Lynda Powell, of Ben Lomond, grew up in the Deep South in the 1950s and ’60s and witnessed the many horrors of segregation. Her interest in racial equality began at a young age when she saw how black people in the county were treated as second-class citizens.

Winter is a great time to daydream about future gardens — the garden that could be or the garden of your dreams.

The San Lorenzo River crested at 24 feet just before Christmas and now flows with ease through the valley. The river flows have been high, but the water color is clear and the flow is healthy. And the big rains of December brought large steelhead from Central to Northern California.

There's no way around it. January may signal the start of the new year, but most of our plants still have the day off. I need inspiration on these cold mornings when most of my plants are asleep.