Breakfast For Chameleons
UNITED STATES—Zozobra--that's a Spanish word for colossal delirium which was unleashed when my elderly mother revealed that some letters of mine had ended up in the recycling bin. Coming from a legendary packrat this was disturbing, indeed unhinging. The revelation added urgency to a long delayed trip up north to get to the bottom of how the letters got...
Summer Kicks Off Fruit Season
UNITED STATES—I love the summer months, but I also hate the summer months. I hate summer because of the intense heat, but I love summer for the abundance of variety that comes with fruits and vegetables. The summer months kick-off the arrival of many fruits that I have come to adore. I mean peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, Plutos, cherries,...
The Birds And The Bees
UNITED STATES—There is so much more to gardening than mere horticulture. There is so much more to horticulture than mere plant life. Plants get eaten by insects and animals, and also take advantage of insects and animals for pollination and dispersion of seed. Some of us who enjoy gardening also like to attract some types of animals and insects...
A Hollywood Story
UNITED STATES—The exact time becomes vitally important when there is a criminal element involved. So it was around 1:30 a.m., last Thursday night. I was up at my computer, and my dog could not grasp the idea of me at a computer instead of being asleep. He whined and growled. He clawed my arms, the cutest dog in Hollywood...
Naturalizing Might Be An Advantage
UNITED STATES—Of course, to the plants who do it, naturalizing is an advantage. To the rest of us, it is often a problem. The advantage to the plants who do it is that they move into new territory, make themselves at home, and probably do quite well with the new place. The disadvantage to everyone else is that naturalizing...
Parallel Lives
UNITED STATES—Both are born in 1892. Ernst is being groomed to enter the family tailoring business. Max is bitten by the stage, though it’s unclear his enthusiasm rubbed off on Ernst, or the love of drama was something both Ernst and Max carried already and bounced off each other. The two had been childhood playmates and then they becaome...
Overgrown Shrubbery Becomes Small Trees
UNITED STATES—Those of us with 'maintenance gardeners' are likely aware of how rare it is to find someone who knows how to maintain hedges properly. It seemed so simple years ago. Several identical plants could simply be planted in a row, and then somewhat regularly shorn for confinement to a prescribed space. They were not allowed to exceed a...
Out With The Old, In With The New
UNITED STATES—The USA football team will be devastated that they were unable to qualify for the world cup for the first time in 32 years. They have been an ever-present side in the competition of late and perhaps they took their spot for granted. World Cup 2018 will have some new teams to cheer for and support this year...
Writing Routines
UNITED STATES—I am in the final stages of a major novel, my first, and both my bonds with teaching are eroding and emotional tensions are mounting. I am under great tension albeit, creative tension, which is very good, sort of like good cholesterol is good. But this makes me prone to uncharacteristic outbursts and sudden tenderness, at the most...
Tropism Gives Plants Some Direction
UNITED STATES—When a seed germinates, the roots know that they want to go down, and the new stem knows that it wants to go up. Going up sounds simple enough. Stems just go towards the light. How do they know where the light is while they are still under the soil? Well, new stems go upward for the same...