse. Michael Jackson and several of his siblings later opened up about the severe emotional and physical abuse they suffered from their father during rehearsals. There is some wild footage of Michael having a giraffe, a llama and a chimpanzee as pets. Although earlier versions of the script included the child sexual abuse accusations against Michael, they were cut from the film. Apparently, they are planning a sequel.

Babysitting Adventure with Lee and Clem

Saturday evening, Sharon and I babysat Lee and Clem while Morgan and Daniel went out to dinner. We took them to dinner at Paco's Taquería. We had great time!

El Dorado Trail Hike

On the way to babysit Lee and Clem, we planned to hike along the El Dorado Trail. After some running amok, they did a short hike on starting from the Community Center in El Doardo. We hiked a little over two miles in about 45 minutes. We might try to bring our bikes back here sometime...

Oura Ring Six Month Anniversary Data

For Christmas in 2022, Sharon gave me an OURA ring. It is a smart ring used to track sleep and physical activity.

Over the last three and a half years, my superpowers have always been training volume and the timing of my sleep cycle [June 2023, December 2023, June 2024, December 2024, June 2025, December 2025]. My kryptonite has switched back and forth between recovery index and restfulness.

There isn't always a My Climber category. I was happy to see that my HRV has improved from the last six months.

At Ancil Hoffman Golf Course

Debbie, Jim, Sharon and I played Ancil Hoffman on Thursday afternoon. We teed off at 3 pm. Debbie and Sharon rode, while Jim and I walked.

I carded a very liberally scored 51. I used a couple of mulligans and had another very odd gallery loss. My chipping continues to improve. On the last two holes, I hit the ball hard, but left; I have got to figure this out. I also need to continue to work on my concentration. I was more inconsistent than Wednesday. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the afternoon.

The four of us finished the day on the patio of the Main Event Bar & Grill. I really like this spot. I feel like the view is as nice as almost any country club.

At William Land Golf Course

Donna, Kevin and I played golf at William Land Golf Course. We teed off at 10:36 am.

After going to the Ancil Hoffman driving range on Monday and the Haggin Oaks driving range on Tuesday, I was happy with how I played. Obviously, this is an easier courses than Whitney Oaks...

My chipping was better. Although I pulled a number of shots left and lost my concentration on the par five eighth hole, I was making good contact.

I ended up with four bogies, four double bogies and one triple bogey on the par five eighth. With one mulligan and a very odd gallery loss, I ended up with an honestly scored 49. I really enjoyed the round. Last time I played this course in February, I had a 58 and was very discouraged.

Sharon had driven Jack back to San Francisco in the morning. She met the three of us for lunch at Meet & Eat. I had a spicy shrimp noddle salad, while Sharon had a famous fish salad.

Larkin - Over the Years

Happy Birthday, Larkin!

The Nice Guys

Saturday night, Jack, Sharon and I watched The Nice Guys. Jack suggested the movie. He had heard a Rewatchable's Podcast about the movie recently.

The movie is a 2016 American neo-noir buddy action comedy film directed by Shane Black. He co-wrote the screenplay with Anthony Bagarozzi. It stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in the title roles. Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Keith David, and Kim Basinger appear in supporting roles.

Set in a hazy, neon-soaked 1977 Los Angeles, the story pairs a bumbling, down-on-his-luck private investigator (Gosling) with a cynical hired enforcer (Crowe). The mismatched duo reluctantly teams up to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a young woman and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. They stumble through a web of corporate greed and automotive industry corruption.

The film was milding entertaining. I give it a luke-warm thumbs up.

Father's Day 2026

A lazy Father's Day including:

• Sharon and I took Tiber for a neighborhood walk;
• a quiche from Whole Foods for breakfast on the deck with Jack and Sharon;
• a twenty minute Peloton core workout;
• a five mile Peloton just run on the treadmill watching the leaders of the US Open start their round;
• Father's Day presents: a ROYBI pole saw from Sharon;
• Facetimed with Dawson, Carmen and Drew;
• watched Wyndham Clark win the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club by two strokes;
• hors d'oeuvres and Hugo 75 cocktails on the deck;
• Sharon made a great Caroline Chambers' dinner of spare ribs, cole shaw and potatoes; and,
• the three of us finished the day watching the 2006 Christoper Nolan movie The Prestige.

Jack is back plus The Nice Guys

Jack caught a 10:08 train from Emeryville to Sacramento. Sharon picked him up at the Amtrak station in downtown Sacramento at 12:05 pm. He is here for the next few days.

The three of us finished the day watching The Nice Guys.

