A walk in the garden

I didn’t spend too much time in the small garden abutting the redwoods of the Jack Hume Grove in Vacaville. The flowers were few, and the sun was very bright when I arrived, not long after 12 noon. But a few colorful autumn blooms did catch my eye as well as the attention of some insects. Sadly, although there were […]

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Big Break

The area around Big Break Regional Shoreline, just east of Antioch on the San Joaquin River, looks to have been a very busy place in the past — rusted machine parts and abandoned boats lie scattered about, faint reminders of days gone by. Nowadays, this part of the shore has been dedicated to restoration and preservation of habitat that welcomes […]

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Morning rain

It’s been quite a long time since I walked along the Palisades; when the skies are blue and the temperatures mild, the trails are full of other folks walking, running, or riding bikes. This morning I calculated that the misty weather would mean fewer people — and I was right. It may have had to do partly with the fact […]

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Yolo wetlands

In my lifetime, I’ve crossed and recrossed the Yolo Causeway many, many times. But last week was the first time I actually stopped to explore the surrounding wetlands, now designated as the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area. I wasn’t precisely sure what to expect when Google told me I had arrived at my destination — and I’ll admit I was […]

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Monastery stones

On my most recent trip to the San Francisco Botanical Garden (formerly the Strybing Arboretum) last August I discovered a fascinating bit of history just along the southeast edge near the main gate. Tucked behind the library, there is a quiet little patio surrounded by a collection of medieval stone blocks. These stones have traveled a very long way from […]

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