I built my first compost pile around 1986. Over the years (decades, yikes!) I consider myself to be on intimate terms with dozens of materials, from toilet paper rolls to pineapple rinds (not recommended
If you were a bald eagle spending the winter in Kodiak, Alaska, you’d find that meals were easy to come by. If you like fish scraps, that is. From December to April, hundreds of eagles are
Who’s that goofy gal wearing a cucumber smile? It was a cool day in March when I donned a warm jacket and walked up Ole Johnson Street to the Kodiak Daily Mirror office for my appointment with then-publisher Nancy Freeman. We sat in the conference room, sipped coffee, and talked about my new idea, a
Not sure what to plant this year? New to gardening in Kodiak’s coastal climate? Then this column’s for you. I decided to approach today’s article from the perspective of a Beginner’s Mind during this weekend’s Spring Women’s Show. When I signed up to attend, my goal was simple: Answer gardening questions. Here’s a sampler: “We
Jim Pearson has lived, worked, and gardened in Kodiak for 70 years. On a recent foggy day, he reflected on the weather. “This is the coolest spring I can remember,” he said. So, dear readers, how’re you holding up? Spring is dragging her feet, isn’t she? Which means lawns around town are slow to green,
In the 1980s my brother Alby was the manager for the Robert Cray Band, the Grammy-award-winning blues ensemble that started in 1974 in Eugene, Oregon. Over the years, Robert…
For the first time in a few weeks, the temperature in Kodiak, Alaska climbed above 40 degrees. Woohoo! I don’t know about you, but my spirits…
When spring arrives, gardeners take on a different posture: A slight bend at the waist and leaning forward as if hurrying away from winter. Eventually, they’ll…
With the equinox behind us, I like to think that spring can’t be far behind. The sun tells us so, what with it rising more to the north each day. And then you have crocus blossoms tentatively
In case you missed last week’s column, I covered the basics of starting your own seedlings, beginning with containers, soil, and temperature. This week, we’ll continue with more tips and tools for starting your own seedlings because seedlings CAN talk; we just need to improve our listening skills. Now once seeds germinate and sprout their
It’s March. Now it’s time to get down to business, the business of starting seeds. Seed-starting is not only a timely topic—as people plan ahead for the growing season— but it’s
Have you ever noticed little ‘specks’ on your indoor plants? I’m talking orchids, spider plants, seedlings, hydroponic plants. Little specks? You know what I
Growing up in the rainy Pacific Northwest, spring and summer couldn’t come too quickly. I often tagged along with my mother on grocery shopping trips. As we wheeled the cart around the larger-than-life bins in the produce section, Mom would
Mom struggled with mental illness most of her adult life. Here was a woman who graduated in three years from Stanford University and binged on beef bouillon for weeks. She mastered the art of
Are you up for a celebration? If that’s a yes, then grab your calendar, locate February 21 and
Did you know that more flowers are sold on Valentine’s Day than any other U.S. holiday? When it comes to buying and keeping cut flowers fresh there are a couple of tricks
Sweet or savory? Most every evening, Marty and I discuss this topic. Translated, it means, “Shall we do a sweet or savory breakfast tomorrow?”