Some years ago, Rick and I boarded a ship that was sailing the Norwegian coastline, dipping into the fjords to drop off goods and passengers. One night the seas were very rough. The ship surged up and crashed down, mountainous waves over the bow. Dinner was being served, and there were understandable delays. Not being …
I love going for a drive along California’s Sonoma Coastline section of Highway One, from Bodega Bay, north toward Jenner-by-the-Sea. Rick and I pull off at Regional Parks and beaches along the way to watch and listen to the pounding surf. It is both comforting and frightening in its power. The sound of waves stroking …
What we don’t know can present a danger to our children. I served as an alternate juror on the Don Kimball case some years ago. While other priests faithfully served their people, this priest secretly preyed on vulnerable young women. Though he was found guilty, he was later released by a higher court due to …
The seeds of the lotus are found in the mud, surrounded by insects and foul swamp water. Most other life forms can’t grow in this environment. But the lotus struggles and finds nutrients and grows despite adverse conditions. The lotus stem looks like a slippery worm as it grows against opposition from its watery world. …
My mother bought four very special cake plates with cups while our family visited the gift store at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. She’d always wanted “bone China” dishes. She tucked the cups and plates away to use for some future special occasion. She had a few lovely tablecloths passed down in the family, a …
When a lone hermit crab finds a good shell, it checks it over for size. It doesn’t pull itself out of the too small shell to check out the bigger one because its body is soft and could cook in the sun — or worse — attract the attention of hungry predators ready to fight …
A healthy redwood tree has one trunk, but sometimes another will begin to grow. The second trunk adds stress and strain to the original. A heavy wind can split the tree and kill it. Sometimes another tree will grow so close, the trunks will become fused. When one becomes too large or diseased, it tears …
News blast! Two acorn woodpeckers stored 700 pounds of acorns in a Glen Ellen vacation rental! Wowza! The woodpeckers had been drilling holes and storing acorns in the side of the house. A nice pantry wall. When the owners put up vinyl siding the woodpeckers couldn’t penetrate, the birds drilled a hole in the chimney …
International and long-distance domestic travel has become increasingly difficult for us as Rick’s Parkinson’s Disease advances, so we have resorted to mini “staycations.” There is so much to see right here. We live in Sonoma County, California, one of the most beautiful areas in the country. Thousands of people flock here each year to see …
I love to read. I don’t plug in a device to hear a book being read to me. I like the weight of a book in my hands, the smell and feel of the pages. I’m not a fast reader. My husband, Rick, reads three to four books to my one, but he says I …