2026 Bremerton - Day #4

A lazy morning. Wallen made breakfast for Jill and I.

Wallen offered to take me to the airport. Last year, we took the ferry to Seattle and then Snipes and I took the light rail to the airport. Rolling just before 9 am, it was just over an hour drive from their house to SEATAC airport.

Wallen dropped me on the far side of the light rail. I walked through the light rail station and parking garage to the terminal. Like Monday, I was shocked how quickly I got through security with CLEAR and TSA PRE.

Checking the board, I found out that my flight was delayed and the gate had switched terminals. I took the train to the N Terminal and found somewhere to get comfortable. I ended up watching the first half of the USA versus Australia World Cup pool game on my phone.

Alaska started boarding the plane over an hour late. It was scheduled to take off at 11:55 am, but didn't finally take off until 12:52 pm.

Using the wifi and Directv streaming on my iPad, I was able to watch the second half of the USA World Cup game. I was frankly shocked that it worked as well as it. I thought that they would have blocked streaming video...

We were on the ground by 2:41 pm. Sharon timed it almost perfect and was waiting for me as I walked out of baggage claim.

Wallen and I met in the fall of 1977 in a farm appraisal class at UC Davis. Over the next six years, we played rugby together on the university team and the Sacramento Capitols. We actually played rugby against each other on separate teams when Nooter, Geselbracht and I played for Davis City in 1981. I was at Wallen and Jill's wedding in summer of 1979. He and I worked in the same building for Farm Bureau and then Farm Credit from 1979 until 1984 when they moved to Oregon. As part of the Davis Mafia, we have maintained a strong connection for almost 50 years. I treasure John and Jill's friendship!

2026 Bremerton - Day #3

Jill, Wallen and I started the day with breakfast at the Family Pancake House. I had the Paul Revere (two eggs, two strips of bacon and three pancakes).

Jill dropped us at the ferry terminal. We were lucky to get tickets on the 10:30 am fast ferry to Seattle.

Like year, I planned this visit to the Wallens around a Seattle Mariners afternoon game. I got two tickets to the Mariners versus the Orioles on Stubhub: Section 128, Row 29, Seats 1 and 2.

Walking to the stadium, we stopped and toured Becky's new apartment. It is only a couple of blocks from the stadiums. Afterwards, we stopped and had a beer at Sluggers. From there, we headed to the game.

The Mariners beat the Orioles by the score of 3 to 0. Bryan Woo pitched seven shutout innings. Woo (6-5), who pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season, allowed just three hits and matched his season high with nine strikeouts. He walked one and hasn't allowed a run in his last four home starts.

The Mariners scored all of their runs in the first with two outs against Shane Baz (4-7). Josh Naylor, who missed the first two games of the series with a sore wrist, singled and reached second on an error. A four-pitch walk to Dominic Canzone brought up Cole Young, whose double scored Naylor. Canzone and Young scored on Colt Emerson’s single to right. Baz retired 15 of the final 16 he faced before leaving after seven innings.

Wallen and I caught the 4:30 pm boat ferry back to Bremerton. Playing two more games of cribbage, Wallen won both of them. I feel one point short of winning the second game...

Walking off the ferry, Wallen and I met Jill at Anthony's at Sinclair Inlet for an early dinner. I had Smoked Salmon Fettuccine [Wild and kippered salmon, fresh fettuccine, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, herbs, garlic cream sauce, capers and fresh dill].

We finished the night watching the sunset on the hardscape on Phinney Bay. We made an attempt to FaceTime with Drew, but had connectivity problems.

After a couple of late nights, we crashed before 10 pm.

2026 Bremerton - Day #2

The plan for the day was a morning hike. Wallen and I stopped at the Hot Java Cafe for breakfast [bb breakfast burrito]. Afterwards, we headed to Ueland Tree Farm.

We hiked to Jake's Outlook. The view that Wallen expected at the top was obstructed by some trees that had grown up. On the way down, we made a side trip to Dickerson Falls. We ended up hiking just over 7.5 miles in two and a half hours.


Wallen did two work calls in the afternoon. I worked on updating the blog, used the Gemini AI to improve the quality of a picture we found of me from 1983 and tried to take a short nap.

Eventually, Jill, Wallen and I headed to the Boatshed for some clam chowder and clams. Like seventeen years ago, there was a grey whale swimming back and forth in the strait.

We headed to Nate and Sam's house for dinner. Nate made a nice dinner of flat iron steak, mash potatoes, bread and salad. With three young kids and two dogs, it was a little chaotic.

