~ A somewhat autobiographical look at how plants have impacted my life ~
Geraldton Waxflowers
The first half of our Western Australia trip was from Perth south to Albany. The second half was from Perth up to Geraldton. When we visited Western Australia in 2017, we didn’t have enough time to venture north of Perth. We’d wanted to see the famous Geraldton Waxflowers, Chamelaucium uncinatum and maybe even find the much photographed wreath flower, Lechenaultia macrantha, in bloom. So this trip was a chance to complete the tour. As it turns out our waxflower visit was to a commercial grower. And guess what? They look just the same when grown commercially there as they do when grown in California—or in landscapes all over Western Australia, like Kings Park and the freeways around Perth. Besides the
Geraldton Waxflowers
The first half of our Western Australia trip was from Perth south to Albany. The second half was from Perth up to Geraldton. When we visited Western Australia in 2017, we didn’t have enough time to venture north of Perth. We’d wanted to see the famous Geraldton Waxflowers, Chamelaucium uncinatum and maybe even find the much photographed wreath flower, Lechenaultia macrantha, in bloom. So this trip was a chance to complete the tour. As it turns out our waxflower visit was to a commercial grower. And guess what? They look just the same when grown commercially there as they do when grown in California—or in landscapes all over Western Australia, like Kings Park and the freeways around Perth. Besides the
Castle Hot Springs
Getting There In October 2022, on our return from a bicycling trip in Carolinas’ Blue Ridge Mountains, we stopped in Arizona for a short stay at Castle Hot Springs hosted
Carolina Color Fall Foliage
This past October, Scott and I headed to the Carolinas’ Blue Ridge Mountains to see the fabulous fall foliage on a bicycling tour hosted by Backroads. To be able to
Sea Ranch
This past August (2022) we had the opportunity to borrow a home belonging to a business associate of Scott’s located at the Sea Ranch in Sonoma County. We figured it
Portuguese Wildflowers
In mid-April, 20222, Scott and I traveled to Portugal for a bike tour. Getting older, we opted for e-bikes which makes several days of bike riding much easier as well
Makin’ More Mosaics
Back in February 2018 and April 2018 I wrote two articles for the newsletter about making mosaic pavements and walkways in our garden. Since then I’ve continued making more mosaics
Yahoo, Oahu
Oahu In mid-December 2021, we took a brief trip to Oahu, aiming to avoid potential travel restrictions as the Omicron COVID variant began to spread more widely. Initially, we intended
California Dates
In a previous article in 2018, Road to Marrakech, I told the story of how dates are grown in Morocco. In October 2021, we visited a more local source of
California Adventure Part 5
California Adventure Part Five – I can hear you say, “What happened to parts one through four?” Well, I’ll tell you what happened … In 2020, I turned 65 and
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum
In April, 2021l I was fortunate to do a long-awaited return visit to the UC Santa Cruz arboretum. I had previously visited in 2012 in route to a San Diego
Home Alone 2020
In 2020, the author navigated the challenges of the pandemic, celebrating their 65th birthday and receiving the Pfizer vaccine. They documented their travels and home projects throughout the year, from
Chocolate Cake and a Vase of Yarrow
I’ve reached the age of 65. I had initially planned to visit Kings Canyon National Park in the Sierras and sit on the rock where the iconic photo of John
Lady Elizabeth Rocket Launches
On February 1, 2020, I flew with Scott Borden, Mark Spedding and Doug Botos to the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) test site in the Mohave desert to view the launch of
Before the Shutdown, January 2020
Just a year ago on this date life looked very different. This was to be the year to do my take on the California motto: “Eureka, I have found it”.
Eureka, I have found it!
Spaniards were the first to dub the lands on the western side of the North American continent California. Supposedly, the name came from the popular 1510 fictional story of Queen Calafia’s
Makin’ Mosaics
I’m not sure when I first became fascinated by mosaic pavings. Perhaps it was while looking at photos of the ancient Roman villa floors of the ruins of Pompeii. Or