Friday, January 30, 2015

I'm Done Making My Kid's Childhood Magical

This article by Bunmi Laditan resonated with me, and I wanted to share it.

“Parents do not make childhood magical. Abuse and gross neglect can mar it, of course, but for the average child, the magic is something inherent to the age. Seeing the world through innocent eyes is magical. Experiencing winter and playing in the snow as a 5-year-old is magical. Getting lost in your toys on the floor of your family room is magical. Collecting rocks and keeping them in your pockets is magical. Walking with a branch is magical.”  Read the full article HERE.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Monday Meditation


“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.”
— Henry David Thoreau

Friday, January 23, 2015

The Blue Hour

The Blue Hour—the period of twilight each morning and evening when the sun is below the horizon and the world gets painted in mellow blue tones—has always been my favorite time of day.  

The Blue Hour lasts about 40 minutes.  During this time red light from the sun passes straight into space but blue light is scattered into the atmosphere and reaches Earth’s surface.  This happens due to a difference in wavelengths—the wavelengths of blue light being shorter than those of red light.  The effect is like opening a book of old fairytales and walking inside the pages.

This time of day has long been treasured by artists.  Photographers call it sweet light.  But you don’t have to be an artist to get outside and enjoy these moments.  Check out the online BlueHourSite to find out when the morning and evening Blue Hours will happen in your area, and get outside!  Enjoy!

Jason Kapchinske is the author of Coyote Summer.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Monday Meditation


“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
– Albert Einstein

Friday, January 16, 2015

7 Cultural Concepts We Don't Have in the U.S.

I really enjoyed reading about the 7 cultural concepts shared in this article by Starre Vartan on the Mother Nature Network.  From Friluftsliv to Hygge, I would like to incorporate some of these ways of seeing the world into my own life, and I wanted to share them with you.  Enjoy the read HERE.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Monday Meditation


“They both listened silently to the water, which to them was not just water, but the voice of life, the voice of Being, the voice of perpetual Becoming.”
– Hermann Hesse

Friday, January 9, 2015

Southern California Gardening – January

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.”
– Alfred Austin

I recently planted a small vegetable garden in our yard, and one of my goals for 2015 is to learn more about gardening in my region (Southern California).  Each month I plan to post gardening advice that I’ve gathered, and it would be GREAT if readers would post tips, comments, corrections and any other thoughts in the comments section below.  I’d love to hear from you, so please help me learn!  Cheers!

Things to plant in January
Lettuce, kale, collards, spinach, chard, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, peas, fava beans, carrots, parsnip, radish, beets, garlic, onion, potatoes, chives, cilantro, dill, parsley, artichoke, bramble berries, blueberries, strawberries and deciduous fruit trees.

January To-Do List
Feed your established cool-season vegetables.
Prune your deciduous fruit trees.
Remove and compost leaf litter from around deciduous fruit trees.
Remove persistent leaves from apple trees to avoid apple scab.
Feed your citrus trees.

Native Plants and Habitat
January is a great month to plant California natives and create wildlife habitat in your own backyard!

Tips
Don’t walk on garden soil when it is wet (this will compact your soil).
Don’t dig is soil when it is wet enough to make dirt balls in your fist.
Have fun!

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Happy Tuesday!


Up early.  Watching dolphins and pelicans before school.  It's a neat world out there!  Enjoy!

Monday, January 5, 2015

Monday Meditation


“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants…  That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy.”
– Michael Pollan

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year!

As we greet another year—full of possibilities and fresh adventures—I am taking a little time to reflect on some highlights from 2014.

Winter
Laguna Mountains

Spring
Zion National Park

Summer
John Muir Wilderness

Fall
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

Here’s wishing you a 2015 full of love, laughter and outdoor adventure!  Get mud on your feet!