Category: Weather

A mild Sierra foothill winter-February First Views

While going out to photograph my ‘first views’ of February in my California  mountain garden, I already know that my predictions of January 1st,…that we’d have snow by now, are false.  My photos are for Town Mouse’s meme, First Views. Visit her post, and sign in to the Mr Linky tool there to join in! …

More winter gardening ideas for the Sierra foothills

Did you think you were through gardening in California Sierra mountains?  Usually we have rain and snow, but noooo.  Here are more winter gardening ideas and things to do for the Sierra foothill garden in California: Get ready to sow seeds. Rake out and remove weeds in the area you want to seed. Do not add…

Fire cautions in the Sierra Foothills

We took this photo up on the hill above our house, in the California Sierra foothills on  Tuesday. There is still fire danger out there and you can see the burned trees from 12 years ago.  This smoke above was from a stolen car set on fire. Fire slowly spread through our property in August 2001 before we…

Watering CA native plants in the Sierra foothills

Learning about watering for California natives …and some Mediterranean plants in a home garden in the Sierra Foothills.   I like to hand water. It’s relaxing, …cool on a hot day, I can watch over the newly-establishing plants and weed a bit in the wet, soft soil. I like a hose sprayer that doesn’t leak…

Celebrate the Summer solstice

Welcome Summer!

On the summer solstice which is today, the Northern Hemisphere receives more sunlight than on any other day of the year, but that doesn’t mean the first day of summer is also the hottest day of summer,…except here where I live.

Rudbeckia, Black-Eyed Susan, a California native

Rudbeckia, Black-Eyed Susan, a California native

Garden first, breakfast second

Going out to the garden first thing with a cup of coffee and some clippers can be a good way to start the day during our summer heat spells in the Sierra Foothills. I try to take advantage of the long days by getting out in the garden before I eat breakfast! Watering pots and clipping the spent blooms in the garden are much more pleasant then and it’s amazing how much you can do in half an hour or so. With no chores in mind, you can putter and groom, pinching a flower here and there before you begin your day. …

Silent, and soft, and snow

Come into the snowy garden

Come into the snowy garden

Everything in life is speaking, in spite of its apparent silence.

~Hazrat Inayat Khan

Come in,...sit down, I want my garden to see you.

Come in,...sit down, I want my garden to see you.

Icy bird bath

Icy bird bath, no bathers today.

 There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.

                                   ~Linda Hogan

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Christmas Day Dawn

5:30 am- After making the coffee and finishing up last night’s dishes and the family sleeps, turned around to see the sky lit up with red, …another brilliant sky for Christmas Day dawn. Grabbed the camera and bounded up the hill to photograph it over the house and over the goat shed. Not feeling the…