Let’s face it, celery is an unappreciated vegetable. A little goes a long way for me. Still, I grow several plants in containers on the deck where it’s convenient to harvest, but mostly to discourage slugs.
This article was originally published as one of my weekly garden columns… Let me begin with a gentle apology: Professional columnists say you should never devote your columns to more than one topic. Fat chance. Here in Kodiak, Alaska, there’s so much going on
Which animal wins the prize for the densest fur on the planet? The sea otter. One million hairs per square inch. That’s more hair than on a black lab dog. All that hair means extra warmth–and work–for sea otters. Let me explain.
Whew. Every summer, life in Kodiak, Alaska ramps up: My husband Marty and I run an oceanfront B&B and host about 100 tours on our boat in the form of wildlife viewing/photo trips. As the chief cook and bottle washer, I have
After shutting down the boat engine we leaned against the railing to watch two humpback whales feed close to the surface. Winding slowly through the kelp bed, they created small whirlpools with their pectoral fins and tails, like a
Every year I spend a glorious amount of time creating a
Alaska’s 2015-2016 winter was the second warmest on record, dating back to 1925. And here on Kodiak Island, it’s been one of the rainiest. So when the clouds parted
I’ve written a weekly garden column for the Kodiak Daily Mirror for over 15 years. This article first appeared on April 11, 2016… Last Friday it rained, hard. Inside the gym though, it was bright and sunny, thanks to neon shirt day when everyone was encouraged to wear
When Libby McClaren was diagnosed with cancer, the doctor recommended immediate surgery to remove the tumor from her bladder, followed by chemo and radiation treatments. Libby doesn’t recall how she reacted but she needed quiet time.
Growing up in the rainy Pacific Northwest, winters were gray and summers couldn’t come fast enough. But tagging along with Mom to the grocery store provided some relief. Wheeling the cart along the bins of colorful fruits and veggies, she’d stop and motion for me to pick out an orange.
As I entered a Target store in Phoenix, Arizona I was surrounded by pink balloons, stuffed teddy bears, and shelves jammed with greeting cards and shiny red boxes of chocolates. I hurried through the jungle, passing end-cap displays for St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. Suddenly
For the past couple weeks I’ve been holed up in my office. Lights dimmed, I stand at my desk, quietly working on my iMac to produce a Powerpoint presentation for our local “Heart for Hospice” fundraiser. As I pair inspirational quotes to my images, concepts swirl around me like gentle zephyrs:
In the winter of 1984, I delivered my personal belongings to a Seattle shipping company and then drove to SeaTac airport to catch a flight to Kodiak, Alaska, a large, kidney-shaped
If you’re like me, you need a goal—even a tiny one—or you might end up like a lost duck, waddling along the lake shore, but never getting into the water. Today I’m sharing a dozen resolutions, mostly slanted for gardeners. But if you’ve never used a trowel,
Wishing you and your loved ones a Christmas filled with joy and light,
For over 20 years I’ve photographed snowflakes. Call it a favorite pastime. But global warming is not kind to snowflakes. And the last few years have yielded few snowflakes to photograph. So when we arrived at our friend’s house in
So my husband and I are on a road trip from Kodiak Island to the big city of Anchorage, Alaska. Our journey involves a 10-hour ferry ride followed by a 5-hour drive through winter wonderlands you read about in story books.