Bees, races and wild orchids: Springtime in Kodiak, Alaska
Spring doesn’t arrive in Alaska, it splashes, blooms, buzzes and erupts. Let me describe it in pictures for you…
Gardening, Kodiak, AK, Photography
Gardening, Kodiak, AK
A cheap way to warm greenhouse soil
What I’ve learned about gardening in Kodiak, Alaska: Carrots and kale thrive in our flip-flop coastal climate. Tomatoes and cucumbers thumb their noses at you. Still we try.
Insights, Kodiak, AK, Photography
Night photography and my little journey to understand why
Exciting photo, eh? Yeah, I know. But taking the image sent me on a little journey for which I’m grateful. You see, I needed to know a “why.” And it took a National Geographic article about gardens to teach me a lesson in night photography…
Gardening
My favorite gardening tool
Gardeners often ask me what my favorite tool is. It’s not a rake, cultivator hoe or pair of good gloves (though if you gave me a pair I wouldn’t argue). My favorite tool is the No. 2 pencil. Not those mechanical jobbies; just a wooden one.<!–more–> See for yourself. Pick up a pencil and roll it
Cooking, Kodiak, AK, Photography
Make your own spiced hot cocoa mix
After two weeks of vacationing in Hawaii, it was time to fly back to Kodiak, Alaska. Six hours in the air. My butt hurt.
Insights, Photography
Are snowflakes alive?
Have you ever seen a real snowflake up close? At first glance, they resemble bits of frozen water. That’s what I thought until I started taking pictures of snowflakes. Follow my story about chasing snowflakes. You’ll discover the answer to the universal question,
Insights, Photography
Strawberry Reflections in Seattle
The rain had stopped so we decided have breakfast at the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. “Go to Lowell’s, you’ll love their lemon-blueberry pancakes,” the hotel clerk said. So lemon-blueberry pancakes it was,
Kodiak, AK, Photography
The edges of nature: When snow kisses the ocean
When it snows on Kodiak Island, something magic happens at high water. The black shale rocks are dusted with white, transforming them into tiny marshmallows. Then as the tide recedes, the snow is raked into the ocean, leaving a
Insights, Kodiak, AK, Photography
If you had minutes to flee a disaster and could take only one item…
If you had minutes to flee a disaster and could take only one item, what would you choose? Most people name a possession that can be impossible to replace: their photos.
Gardening, Kodiak, AK, Photography
Celebrating salmon, ice and spring to come
If you live in California, winter’s passing is more of a transition. In Alaska, keeping tabs on day length is a statewide sporting event. As a gardener, I watch these things, even to the point of
Cooking, Gardening, Kodiak, AK
To the North Pole with 16,000 pounds of flour
When Robert E. Peary prepared for his final attempt to reach the North Pole in 1909, his provisions included an astounding list of supplies:
Gardening, Insights, Kodiak, AK, Photography
Are your decisions tainted by "analysis paralysis"?
Dan Burns is a professional sports photographer. To pay the bills though, he shoots “anything that moves,” from dance rehearsals and polo matches to brown bears and pro football games.
Insights, Kodiak, AK, Photography
Snowflakes: Pretty in Pink
Keys in hand, grocery list in my pocket, I head to the door for a round of errands. While slipping on my gloves, I glance out the office window just long enough to watch several snowflakes make their way earthward. Finally, snow! I tossed the keys on the desk and scoot outside. Grabbing the black,
Cooking
From Alaska: Recipe for the best granola ever (and 21 ways to eat it)
Our B&B guests say, “This is the best granola ever!” It’s eaten by the handful and packed into Ziploc bags for hikes, fishing trips, and inflight snacks. You might think of granola as a normal food today, but it does have a quirky history. Did you know that granola was invented in the
Insights, Photography
Snowflakes and Chocolate
Have you ever seen a snowflake up close? Really close? This is a story about snowflakes and a little miracle that happened while I was photographing them. First, you’d think that
Insights, Photography
Saint Cottonwood
I pulled over to the side of the road and parked near a chain link fence. Last week’s snow squeaked underfoot as I shuffled around the car: setting up the tripod, locking the camera into place and dusting the front of the lens. When I left the house, the thermometer read three degrees (F). I fumbled
Gardening
Getting a Fresh Start: A gardener’s dozen of New Year’s resolutions
The end of the year is the time that most of us associate with turning over a new leaf, making plans, and evaluating. Taking it one step further is territory where resolutions and goals follow. Hmm, I’ve learned (often the hard way) that if you don’t have a goal to shoot for, you’re more likely