Finally! It’s spring 2023! No rains forecasted in the near future. Having been cooped up for a while due to the constant rain, as soon as the opportunity arose for a dry day, away my family went – up to the San Francisco Bay Area’s Mount Diablo for a day trip. We entered through the… Continue reading Mt. DIABLO – A SPRING DRIVE
BIG SUR COASTLINE – DAY TRIP
Californians are spoilt when it comes to gorgeous coastlines. The famed Highway 1, with its winding roads and spectacular sights, is the best way to see those beautiful coastal views. If you have an elderly guest and a senior pooch with limited mobility (as we have), and all you’ve got is one day, a drive… Continue reading BIG SUR COASTLINE – DAY TRIP
CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT – CHASING THE SUPER BLOOM
In Carrizo Plain National Monument, the thousands of acres of grasslands along the Temblor Mountains in California, and the mountains themselves, become a focus for the rare sight, the spectacular simultaneous array of wildflowers seen in spring. Immediately after a season of heavy rains, people start the chase for one of the most sought-after sights… Continue reading CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT – CHASING THE SUPER BLOOM
THE HOBBYIST’S GARDEN
There’s a connection the hobbyist gardener feels with the earth, a grateful warmth that flows through the person’s very being into the soil beneath the feet. Wjp is the hobbyist gardener in our home. For the family, the garden is a refuge from the outside stressors. It is a peaceful retreat that provides… Continue reading THE HOBBYIST’S GARDEN
PERFECTLY NOT
Brené Brown said it best in The Gifts of Imperfection: “Perfection is not the same thing as striving to be your best. Perfection is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgement, and shame. It’s a shield. It’s a twenty-ton shield… Continue reading PERFECTLY NOT
SNOWY GLEE!
February 2023! The “Wild West” could be applied to the historic snowstorm that hit California last month. Dramatic scenes unfolded as the weather unleashed its awesome might: hail, rain, thunderstorms, lightning, blizzards – all casting their spells over California. On a particularly frosty day, the winter blues gave way to this most exciting spectacle: the… Continue reading SNOWY GLEE!
The Backyard
Stepping out into my backyard is like stepping into a world of varied colors and sounds. Bounding right behind me and, in a flash before me, is my tall labradoodle, Jay, in all his black shaggy cuteness. He loves his garden and spends the time he is out there sniffing anything that could be… Continue reading The Backyard