“… blogging about life, travel, books, food and the outdoors”

Table Mountain awash in color with spring wildflowers
A mosaic of flowers carpets the landscape. Purple, orange, yellow and white are the predominant colors, with a bit of fuchsia here and there. The dark basalt rock and vibrant green grasses provide contrast. Oak trees break up the terrain. A few cows munch on the...
read more
Table Mountain awash in color with spring wildflowers
A mosaic of flowers carpets the landscape. Purple, orange, yellow and white are the predominant colors, with a bit of fuchsia here and there. The dark basalt rock and vibrant green grasses provide contrast. Oak trees break up the terrain. A few cows munch on the...
read more
Wall between U.S.-Mexico an inhumane barrier started by Clinton
Sitting for a couple hours at the Mexico-U.S. border it’s hard not to think about the imposing wall. Having the “right” passport got me to the States without a problem. But for many others, well, that wall must conjure up so many emotions. Do those on the south side...
read more
Cannabis beverages make is easy to get high without smoking
To get the buzz of cannabis in a faster, easier to control, more socially acceptable way, the latest focus is drinking it. “It makes sense as an ingestion method, especially for new consumers. Smoking anything in front of people is not popular,” Aaron Silverstein,...
read more
Book Review: Hungry Cyclist a trip worth taking
Eating one’s way through a vacation can be normal. Even a long cycling adventure is not out of the ordinary. Fifteen thousand miles of pedaling in more than 2½ years through North, Central and South America, well, now that’s an adventure that is neither normal nor...
read more
Home ownership and a new roommate
I sit here in my office looking at blank walls. Decorating will happen soon. It’s still impossible to park either vehicle in the garage. But the kitchen is done, I have a brand new bed to sleep in that has a base that can make me into a Kae taco, and the back yard...
read more
Saying goodbye to friends, the mountains and desert
I’ve never said so many goodbyes in such a short amount of time. While one friend appropriately described my leaving Baja as driving into my future, the other part of the sentiment is that I was leaving something behind. This third time to leave Todos Santos was...
read more
Aloe much more than a pretty succulent found in gardens of Mexico
While aloe vera is a go-to remedy for sunburn, the more than 500 species of this plant have other uses as well. Aloe is used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and foods. Even though the spines are usually thorny, it is easy to cut one off to harvest. They feel rubbery....
read more
Bond of friendship strengthens with shared living experience
Last summer Jill sent me a text saying they would not be letting anyone stay in their casista in Todos Santos because of COVID. Robert, her husband, said not so fast--let’s invite Kathryn, she’s family. I didn’t spend much time thinking about my answer. I had already...
read more
Needle phobia not enough reason to avoid COVID-19 vaccination
I totally understand not trusting the government, any government. Being a guinea pig in a massive medical experiment is not something most people want to do. I did it anyway. I signed up last week as a massage therapist; something that California allows. I put my...
read more
Pros and cons to banning natural gas in home construction
In the march to power California without fossil fuels by 2045, the choice by some cities to ban natural gas has lit the fuse on a battle pitting environmental groups against developers, involving not only cost of home construction, but whether government has picked...
read more