The thistle and weed patch that was our “lawn” has been roto-tilled, the top layer of thistles with roots cleared away, gopher mesh installed, and several inches of top soil added. Sod now lies like an Irish green field. Gorgeous! So pristine! A few days later, I spotted a mound of dirt on the edge …
On a recent, regular check-up for Sarge, our German Shepherd, the vet found an enlarged spleen. An X-ray and sonogram showed how enlarged, and the danger of a rupture that could cause massive internal bleeding and death. We didn’t think twice. Take out that spleen! As Sarge was prepped for surgery and his belly shaved, …
When I grew up, I heard mixed messages. A girl who has sex before marriage is considered promiscuous. A ruined reputation means a ruined life. And then, the warning: Boys will be boys. With all the social advances and new laws, one would think the messages have changed. I’m not so sure. We still see …
Last words carry weight and are remembered. My mother’s last words to me before she died of cancer were “I’ll be with your dad soon.” Dad died at home in his own bed, Mom tending him. On his last night, she sat behind him so he could lean back against her. She held him in …
I grew up believing all fires destroy and need to be snuffed out. Smokey the Bear posters and billboards were everywhere. A campfire left burning, a cigarette tossed carelessly from a car window could destroy acres of woodlands, or hillside of grass, leaving nothing but ash and devastation. Fire fighters work hard to eradicate every …
The eclipse has come and gone and I missed out. All through the day, I received posts from jubilant friends wearing their eclipse glasses while sitting on lawn chairs and gazing up at a cloudless sky for the event of the century. Meanwhile, I stood outside on our deck and looked out at the foggy …
God made a vast variety of beautiful and interesting birds. One is the Whydah from South Africa. During mating season, the male grows long black feathers two to three times longer than his body. Eager to mate, he hovers in front of a female, flapping his wings while his tail feathers dangle. Oooo-wee, look at …
I found a snake skin in the backyard the other day, stretched out under the redwood trees. Yikes! I’d better watch where I’m stepping, and when I pull up plastic ground cover to give the trees breathing room, I’d better do it carefully or find what’s living in those half tunnels I keep uncovering. That …
There are people in the world who have the gift of hospitality, and my friend Holly is one of them. She’s been entertaining for years; teachers, neighbors, missionaries, anyone who looks like they need a little spoiling. When Holly says she’s having a tea party, I’d postpone heart surgery to go. Holly and her …
For a couple of seconds, I thought the headline must be a joke. But then, I remembered: I live in California! The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco is reviewing the case of Naruto, a crested macaque monkey on the Indonesian Island of Sulawesis, verses David Slater (photographer) and Blurb (self-publishing company …