Lindsay, CA
On the northwest corner of Elmwood Avenue and Hermosa Street in central Lindsay, a small town fighting through economic struggles, rests Bob's Drive-In.

Owners Frances and Rabon "Dink" Loyd bought the mom-and-pop restaurant in 1967 — 40 years ago this month. Frances Loyd, 63, credits the restaurant's longevity, in part, to customer loyalty.

"It's all about the people," she said. "And we love our customers."

The other factor in the restaurant's staying power: three generations of family members who have helped run the business. "It's been hard work and family help," she said. "We couldn't have done it without our family."

The Loyds' daughter, Marie Arroyo, worked at Bob's Drive-In as a teenager. Now her sons, Travis and Tyler, are helping out.

"My dad's saying is, 'Once you are tall enough to see over the counter, you are tall enough to work,' " Arroyo said.

Frances Loyd's sister, Lois Jackson, has worked at the drive-in for about 38 years.

It's hard to know whether the last scene in the epic HBO series, "The Sopranos" will satisfy or annoy fans of the show, but for diner lovers, it couldn't have been better. Series creator and writer David Chase chose to wrap up the saga of Tony in the most archetypal of all Jersey locations - a diner. Here are a few links (updated) related to the final espisode.

New York Magazine

Empire Movies

Detroit Free Press

San Francisco Chronicle

The New York Times

Another North County landmark is about to be taped into our memory's scrapbook.

Chuck-a-Burger, 9025 St. Charles Rock Road, famous for its carhops and more recently a destination for showing off a cool set of wheels, will be closing it doors at year's end. For owner Ron Stille, the price of leasing the site in St. John has become too high.

"I didn't want this to happen," Stille said at the Chuck-A-Burger diner he opened recently in St. Charles, "but I had no choice."

The closing strikes a sad chord for St. John resident Rick Hussey, who is not only as a longtime customer but also an acquaintance of Stille. v "I've known Ron for I don't know how many years," Hussey said.

One of his more vivid memories of the diner's earlier days is when Stille's father, Ralph, was running the place.

Ian Macartney of Neon Americana says he used special roof screws all the way thrugh to the steel roof deck of the diner.

The original sign took a beating, knocked to the ground during a hail storm in March.

"That was our one year anniversary of taking over ownership. So, hopefully that's the worse thing that's going to happen to us this year," said owner Randy Roest.

But the repaired sign is being installed on a day when severe storms are in the forecast.

"This will be a good test, and I guarantee it will hold up I hope it stays up, said Macartney as he looked at the sky doubtfully and laughed, “Well, maybe I shouldn't say that!”

Owner Jonelle Roest also kept a smile about the irony of the situation, "We're going to hold Ian to his guarantee so, hopefully everything else cooperates."

Fast moving clouds overhead could be as sign of trouble. The national weather service are tracking storms and issued a high wind watch for our area.

"We have very strong winds aloft, and colder air moving in aloft later this evening and those things are going to mix together to give us the potential for some very strong and severe thunderstorms," said Daniel Cobb of the National Weather Service.

All the Roests can do at this point is watch and wait, to see if their sign stays in place.