

Golden Crowned Sparrow's delight
During a lull between rainstorms, this golden crowned sparrow enjoyed its time in the bird bath. Other golden crowned sparrows attempted...


Hooray for the rain
What a relief! The atmospheric rivers are here, bringing in all that moisture from the Pacific. Here in Northern California we've been...


Poppies blooming again
Some of the California poppies are blooming again. I cut the poppy plants back several times this year when the stems and foliage dried...


Sharing the Bath
We observed a lot of birds in the bird bath today. The bath seems to be a welcome relief for them, since we still haven't had rain for...


House finches hanging out
A pair of house finches were resting in the branches of our neighbors' tree in the morning. Although house finches are said to reside...


The first golden yarrow of the season
Among dormant plants in the garden the bright yellow of the first blossoms on the golden yarrow Eriophyllum confertiflorum are such a...


Decomposing pumpkin sprouting California poppies
When our Halloween pumpkins started to get squishy and moldy, I distributed them in pieces throughout the garden to decompose and feed...


Bees and the Ivy Berries
Now that many nectar producing plants are going dormant, the English ivy seems to be the main attraction for the bees. As long as...


The Best Gluten-free Carrot Muffins!
After being diagnosed with a condition that affects my digestion, I've had to change some of my diet. Part of the change I had to make is...


The light at this time of year
Although I miss the longer summer days with sunlight, late autumn light is very dramatic, especially in the afternoon. Here the sun...