Persimmons: perfect fare for garden or kitchen
With the holidays upon us, there’s probably no other tree that typifies the season more than the persimmon. Bright orange fruits peek out between the leafy branches now, but soon, they’ll hang alone like Christmas ornaments.
Grab a passport to select SC wineries
Passport Day in the Santa Cruz Wine Region is Saturday, Nov. 21, and it is an excellent time to go wine tasting. It only happens four times a year, and this will be the last chance to celebrate in 2009.
Stripers, steelhead and crabs for fall
Fall has brought forth a few new fishing opportunities. Fishing the upper Trinity River has produced steelhead for fly fishermen. The Delta is hosting top-water action for striped bass. Salmon continue to enter the coastal rivers, and Dungeness crab season is open.
Host an at-home film festival
Movies are a great way to spend a few hours on a rainy night or weekend afternoon. To both extend the experience and make it a family affair, try organizing your own personal film festival.
Talk about Money: Protect your portfolio from a falling dollar
A recurring theme over the past several months has snagged more than a few headlines:
The Mountain Gardener: Low maintenance, high reward
We all want to save time, energy and water in the garden. Who wants a high-maintenance landscape that takes up all our resources? If you grow edibles, you already know they take a bit of care, so it’s even more important to have the rest of the yard be more sustainable.
Your Health: Cigarette smoking from a medical viewpoint
I was very pleased to see the article “Consider quitting smoking for health” published by the Press-Banner last week (Page 18, Nov. 6). Allow me to add my own opinion on this subject — from a doctor’s point of view.
The Wine Lover: Tasting wine, part 2: Taste for yourself
Last time, I discussed how to identify and understand wines by color, clarity and smell. Tasting is the most important part, of course, and there are some characteristics that will help explain why certain wines taste and feel different in your mouth.
Pile burning set for Feb. 10-12 in Ben Lomond and Scotts...
Two pile burns are tentatively planned for Feb. 10-12 in Ben Lomond and Scotts Valley on Land Trust of Santa Cruz County land and...