The view of the ocean from where I am staying is beautiful. I can hear the waves crashing on the shore and a part of me wants to go play in the water. But I can’t get my mind off of the fact that my house might be burning down as I enjoy the view. My kids are the forth generation to live on the property and we might very well be losing everything except what’s in the three cars packed feverishly while the flames appeared on the tree-line in Ben Lomond. It’s the waiting to hear bad or good news that is so difficult.

For many years, our primary concern in the heavily forested San Lorenzo Valley and North Coast areas has been the threat of catastrophic wildfire. By bolstering our firefighting agencies, educating our residents, and establishing fire breaks, we have made huge strides in prevention and preparation in recent years –– all of which made an enormous difference on August 16 when the CZU Lightning Complex roared into existence.

      Summer is coming to an end. The school year is returning and children are back to virtual learning. It is highly important children include regular exercise, especially after hours of virtual stationary learning behind a computer screen all day. Children need at least 60 mins of exercise a day. Increased physical activity helps children build healthy bodies, self-esteem and prevent chronic disease.

 Famous for fox-hunting and polo, the Meadow Brook country club had also earned a place in golf history.            According to one account, the “old and exciting Scotch game” caught on in America in 1892, after a young lady brought a full set of clubs with her on a visit from the Old World and began teaching her hosts.  “Golf promises to become a formidable rival to lawn tennis and other outdoor sports in this country,” predicted the New York Sun.  From the earnestness with which the Long Islanders have taken hold of the game there is ground for belief that it will spread rapidly to other portions of the United States.”             The members of the Meadow Brook club laid out a course on their grounds in the spring of 1895.   One of the club’s first events was a competition between the women members for a silver powder puff, “beautifully engraved.”  That fall, the club was the scene of the first national women’s championship tournament.            When not practicing polo, Marion Hollins spent time on the Meadow Brook links.  Team captain Louise Hitchcock, who had been a spectator at the inaugural tournament, was also an expert golfer.  The nine-hole course was “of an undulating character,” featuring a wide variety of hazards—quite unlike the one Marion had practically grown up on.  Stretching over two miles of countryside, it favored golfers with strong tee shots—her specialty.            The Westbrook Country Club, also established in 1895, had been carved out of the private estates of a Wall Street banker and one of the Vanderbilt heirs.  “The ground is perfectly level,” noted one sports columnist, “and devoid of natural features favorable to golf, but it is nevertheless very picturesque.”             Marion’s parents, Harry B. and Evelina Knapp Hollins, were among the founding members of the Westbrook club.  When Thomas Hitchcock offered a silver chafing dish as a prize for the best score posted in October, Mr. Hollins finished a close second.            Golf was the favorite sport of the Hollins youngsters—four boys and Marion, the baby of the family.  The oldest son, Harry Jr., showed off considerable skills as a teenager.  Competing in an open competition in 1896, he bested a field of older rivals.  Among the losers was his father, “who protested that thereafter his identity was gone and he must resign himself to be known as the father of a golf player.”             Harry Jr. attended Harvard, where he continued to excel as a member of the college team.  Younger brothers Gerald Vanderbilt and McKim were also considered top-notch amateurs.  The fourth brother, however, preferred tennis.            In May 1912, Marion decided to try her hand at tournament play.  One of the most important events on the women’s golf calendar was the championship of the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association, featuring several national champions.  Moving ahead in an elimination competition at a New Jersey country club, the “forceful young player” bested several veteran players.  In a hard-fought semi-final match, her clutch performance impressed observers.   “When Miss Hollins found it was do or die, she developed great steadiness and made the contest a seesaw affair till the home green was reached.  There she won by a carefulness and poise of play that greatly pleased her friends.”            Facing a local favorite in the finals, it became apparent the “Miss Hollins was not playing her usual brilliant game.”  Although her drives carried well, she had trouble sinking putts.  It turned out that she was suffering from a peculiar accident—a blade of grass had lodged in her throat, preventing her from sleeping.  Playing despite intense pain, “she showed flashes of her usual form, but she was beaten.”  In spite of the outcome it had been a successful debut and the sporting press predicted “a bright golf future for her.”(To be continued.)  

For years I dreaded cooking rice and when Uncle Ben produced instant rice in a plastic pouch, I was elated.  And then I met Maroque.

There are creative cooks who pair fresh herbs with their produce and other dishes and then there’s me who needs all the inspiration I can get to up my game in the kitchen. I have the basic herbs growing - Italian parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme and oregano - but I want to learn more uses for common herbs. I have used Italian parsley for lemon butter to drizzle on rosemary chicken. The oregano and basil goes well on a stuffed baked potatoes and poached salmon with mushrooms, marjoram, lemon thyme and a touch of mint is delicious, too. I forgot, I have lemon verbena which goes well with carrots, beets, corn, tomatoes and all types of fruit. I need to get some sage. It would pair well with beans, apples, tomatoes, cauliflower or potatoes. Other herbs that I need to add are cilantro, summer savory and tarragon. When shopping for herbs it's a good idea to snip a leaf and crush it between your fingers. Smell the essential oil. You'd be amazed how different herbs can smell and taste depending on the source of the plant. Thyme can smell like caraway, pine, camphor, lavender or turpentine. Rosemary plants can vary widely in taste depending on the source of the stock. You don't want to ruin chicken dinner by using the crushed leaves of one that tastes of pine or turpentine. Trim your herbs often to keep them bushy and productive. Fresh herbs are at their finest in summer as they peak in flavor and essential oils. Most herb stems can be cut and kept in a jar of water, out of direct sunlight, for a few days of use. I've even had basil send out roots in water.  Nearly all herbs are perennial and can be grown from seed. Anise, coriander (also known as cilantro), dill and fennel should be sown directly in the garden as they do not transplant well. Parsley lives for 2 years then flowers and goes to seed. The flowers attract beneficial insects to your garden so leave them to do their work and start new plants to eat. The herbs that are annuals and need to be planted from starts or seed every year include basil, coriander, dill and summer savory.  Although rust infects mints, very few diseases or insects attack herbs. Occasionally, spider mites may be found on low growing herb plants in hot, dry weather and aphids may attack anise, caraway, dill and fennel. Washing the foliage off early in the day helps in controlling mites and aphids. Here are some growing tips:Most herbs like 6-8 hours of full sun. Well drained soil is essential. If drainage is poor, work in plenty of organic matter or grow in raised beds or containers. Water regularly until the plants are growing steadily. Then most will need only occasional watering. Exceptions are basil, chives, mint and parsley which prefer evenly moist soil. Many herbs attract beneficial insects if they are allowed to flower.   Fresh herbs are the most flavorful. The stuff in spice jars that you get in the store is often tasteless when compared to the real thing. When cooking with herbs, there is a general rule of thumb to keep in mind regarding the ratio of fresh to dry. Because  dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less. That means the correct ratio is one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried. Herb plants make beautiful ornamental additions to perennial beds and borders, too. Next week I’ll talk about how to harvest, dry and preserve herbs.