Palm Trees Are Specialized Trees
UNITED STATES—A tree is a woody perennial plant with a single tall trunk and branches. Banana trees and tree ferns lack both branches and wood. Arboriform yuccas develop branches but are not woody. Palm trees are no better. Some develop a few trunks but without branches. Doum palms that develop branches are extremely rare in California. No palm is...
This Parade Needs Some Rain
UNITED STATES—The lack or rain has really gotten serious! This winter so far has been the driest ever recorded. The past two winters had already been unusually dry. Even when the rain starts, it will be considerably behind schedule. Some seriously torrential rain will be needed to catch up.
As much as we like to think of gardening as something...
Mad Mad Cinerama World: Not Your Usual G-Rated Movie (5)
UNITED STATES—When “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” was re-released in 1970, it got slapped with a G-rating. Heck, I was seven years old and already had a sense that a G-rating was bad yawning Disney juju, fun for the whole family. Like Jerry Seinfeld has said, “Fun for the whole family seldom is.” But MMMMW this is...
Seasonal Potted Plants For Christmas
UNITED STATES—'Tis the season for seasonal potted plants. These are not well established houseplant or potted plants that live out on porches and patios through the year. Seasonal potted plants are those that are purchased at their prime, allowed to live in our homes and offices while they continue to bloom or maintain their foliage, and then most likely...
Why Autumn Is Also Fall
UNITED STATES—The calender says that it is now autumn. The weather does not necessarily agree. Some of the trees are dropping their leaves. However, the leaves are not falling because the weather is getting significantly cooler. The leaves got cooked during that weird heat wave a few weeks ago. If the weather can be this confusing here in our...
CDC Authorizes Cruise Ships To Sale Again Under New Conditions
UNITED STATES —The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday, Oct. 30, the lifting of the “no sail order” —which prohibited cruise lines from operating in U.S. waters— and released a framework to resume the operation of passenger cruises.
The new “conditional sailing” order that was issued Friday establishes a phased approach to restart cruising. It includes items...
A Very Different Thanksgiving America
UNITED STATES—In less than a few days the biggest feast of the entire year will be upon us, Thanksgiving. Last week we chatted about preparation or the big day, but it now dawns on many Americans, that turkey day 2020 will NOT be like those of the past. Why not? COVID-19 is the reason people. Rather you believe in...
The Way It Should Be (3)
UNITED STATES—As they sank into the couch, Mr. Monroy opted for Nescafe and Mrs. Monroy accepted the honey-ginger tea proffered by Mr. Wynn.
"Thank you, Don Carlos," she said. With the real estate sharks absent, the 'don' reinserted in their courtly discourse. And she started to speak frankly about why they were forced into selling.
"During the summer we got really...
Guiltless Eating
UNITED STATES—The obituary for the celebrated Look-Life shutterbug, Phil Stern, whose lens caught scenes of war and froze iconic images of Marilyn and James Dean for all time, struck a dissonant chord when the scribe just had to chip in “Stern, a longtime smoker, had emphysema.”
You know, maybe he died because he was older than the hills (he was...
The Video Game King Returns!
UNITED STATES—I used to think for years that writing was my primary solace when it comes to relaxing the mind. However, I’ve come to recently discover that something I used to be skilled at as a kid, seems to provide the same solace for me as an adult. As a kid I was coined the video game king. Don’t...