Whether in their natural ecosystems, on old estates or in botanical gardens, the value of being in the presence of trees has been recognized for centuries. This, I believe, helps explain why so many varieties are distributed around the globe. Many of the trees seen in and around urban areas are strictly ornamental, trees that […]
Get Out
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Oars in the Water
When he gets wind of my plans to go rowing on Humboldt Bay, my husband eyeballs me sternly over his reading glasses. “Be careful.” he warns. “One wrong move and you could fly out of the boat.” A friend suggests I start doing pushups immediately. My mother reminds me to wear a lifejacket. With this […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Throw Like the Irish
When I think about Ireland, step dancing, Liam Neeson and Guinness beer come to mind. Just recently I’ve become aware of another Irish export: road bowling. As I researched Irish road bowling, it became apparent that it is destined to become the next rage on the empty country roads of the North Coast. Already, competitions […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Thar She Blows
The migration of the gray whale is a phenomenon on a par with the mass movement of the wildebeest across Africa’s Serengeti and the monarch butterfly’s journey from the Eastern U.S. to Mexico. And for those of us living on the North Coast, this practically happens in our front yard. Dawn Goley, director of the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Over the Ridge
Twenty short years ago, a friend and I chanced upon the trail that leads from Dry Lagoon to Stone Lagoon but our exploration was quickly thwarted by an expanse of thick, black mud. That trail continued calling to me, and a few months ago, after our recent long drought, I had a notion the trail […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Rash Decisions
Exactly why I was thrashing around in the brush behind a trailer park south of Alton is a story for another day. But suffice to say my adventure did not come without a price. On Wednesday I was itchy. On Thursday I was scratchy. On Friday I was blotchy. By Saturday I looked like the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Take it Outside
The gym: That altar to fitness, that sanctuary where we’ll transform our flabby triceps into taut, tight muscles. Surely, at the gym we’ll achieve the gleaming body of our dreams! Well, maybe. Recent studies show, the gym may be an actual obstacle to fitness. Why? It turns out that overall accumulated activity in the course […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Adventure Club
Kayaking. Pan drumming. Blacksmithing. Beer tasting. Glassblowing. Laughing yoga. Ziplining. In Adventure Club, the escapade is limited only by price and the imagination of the planner. Outings are monthly, with the date and time announced a few weeks before, but the exploit itself remains unknown until the last minute. That’s because the very purpose is […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Walking on Water: No Faith Required
Looking out at the bay from the Eureka boardwalk, I could barely believe my eyes. In the mist I saw a figure walking on water. He looked mythic, out of biblical times. Could all those Sunday School stories be true, after all? That was a few years ago, and I soon learned the name for […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The New Magic Carpet
We are long-term cyclists and ride our handy folding bikes a lot, both around Humboldt and beyond. Purists, we never thought we’d succumb to an electric bike. But last July, we surrendered and invested in one that we now share — and love. We walk as much as possible, and do most errands either on […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Saddle Up!
I’m fresh off the trail with Sis Bruner of Redwood Trails Horse Rides. An Orick native, Bruner grew up out by the little red schoolhouse just south of town. As a young girl, when her dad wouldn’t buy her a horse (because you can’t milk a horse) she rode a dairy cow instead. “Years ago,” […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Stroller Hike
The key to any successful backpacking expedition is good recon: Accurate information about the conditions you will face on your trip will inform your gear selection and meal planning. This goes for becoming a first-time mother, too. When embarking on my third trimester, I found myself exploring kids’ stores, reading parenting books, asking experienced parents […]