What a beautiful blue-sky day it was when I stepped out onto the deck here at the stately Motley Manor the other morning and heard the blue jays (actually, they’re called Steller’s Jays) chirping their unique mating calls as they jumped from tree to tree in...
There were some anxious moments back in March when some of our mountaintop communities were literally islands unto themselves, as all routes into and out of the area were rendered useless by torrents of rain, snow, flowing mud and falling rocks. Welcome to Shangri-La,...
Once again, the “rain gods” have smiled down on our mountaintop lakes and reservoirs and replenished them handsomely. Not since Lake Gregory was filled to the brim by a single downpour in 1938 have we witnessed so much H2O in such a brief interval. Here comes the rain...
It’s that time of the year when we need to start making your home and mine safe from the ravages of a wildfire, which could occur at any moment now that weeds and chaparral have grown taller due to the recent storm activity. In addition to removing all the limbs and...
With the prospect of yet another unprecedented fire season looming, I recently began my seasonal weed and debris clearance earlier than usual. The recent spell of cooler weather made conditions ideal for dealing with this year’s bumper crop of already knee-high weeds....
It’s that time of the year once again. Yes, it’s that dreaded time of the year when the taxman comes knock, knock, knocking at your door. Let me tell you how it will be; there’s one for you, nineteen for me, cause I’m the taxman. Yeah, I’m the taxman. (“Taxman” - The...
