If you do not know what you are looking for, you probably will not find it. I learned that recently as Kristen Kittleson, county fisheries resource planner, and I climbed down a rocky bank to the San Lorenzo River. Immediately she saw a group of lamprey and walked out into the water in her waders to point them out to me.

We know that water is a precious and vital resource. Even our bodies are about 60 percent water, and the brain is 70 percent. Less than 1 percent of the water on the Earth, however, is suitable for human consumption. With the population increasing and the water supply staying the same, water conservation indoors and out is important. A well-planned landscape makes water conservation outside the home even easier. Since May is Water Awareness Month, here are some tips to consider.

Salmon fishing has been taking the headline news space lately. But rockfish season opened Sunday, May 1, and that adds to our ocean fishing choices in the Monterey Bay. This is great news if salmon fishing is slow: People can switch to rockfish to fill the coolers with fresh fish.

It's rewarding to grow your own fruit and vegetables, but more and more of us also want to grow flowers that can be cut and enjoyed inside, too. Growers are taking notice of this trend, and there are more cut-flower varieties available today than ever before.