Jill, Wallen and I finished the night on the hardscape overlooking Phinney Bay. It is a beautiful spot.

It was almost 11 pm by the time that I crashed.

2026 Bremeraton - Day #1

Sharon dropped me at the airport early and headed for an appointment. Using CLEAR, it was shocking how quickly I got through security. CLEAR scanned my boarding pass and then led me to camera and screen that looked at me and then me into the TSA PRE area. I didn't have to present anything to a TSA agent. Interestly, I was pulled for a random check of my electronics: the phone and the iPad.

I caught a 10:23 am Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle. I booked a nice exit row: 16C. Although the plane was announced as full, there was no one in the middle seat. I read my book (The Odyssey) and surfed the web.

Landing and getting to the gate by 12:20, it was a journey to catch a train from the N Terminal to the main terminal and then walk to the Link Light Rail Train. It was 1:40 pm by the time I got to the Downtown Symphony station.

Wallen was waiting for me as I walked off the train. We wandered to the Barney Stone Irish Pub. From there, we headed to the Diller Room to meet up with Becky and Andy. During Prohibition in the 1920s, the Diller Room was actually operated as an illegal speakeasy, using the front of a Chinese laundromat as a disguise to hide the bar.

We had a very nice visit. This is the first that I had met Andy. He is very different than Tal.

Wallen and I made a stop at the Owl N' Twistle before dashing to catch the 5:30 pm ferry to Bremerton. We split two games of cribbage on the ride across the sound.

After a quick stop at their Phinney Bay house, Jill, Wallen and I headed to their grandson Madison's baseball game.

The three of us had a late dinner at the 19th Hole Bar & Grill after the game was over. It is actually one of the oldest and most historic watering holes in the entire area, dating all the way back to 1939. I had fish tacos.

I crashed just before 11 pm.

Larkins at the African Dinner Party

Sheep!

Last year, they had goats on the hillside below our house. This year, there are sheep. I think that the goats do a better job eating the brush and weeds than the sheep. It will be interesting to see the end results.

To Carmen's Birthday Party

We spent the night at the Fairmont Hotel. Sharon and I both did workouts in the room; I did a 10 minute Peloton Core workout. Although I had thought about going to the fitness center, I never got going.

We met Jack for breakfast at the Big Four Restaurant in the Huntington Hotel. I had a The Big 4 Omelet, Sharon had the Good Morning Nob Hill, and Jack had the Chino Valley Egg Sandwich.

Checking out of the hotel and getting the car, we headed towards Orinda. The plan for the day was Carmen's birthday party. After a quick stop at the store, we rolled up to Carmen and Drew's house at about 11:30 am.

Pam and Mike were already there; they had spend a couple of nights. I had a nice opportunity to spend some time catching up with Drew in his studio before people started to arrive. Clem, Lee, Daniel and Morgan got there pretty early.

Over the course of the day, probably 60 to 70 people showed up in waves. I regret not taking more pictures. In particular, we went out to explore the hillside below the house with Lee and Clem. I wish I had gotten some pictures and videos of them roaming the trails.

Sharon and I headed for home about 3:45 pm. The traffic was light. We were home by 5:30 pm.

We finished the day watching the Knicks beat the Spurs by the score of 94 to 90 to win the NBA Championship.

To San Francisco

Leaving the house a little after 9:30 am, we dropped Tiber at Best Friends and then got Sharon's car washed. Looping back to the house to grab an ice chest, we headed to San Francisco.

We stopped and got sandwiches at Jersey Mike's in Cordelia. We were at Jack's apartment just before 1 pm. The three of us had lunch and watched the second half of the Canada versus Bosnia-Herzegovina World Cup game; the score was 1 to 1.

From there, we headed to the Fairmont Hotel. We are staying one night. The room had a nice partial view of the bay.

After getting settled in the room, we wandered down the street to the Huntington Hotel. We had a drink at the bar in the Big 4 Restaurant. We had originally made a dinner reservation there and was not happy that she canceled it.

Heading back to the Fairmont, we explored the hotel. They have a pickleball court in the Grand Ballroom!?!

We ended up popping into the Tonga Room. It is connected to the Fairmont. Sharon has talked for years about going there. I was surprised at the number of families with young kids.


We ended up watching the USA versus Paraguay game in the room; USA won by the score of 4 to 1. It was a surprisingly entertaining game. I am interested to see how they do in the tournament.

We finished the night with a late dinner at Altovino. Jack, Sharon and I had dinner there in December. Sharon and Jack also ate there in June of 2004.

