Plain Talk About Food | Memorial Day and Memories
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.” —Norman Vincent Peale
Whether you are going to be cooking for a graduation party, Father’s Day or readying for a picnic on the beach, you had better be prepared ahead of time.
Doing...
The Mountain Gardener | Holiday Traditions & Lore
We all have traditions that we look forward to every year during the holidays. For some it’s the annual trip to the Christmas tree farm. For others it’s planning a holiday get-together with friends and family. While decorating my tree this year, I thought...
The Mountain Gardener | What to Do this Month in the Garden
Summer is winding down. Already. Seems it barely started two months ago. Who doesn't love these long days and warm nights? The calendar might say fall is near but Indian summer is one of our best seasons, so I love this time of year,...
The Mountain Gardener | What To Do in the Garden in September
Summer is winding down. It’s still warm during the day but the nights are cool and there’s less and less daylight hours. The soil is still warm so it’s the perfect time to start thinking about planting. Like the saying goes, “gardening is a...
All about salmon
Are you ready for some plain talk?
“The time will soon be here when my grandchild will long for the
cry of a loon, the flash of a salmon, the whisper of spruce needles or
the screech of an eagle. But he will not make friends with...
Getting Back Into a Fitness Routine
Are you out of your fitness routine? Getting back into exercise when you’ve taken time off can be intimidating. You may feel a little lost on where to start. It doesn’t matter how much Covid-19 couch time you’ve had during your exercise hiatus, you...
The Mountain Gardener | What to Do in the September Garden
When my bearded iris didn’t bloom much this year, I made a note to divide them in September. It’s on my to-do list. These iris are very special to me as I dug them up the spring after my house burned. One is the...
The Mountain Gardener | We Are All Phenologists at Heart
The daffodils are blooming. Will spring be early this year? When will I no longer need to worry about the danger of frost? How much is climate change affecting our natural world? We can all remember years when there is little rain in January...
Finishing a Tough Year Strong
Because this past year has been a very busy one for District 5, it is not at all surprising that we will end 2021 with a great deal of activity. Let’s start with the County’s ongoing response to Covid-19, which continues to be a...
Useful info for you about toxic holiday plants
I have a cat named Archer. He’s a little too vocal sometimes but thankfully, he doesn’t chew on plants. If he did or if small children were about during the holidays I’d be sure to put some of my holiday plants out of their...
News Briefs | Published Sept. 12, 2025
Fun run, emergency preparedness fair set for Saturday
On Saturday, Sept. 13, the City of Santa Cruz will be hosting Race the Wave, a 3K...