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Sweet Gums

It was such a delight to see this stall of "vintage" gumball machines at the Hanford Mall. It's been a while since I saw one and had to stop and check them out. As you can see, there's no shortage of flavors. * * * Image by Charie

Trees and Treerooms

This is such a beautiful and evocative poem by Joyce Kilmer . Can't help but love it. Trees I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed Against the sweet earth's flowing breast A tree that looks at God all day And lifts her leafy arms to pray A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair Upon whose bosom snow has lain Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me But only God can make a tree. Bird's Nest (photo courtesy of Treehotel)  In Northern Sweden, about 60 km south of the Arctic Circle, a new breed of hotel rooms are sprouting in the wilderness. These are the treerooms that are suspended 4-6 meters above the ground. You can choose to feel nurtured in a Bird's Nest, or hide in the Mirrorcube or perhaps bunk off in a cabin in the woods, and for the ultimate in travel experience without leaving earth, sleep in a UFO. More of these "green" rooms are planned for completion i

The Sunset Magazine Garden

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly. "One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." Hans Christian Andersen The Sunset Magazine garden is uniquely organized into five defined areas representing different climate zones in the Western United States. These areas are the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Central California, Southern California, and the Southwest Desert. There is also a Test Garden where Sunset employees evaluate plants, devices and projects for coverage in its magazine.  The Lawn The Lawn is a sprawling 1.2 acre expanse of short cut Astoria colonial bent grass. It is sometimes used for company and special events. The buildings in the background house the offices of the magazine and is in the early California style. As you step out of the Reception area, a riot of colors greet you in this floral display of gold and red celosia surrounded by summer perennials like coneflowers and marigolds and anchored by a grapefruit tr

It's late August in Yolo County

On our way to a jazz concert in Brooks, California, we passed peach orchards and vineyards along the way. It reminds me that vendange is coming. These grapes will be ripe for picking in no time. Amusing musing about wine: "In vino veritas, in aqua sanitas." In wine there is truth, in water there is health.  À votre santé !

The Gamble Garden

I often travel to distant lands to see the world when I have a beautiful world waiting for me to discover right here at home. So this week I embarked on a journey to explore my "backyard". And was I surprised to find three exceptional gardens which I hadn't visited before! The first of these is the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden in Palo Alto. Elizabeth was the only daughter of the co-founder of Procter & Gamble. She bequethed her estate to the City of Palo Alto which together with the Garden Club of Palo Alto maintains the property with the mission of providing horticultural and environmental education to the community as well as the historical preservation of this 1902 estate. The Gazebo The Gazebo is not original to the garden. It was added in 1996. In the photo above, late afternoon sun casts a rainbow over the vine covered Gazebo lending it a magical presence. California Style Garden Room The plants selected in this section of the garden are resistant to oak roo

Pretty in Pink

Pretty in Pink piggy banks On Highway 152 in Gilroy, there are many roadside fruit stands offering cherries and strawberries for just a dollar a basket or a bag of oranges at the same price. I had passed a sign down the road advertising 6 ears of corn for a dollar and stopped by Casa de Fruta to investigate. But I was distracted by the nuts, dried fruit, candy, fruit wine, bags of garlic, and decorative pottery. Taffys in pink (cherry) and other flavors Ahh, there are always sweet nothings to tempt you when you're so intent to keep to your diet. Now I remember why I shouldn't stop at these places. I must recite my mantra: I came for the corn, the corn, the corn..... There's also a store within the complex that sells cookies and ice cream. It's right next to the carousel and the choo choo train. It must be hard for the kids to resist ice cream after playing out in the sun. My problem is choosing which cookie to buy. Fruits, of course, are the better choice. But

12 Hours in Honolulu

I was not disappointed at all that I was rerouted through Honolulu instead of flying nonstop to San Francisco from Tokyo recently. While waiting to board the plane, I thought of all the things I could do in Honolulu during the 12-hour layover. And the more I thought about it, the more pleased I was that I had this opportunity. Except for one thing. I needed a hotel in Honolulu where I could take a quick nap, shower, and leave my bags while I was out wandering about town. I called several hotels but none of them had day rates let alone allow me to check in earlier than 2 p.m. After a few more calls and before draining my cellphone's battery, I got a room at the Airport Hotel for $136.00 and they picked me up from the airport. Wiped out from the long trip, I fell asleep immediately and woke up when my alarm went off. It was 1 p.m. so I hurried to make the most of my time. Luckily the bus stop was just down the street and I didn't have to wait long before the bus bound for Ala