Columns

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the garden,The creatures were stirring, the deer got a pardon. The hummingbird feeders were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that the Anna's soon would be there.  The flowering cherries were nestled all snug in their beds,While...

The cry for help came from a new homeowner. She loves her lovely new home but feels everything in the garden is in the wrong place. She wishes to create “a haven for birds and bugs and give it a sense of life.” The...

Warm days, short days, cold days and hopefully rainy days—all in the fall of the year here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s part of what makes our area so special to us. We are inspired by Mother Nature and our mountains. We feel...

I wasn't going to be left behind. When social media platforms became popular and essential in the early 2000s, I hesitated. I had attended the Women in Technology International conference over a decade ago but still couldn’t grasp what they meant by “this Al...

This year Earth Day is focusing on climate change. Earth Day is always a celebration of the natural beauty of our planet reminding us that we need to keep it healthy. Always on April 22, Earth Day is a day of education about environmental...

The City of Scotts Valley is lucky to have many generous individuals and organizations supporting the City so that more services and amenities are available to the community. This article highlights a few of the wonderful actions recently taken by local residents to make...

I don’t know about you, but it seemed to me that 2023 was a challenge for the plants in my little garden. Between the atmospheric rivers and the cold nights in late spring, I barely got my herbs started in June. Then the weather...

“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful, but I don’t know if it could be both.” —Elon Musk Planning became possible when Donald Trump signed off a mega bill, which simultaneously decreases taxes and welfare spending while discouraging immigration; it...

Once upon a time when our area was under waterthere were no parks or trails or trees or gardens.I'm thankful that our mountains rose from an ancient oceanso we could enjoy this beautiful place we call home.  I'm thankful for the Big-Leaf maplesthat shower me...

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” —Benjamin Franklin Death and taxes misshape the legacies we mold with our lives and values. As a widower, I advise survivors to honestly accept pain and meditate until it passes. Distraught...