As far as interpretative visitor’s centers go Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has a pretty awesome one. The area has a rich mix of natural and cultural resources and histories, and the center does a good job of introducing you to… Read More »january anza-borrego desert garden
It had snowed in the local mountains late last month. By the time I got up there you could still find big patches of snow on the ground. At the crest of the Laguna Mountains you can look down down… Read More »there be dragons
Sorting through last year’s photos I ran across many little piles intended for blog postings that never happened. One of the roads paved with good intentions led to Los Angeles. We were up June 1 to the Walt Disney Concert… Read More »highlights from 2012: disney hall garden
Until a couple weeks ago I hadn’t bought any art or photo books this year. In today’s online age something really has to speak to me for me to want to make space for it at home in tangible, doorstop… Read More »sunburn–the good kind
Maybe three years ago I started some coyote bush from local seed. This species, Baccharis pilularis is a pretty easy plant to reproduce this way, pretty close to “just add water.” It produces plants that are either entirely male or… Read More »it’s a girl
After leaving Yosemite we took a whirlwind trip to the Bay Area. We had tickets to see Robert Wilson’s and Philip Glass’ “opera,” Einstein on the Beach, which was staged at UC Berkeley as part of an international tour. I’d… Read More »tales of the city, and a room of mirrors
While researching what to do with my father’s ashes I came across something I hadn’t known about: It’s perfectly legal to spread your loved one’s ashes within Yosemite National Park. Many (most?) municipalities prohibit doing that except for within the… Read More »final yosemite resting places
We arrived in Yosemite the day after the first winter storm of the season came through. Snow had dusted the higher elevations and a thin coat still clung to the top of many of the Valley’s prominent geological features like… Read More »yosemite late october
How can you pick out a Californian from within a brig crowd? Just wait for a rainy day and see which one heads for the door to look at the amazing stuff falling from the sky. We don’t see much… Read More »a cliché i happen to like
October can be the cruelest month. The first couple of days saw a return visit from Satan’s HVAC guy. Freaking hot. And same goes for Wednesday of this week. October was the month of the big wildfires in 2003 and… Read More »october coffeeberries