TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. andamp;#8212; Is it my imagination or are there virtually no pine cones on most of our pine trees this year? There are fir cones, but very few pine cones andamp;#8230; yet!? And, there doesnandamp;#8217;t seem to be a lot of squirrels around to collect them even if they do appear.I think most of us will agree that Mother Nature has been out of sync by about 6 weeks this summer. So will we see many pine cones? Will we have an Indian Summer? When will the first snows fall? As always, we will wait and see and take whatever Mother Nature throws at us. Enjoy!Back to the 70s: From 1973 until late 1979, Alice and I lived in South Lake Tahoe. Christy was almost 3 years old when we moved there and Alan was born in December of 1974. I worked for andamp;#8220;Pacific Telephoneandamp;#8221; at the time. It was a andamp;#8220;cityandamp;#8221; on the grow with a lot of development and two brand new casinos at Stateline.In the mid 70s, politics turned to the environment, limited growth and concerns about what man was going to do to Lake Tahoe. The TRPA and CTRPA were formed, and environmental concerns at the lake produced many differences of opinion. In 1975 California voted in a young andamp;#8220;hippieandamp;#8221; governor … Jerry Brown (yes, our current governor).The new attitude toward preserving the environment, saving the lake, etc., affected the entire lake and also had its trickle down affects on the Truckee area. There were building moratoriums and restrictions at the lake, not so in Truckee (except for a 2-year halt to sewer hook-ups for Tahoe Donner during litigation about available sewer hook-ups).Demand for homes exceeded supplies, so home values were increasing. It was a decade of increasing prices, increased salaries and double digit inflation. In the mid and late 70s, condos and timeshares became the acceptable affordable alternative to homes, especially for second homeowners and visitors. With the increase in building, increase in population, and increase in visitors to the area, there became an increased need for goods, services, T-shirts, restaurants, etc., producing more jobs and a new diversity in services. This was also the period of time when the younger generation was buying out the older business owners creating a new look in commerce and a different pace of life. Next column, to the 80s.Fall fundraisers: This Saturday will be the eighth annual andamp;#8220;Downtown Truckee Wine, Walk andamp; Shopandamp;#8221; beginning at noon and lasting until 4 p.m. Presale tickets are $30, $40 at the event. This yearandamp;#8217;s nonprofit beneficiary will be andamp;#8220;Girls on the Run andamp;#8211; Sierras.andamp;#8221; For more information on this very fun event, call or drop by the andamp;#8220;Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce Visitors Centerandamp;#8221; or go to http://www.TruckeeWineWalk.com.A pre-event activity, the andamp;#8220;Stomp Out Hunger Grape Stomp,andamp;#8221; will be held on Friday night at the andamp;#8220;Truckee River Winery Tasting Roomandamp;#8221; at 11647 Brockway Road. This event will begin at 5 p.m. with local teams competing in the grape stomp. Spectators may join in the fun and purchase their tickets for $15 per person, which includes light appetizers and wine tastings. The proceeds go toward andamp;#8220;meals on wheelsandamp;#8221; and other senior services. For information call andamp;#8220;Sierra Senior Servicesandamp;#8221; at 530-550-7600 or visit http://www.sierraseniors.org . Also donandamp;#8217;t forget the monthly Senior Breakfast on Sunday.The andamp;#8220;Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoeandamp;#8221; is seeking andamp;#8220;sponsor a childandamp;#8221; sponsorships in support of its outstanding community organization. andamp;#8220;Although we never turn away any child at the club for lack of fees ($50 membership per year), we are campaigning for individuals to help sponsor a child,andamp;#8221; said Isabelle Wilson, executive director. For more information about the club and this sponsorship drive please call Isabelle at 530-546-4324 or http://www.bgcnlt.org.Bonus questions: Nancy (likes to stay anonymous), Mimi Hagen and Ruth Schnabel correctly identified the Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point State Park as the home for Shakespeare performances in 1973, 74 and 75, prior to moving to Sand Harbor. Ruth also identified andamp;#8220;Comstock Rd.andamp;#8221; as the name preceding Granlibakken Rd. in Tahoe City.No one identified who andamp;#8220;Shirley Lakeandamp;#8221; was named after, but Nancy believes andamp;#8220;Shirleyandamp;#8221; was the first name of a man. Close enough!Norm and Alan Nicholls of the Nicholls Real Estate Group are affiliated with Dickson Realty at 11500 Donner Pass Rd. in Truckee.