Rod – Head for the Hills

Loquat

This is a Live Oak leaning on its’ elbows on a hill near my wild loquat orchard. There are many kinds of oks in the world. The Live Oak lives in Northern California and does not lose its’ leaves in the winter. Masanobu Fukuoka advocated natural farming. He proposed and experimented with ways to revegetateContinue reading “Loquat”

Rodeo Gulch

I just rode up one of my favorite hills. I say that about most of the hills I have just ridden but Rodeo Gulch is truly one of my favorites. The steepest part of the hill is 17%. It is rural and reminds me of the hills in Iowa where I grew up because ofContinue reading “Rodeo Gulch”

Honey Mandarin

Honey mandarin about ten feet tall growing in Santa Cruz California. We have a very small lot in Santa Cruz with 20 fruit trees all sharing space. Nothing can match tree ripened fruit. Grocery store fruit, picked green and hard, just can’t compare. They all seem to know and accept their close quarters, grateful forContinue reading “Honey Mandarin”

Hills in the Fog

A foggy morning view of the cement ship. It has been cold and foggy lately. Of course cold is relative in Northern California. Here it means some occasional night time frosts with daytime temperatures in the 60s to 70s. I know, move to California and pretty soon you can’t handle real weather. I took myContinue reading “Hills in the Fog”

Prayer Wheel

This is a prayer wheel on the steepest hill in Santa Cruz from this Spring. I keep coming back here again and again. The contrast of the brightly colored wheel and the muted dark greens and chocolate brown trunks of the redwoods is almost puzzling. What is a prayer wheel for? Although I am notContinue reading “Prayer Wheel”

How Old is Old

This is the church, Iglesia El Salvador, by the main plaza in Nerja, Spain. The original church was built in 1505 although this structure was built in 1697. Old is a relative term in Nerja. There are many classifications of old. Houses around here that are old may be 50 or 100 years old. TheContinue reading “How Old is Old”

Monarch

The last few nights have had heavy frost. The temperatures dipped a degree or two below freezing. Nothing in the yard gets hurt until 28. Yesterday, I walked to the buff early in the morning before the sun had thawed the frost. To walk to the bluff, I pass through a small eucalyptus grove whichContinue reading “Monarch”

Everything is a Wave

The photo is from my Freestyle Libre continuous glucose monitor (CGM) Everything is a wave, our heartbeat, our breathing, brain waves, even thoughts go up and down with emotion just like a wave. The stock market is said to rise and fall between fear and greed. Tides come in and go out, which is anotherContinue reading “Everything is a Wave”

This Too Shall Pass

The bench on the 50 foot cliff overlooking Monterey Bay has been repaired. The bench is not an “official” California bench. It is not even an official park but rather a bluff running along side an old abandoned railroad line. As often happens on the Northern California coast, individuals take it upon themselves to buildContinue reading “This Too Shall Pass”

Back to Buddha

The 25 foot Buddha on the steepest hill in Santa Cruz. Siddhartha Gautama reflected in the temple window. I like riding to see the Buddha and it isn’t just because I get to ride up the great hill he resides on, although that is definitely part of the attraction. The hill is making me strongerContinue reading “Back to Buddha”