January arrived with strong winds and super low humidity. Actually, the winds started in November and burned through the foothills of our town and the farm area behind us. We lost a lot of houses in that fire, but nothing could have prepared us for the fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. I’ve lived inContinue reading “DRY JANUARY TAKES A WHOLE NEW MEANING”
Tag Archives: garden
SLOW JANUARY
The new year started with bright sunny weather. I needed to walk by the ocean to welcome the new year in. I was thinking to myself as I walked the harbor that I needed to slow down. Stop planning ahead and just do. Slow as molasses in January. I planted a 4 x 4 gardenContinue reading “SLOW JANUARY”
AUTUMN GLORY
In California, the first true sign of fall are the Santa Ana winds. This morning we had a rush a wind. Very brief and very strong, almost like a dust devil, and then it was calm. I was sitting at my desk when it started raining down leaves that had fallen on our roof fromContinue reading “AUTUMN GLORY”
AUTUMN IS UPON IS
Harvest time is here. I picked my slim wine grape crop the other day. Most of the grapes had developed a fungus and turned black. The abundant rain we had this year, followed by a very cool spring, encouraged the fungal growth. Due to my broken knee, I was unable to get in the vineyardContinue reading “AUTUMN IS UPON IS”
A TALE OF TWO VISITORS
Two fat little sparrows are sitting outside my window on a trellis staring at my ripening grapes. I’ve already lost a lot of the muscat grapes to the birds. They seem to feed on them in the very early morning hours or perhaps the evening. I only know when I go outside in the morningContinue reading “A TALE OF TWO VISITORS”
NAKED LADIES HAVE ARRIVED!
In the past week, Naked Ladies, also known as Amarylilis belladonna from the Colchicaceae family, have begun popping up everywhere in my yard. Earlier in spring they put out long green leaves which die back at the beginning of summer. Than as summer wanes, the long snake-like necks of the flower appear and finally theContinue reading “NAKED LADIES HAVE ARRIVED!”
JULY IT’S ALL DRY
It’s amazing how quickly the flowers go. In June its all bloom, by July its all dry. Most of my flowers are gone now. I have a few struggling zinnias and one sunflower. My perenials are growing but need cutting back. The salvia is always a reliable bloomer and often blooms right into winter. MyContinue reading “JULY IT’S ALL DRY”
JUNE GLOOM TO SUMMER BLOOM
I’m finally getting back out into my garden. The flowers are amazing from the seeds I dispersed back in February. The sunflowers, lavender pin cushions, purple sweet peas, red clover, borage, and zinnias have come up. The apricots I was so happy about in April blew off the tree in strong winds. You just neverContinue reading “JUNE GLOOM TO SUMMER BLOOM”
THE PATIENT ISN’T PATIENT
My friend told me I should write about patience. What’s to say? I am not! It made me think of what I need to work on as my knee heals from the break and surgery. I wrote this on April 13, 2024. It seems like it has been raining more than not since I brokeContinue reading “THE PATIENT ISN’T PATIENT”
THE GLORY OF SPRING
Just as the glory of spring was arriving, I tripped and broke my knee cap. It was early March and for nine days I was required to be in bed or a wheelchair with my leg straight. After nine days, the doctor decided I need surgery to fix the break. Now I am up onContinue reading “THE GLORY OF SPRING”
Reflections Outside My Window 