~ A somewhat autobiographical look at how plants have impacted my life ~
Chasing Waterfalls
I finally made it to Niagara Falls!
But we also visited many more waterfalls in the Finger Lakes area of New York State. But our primary goal was to visit Watkins Glen State park where there are 19 waterfalls in a 1.5 mile hike with over 900 steps. We also checked out other waterfalls near Ithaca and even paid a visit to the Cornell Botanic Gardens, marveling at the area’s natural wonders. The trip ended with touring gardens at the annual Garden Fling in Buffalo.
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 and here’s an update. We enjoyed hosting the 86 members
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 to visit Costa Rica, but complications with canceled flights and
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 dates on the Colorado River and learned our dates are
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 it also was my 40th year living in California. So,
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 Horticultural Society tour of San Francisco Bay Gardens. It has
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 hiking in local parks to garden improvements. The year ended
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 Muir was taken and where the Sierra Club was established.
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 the Lady Elizabeth Rocket. The rocket is the culmination 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”. I turned 65 in the middle of 2020 and also
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 queendom said to be a remote land rich in gold
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 when traveling to Europe and noticing the intricate pavings in
Costa Rica Riches – Talari Mountain Lodge
This is a continuation of our trip to Costa Rica in November 2019. See Previous 2 post for earlier places we visited on the tour. After a final look at the bird and bromeliads at the Las Cruces Botanical station