As an antipasta, we split Spuma di Funghi [mushroom and truffle mousse, marinated pole beans, soft herb salad, pecorino romano, lemon vinaigrette, evoo grilled Acme bread]. For entrees, we split Pappardelle [10 hour bolognese - Rossotti Ranch veal, Schmitz Ranch dry aged beef, guanciale, Stemple Creek Ranch pork, sofrito, baby spinach, parmigiano-reggiano] and a salt encrusted black cod.

Of the three times that she has been there, Sharon said that it was the best meal that she has had.

Walking back to the hotel, we crashed about 10:15 pm.

At Whitney Oaks Golf Club

Thursday morning, Holly, Van, Sharon and I played Whitney Oaks Golf Club. We teed off at 9:20 am.

I have played this course three times over the last twenty plus years: September 2024 with the Sanborns; May 2005 with Sutter IT Employees; and November of 2003 with a large group from Sutter Health. In the past, it has beat me up and taken my lunch money. Thursday was no exception.

I had a nice bogey on the first hole and a stretch from the sixth to the tenth hole where I was very happy with how I played. Large parts of the rest of the day were a disaster. I think that I lost more balls than I have ever lost over 18 holes... I was extremely inconsistent. I would hit a good shot and than a bad shot. I was also driving the ball left again; something that I thought that I has gotten rid off. I started to get frustrated and discouraged.

The four of us finished the day with a late lunch at Zócalo at the Fountains. I had en mole enchiladas, while Sharon had a Carnitas Bowl.

Frame Family Function

Wednesday evening, Sharon and I went to Leah and Kevin's house to celebrate Amelia's 8th birthday. The group included: Amelia, Lydia, Leah and Kevin; Tom; Terry and Steve; Mave, Erin and Cromac; Tim and Kathy; and Sharon and I.

Forbes Puts Out Call for Men; First Game Sept. 26 - Dick Heringer at UC Davis

California Aggie, Volume 52, Number 1, 17 September 1953

FORBES PUTS OUT CALL FOR MEN; FIRST GAME SEPT. 26

   The prospective candidate is urged, and I mean URGED, to get in touch with coaches Ted Forbes, Will Lotter, or Vern Hickey, or just report to the equipment room in the gym and he wll be well taken care of. Football practice started September 8 under the direction of coaches Forbes and Lotter. Initially about 25 men answered the call, and there are now a little over 30 men in camp with a few of these just arriving. As you can see by the size of the squad, and as I was assured by Coach Forbes, all positions are wide open. So all interested partes, either for Varsity or for JV, report NOW!
   Chief among the problems that Forbes and his staff face this fall is finding suitable replacement for three-year All-Conference guard Don Niboli. "Nib" not only was a terrific middle linebacker and an excellent blocker at his guard position; he was a ball of fire, take-charge guy on the field and his superb leadership will be hard to replace.
   According to Forbes, other presing problems which must be solved are the development of a stronger passing game than was exhibited last fall and the 'strengthening of the defensive secondary, especialy against passes. Both problems are made considerably more complex by the advent of the new rule eliminating free substitution which means, of course, that passing or defensive specialists are out.
   Forbes hopes that Ken Crandall, last year’s standout JV quarterback, or Bill Bizzini, second string varsity quarterback, will be the answer to the passing problem. Both lads passed well in the spring game, with Bizzini having a slight edge.
   At the all-important safety position in the defensive secondary Jim Naviaux, transfer from UCLA, appears to be the man Forbes has been looking for. Due to the transfer rule, Naviaux played JV’s last year and was terrific at both offensive fullback and defensive safety and again this spring displayed all kinds of ability.
   Offensively the Aggie backfield at halfback and fullback shows good strength. Veterans Jim Reynolds, John Dckenson, and Harold Leigh are returning along with Naviaux. In the line big 235-pound Bob Chilcott is the leading choice to fill the shoes of Don Niboli both as a middle linebacker and as a team leader. The 28-year-old Korean vet played n the last four games last yegr, but due to a previous operation during August he never really got in shape. Veterans vieing for tackle spots are varsity lettermen Jim Tarke, along with Floyd "Buck" Ross and Gordon Blaine, both JV's last year.
   At the guard position a hot battle is going between veterans Marty Fineman and AL Deutsch and newcomers Richard Heringer and Ray London.
   The end position looks like the strongest on the squad, at least in terms of numbers. Five fairly even candidates are making bids for starting'positions. They_ are Don Donsing, Lou Hausman, and Duane Damron from last year’s varsity; and Bob Maulhardt, up from the JV’s, and Jerry Henderson, a former Davis high school boy. H. L.

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis