January 11, 2016 by Born To Organize

Hanging our Hat on El Niño

We had a string of storms last week, a welcome relief for our drought-parched state. The heavier-than-normal rain is due to the temporary change in water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator, simply known as El Niño.

While most of California welcomes the much-anticipated rain, other parts of the world are experiencing drought, above-average temperatures, and heavy flooding. I’m amazed that the increase in ocean temperatures by just a few degrees affects the entire globe. So while I celebrate this wonderful rain, I wish it didn’t come at such a cost.

I drove over the hill this week to the nearby mountain town of Felton. It’s a 45 minute drive on a winding road. The drive is pretty but sometimes treacherous as you make your way through the winding Santa Cruz mountains. I’m a nervous driver to begin with, so I drove slowly in the rain and fog, hugging the right lane all the way there. When I returned about an hour later, a large tree had fallen across three of the four lanes of highway. Traffic on my return journey moved at a crawl, while the opposing traffic was at a dead stop for miles/kilometers. Amazingly no one was hurt but I had a hard time shaking off the fact that I had driven past that same tree about an hour before.

By the time I exited the freeway, I’d passed the aftermath of two auto accidents, multiple emergency vehicles and the fallen tree. I was so happy to get home.

El Niño conditions will persist through at least March of this year. While I celebrate the arrival of the much-needed rain, I’m also tempering my enthusiasm with a healthy dose of caution.

What’s your weather up to?

How will we know when the drought is over? It’s complicated.

Severe El Nino puts the world in “uncharted territory.”

San Jose Weather Forecast

Fallen tree blocks traffic for five hours.

July 26, 2013 by Born To Organize

What’s Luck Got To Do With It?

Heart-Shaped Clover

Some people believe in luck; others believe you make your own. Personally I like the idea put forth by Carl Jung that ‘luck’ is synchronicity, the idea that “the experience of two or more events as meaningfully related, whereas they are unlikely to be causally related.”

In other words, through blogging, I’ve discovered a world of interesting and articulate people who might not otherwise have crossed my path. Synchronicity! I look forward to logging on daily to see what fellow bloggers have to say; unique perspectives from around the globe.

Trying to spot a four-leaf clover on the forest floor, I had a paradigm shift. Why search for the elusive four-leaf clover, when there are pretty green hearts right under my nose?

In our not-always-pretty world, I’ve found bloggers with grace, poise, humor, advice, skill, and fascinating points of view. The hearts in the clover. At the risk of sounding pollyannaish, I believe the world is full of good people. My experience in the world of blogging validates that truth.

‘Lucky’ me!

Clover: Forest Floor, Felton, California

July 15, 2013 by Born To Organize

Sensuality in the Pines

Not all days are equal. You take the highs with the lows. One of the constants, though, at least in my view, is the healing power of the great outdoors.

After a particularly trying day I took a short walk in the woods in nearby Felton. The restorative powers of nature are a marvel. The dappled sun on the forest ‘walls’ inspire tranquility. Conversely, the commingled fragrance of the forest floor, intoxicate. As you settle in, you can hear the lyrical qualities of bird in song, rustling leaves and the crackle of a seed knocked loose from above.

The forest emulates a lover’s embrace with a throaty voice, tender song and a musk of its own.

Sensuality in the pines.

Forest musk

Going for a spin

“Lost” in the woods

Hiding places

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Fall Creek, Felton, California

October 19, 2012 by Born To Organize

Visiting Renee’s Garden

I was in Felton, California yesterday, a small, mountain community about 45 minutes from here. It’s also home to Renee’s Garden. I mapped their address from the packet of seeds and went in search of their gardens. It was quite a letdown when the address turned out to be a small, nondescript office instead. Not a garden in sight anywhere.

Although I didn’t bring home a camera full of photos, I learned a bit more about the company. Renee gathers seeds from around the world, then grows them in her test garden at home for two years, before releasing them to the public. The seeds are not treated or genetically modified.

I’ve been growing Renee’s Cat Treats Gourmet Mixed Greens for several months for my sister’s cat, KT. He’s an indoor kitty who loves his greens, and is especially fond of this mix. I grow a weeks’ worth of nibbles in my kitchen window, then she takes a pot home for KT.

KT Enjoying his Gourmet Mixed Greens

Renee’s garden is a participant in the Great Sunflower Project, the brain child of Gretchen LeBuhn. It’s a data collection project that will eventually produce the first real map of the state of the bees. You can learn more about Renee’s participation and the Great Sunflower Project on their respective sites.

I purchased a variety of bee-attracting seeds last week. They include Renee’s Native Orange California Poppies, Dusky Rose, also California Poppies and Double Click Bouquet Cosmos, a summer favorite. I’m going to sow a few seeds now, then save the rest for early spring. Won’t those bees be happy?

Special thanks the Heidi Harris.