Thanks for the link - have added it.
I grew up in Marin. I remember being able to walk down the street with a .22 under my arm and nobody thought anything of it. Not to mention being able to ride dirt bikes on the fire roads without being arrested and a whole bunch o' other stuff kids can't do (or shouldn't) these days.
OMG. I also grew up in Marin. And my very first paying job when I was almost 10 -- shooting crows with a .22. My brothers, neighborkids, and I could disappear up into the hills for days when we weren't even quite in our teens, yet. As long as we had 'ole' trusty', warm socks, a med kit, and stayed away from bulls. I've thanked my parents a zillion times for living there, for my being raised there with so much freedom and beauty.