I have a small patio in front of my house where I love to sit on sunny mornings, drinking that first cup of coffee and watching the chickadees fly back and forth from their birdhouses on the arbor, feeding their babies, My neighbor Morris always greets me with a “good morning” while walking his dog, and often a stranger will comment on my garden, leaving me with a smile on my face.

Jim Musich and Lori Loftus were married June 20 in a private ceremony at a beautiful secluded beach south of Carmel. Musich is an automotive machinist in Santa Cruz, and Loftus is a second grade teacher in Los Altos. Their home is in Ben Lomond.

Large salmon returning to the Santa Cruz Harbor have created quite a stir! The scene has created a frenzy at times, as anglers try their luck at catching salmon swimming along the banks of the harbor. The north end of the harbor has drawn most of the attention. Some unsporting behavior has resulted in increased rules to keep the situation a positive one.

"A thousand times a day, nature--in the most ordinary of places--has something to tell or show us; something it wants us to touch, smell, or feel; something it wants all of us, not just the overtly artistic, to express."

Each time I'm in my garden it's a different experience. The familiar buzz of hummingbird wings brings a smile to my face. Sometimes it's the silence that gets my attention. Where are the chirping songbirds or the raucous scolding of the jays? Where is the wind, the rustling of the forest grass leaves? Other times the quaking of the redwood boughs a hundred feet up makes the garden come alive like giant wind chimes. Sound adds dimension to the garden.

Bonny Doon Elementary School

A leadership-oriented after-school program is set to kick off on the San Lorenzo Valley Elementary School campus this year.