The Mountain Gardener: Forgotten garden beauties
Some plants have become the darlings of the garden, while other perfectly good plants are being left in the dust (no pun intended) and ignored.
The Mountain Gardener: Salvia genus offers hundreds of options
"Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow." — Anonymous
Healthy living: An ode to eggs
Eggs are on my list of perfect foods. They are nourishing, delectable, quick-cooking, versatile and conveniently individually packaged.
Guest Column: Fitting in
In the mid-1990s, after many years in the states of Colorado and California, I returned to my home state of Washington hoping to find a job. Eventually I did, and I was asked to attend a day-long orientation for clergy newly arrived in the Diocese of Olympia (western Washington). The session was to help people become acquainted not only with the diocese, but also with the region. For that portion, I sat quietly and observed the comments of people who had lived elsewhere all their lives.
Let’s go fishin’: White hot sea bass fishing
White sea bass fishing has heated up recently as the large fish started feeding on squid, entertaining fishermen in the bay. Anglers off Pajaro caught sea bass to 60 pounds, while some are still being caught off Monterey and Half Moon Bay. Albacore are also a great bet for anglers as the weather calms down and the warm water gets closer to shore. Salmon fishing has started to take the back seat for local fishermen.
The Mountain Gardener: Perennials for summer’s end
In case you haven't been keeping track, summer is winding down. True, we will be enjoying great weather for months to come, but nature uses daylight hours to mark its calendar. And even though I'm busy visiting readers’ gardens, camping, hiking and painting, there are some tasks I need to do in my own garden.
Your Health: Yellow jacket stings explained
Late summer is the time we see more yellow jackets buzzing around us. These stinging insects are attracted to our delicious picnic food and are more aggressive than the common honeybee, but neither one usually attacks randomly. They sting defensively when they or their nests are threatened. They also sting when stepped on, sat upon or in some way provoked.
Three candidates vie for two Scotts Valley council seats
Mike Zeller, the director of programming and project delivery for the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, is the relative newcomer on the Scotts Valley...













