Month: April 2025

Rattlesnake Season

Posted in baby rattler, cold-blooded, ER, garage, garden hose, Girl Scout camp, pool cover, rattlesnake, reptiles, snake bite, venomLeave a comment

(re-run) It’s rattlesnake season here in the West.  Snakes are cold-blooded and love warm surfaces like rocks or sunny trails when they are cold, and dark and shady places when they are hot.  At night they curl up in the strangest locales – in coiled-up garden hoses, under the edge of pool covers, and now… Continue reading Rattlesnake Season

Weed Whacker Workout

Posted in beach, dogs, foxtails, garden, memoir, Monterey Bay, mulch, neck, neighbors, weedsLeave a comment

(re-run) I’ve never owned or used a Weed Whacker. I’m an Iowa girl who pulls weeds by hand so they don’t come back. But this year is the exception.  With record rainfall, the weeds are on steroids this spring. See photo. I ordered an electric weed whacker from my local hardware store since I didn’t… Continue reading Weed Whacker Workout

Be Careful Who You Hike With

Posted in attitude, bobcat, boyfriend, bull, California, coyote, dogs, hiking, humor, Iowa, Mount Diablo State Park, mountain lion, nature, outdoors, Pebble Beach, relationships2 Comments

(re-run) First of all, the title should be Be Careful with Whom You Hike, but I figured only English teachers would read the post if I did it that way. An old bf asked me to go on a hike with him. I said yes a little too quickly. Looking back, Bob (not his real… Continue reading Be Careful Who You Hike With

Sorry About That

Posted in Black Diamond Mines, California, firsts, hiking, humor, menopause, menstruation, mines, nature, relationships, surprise, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) Aileen, in her early 50s, had a date that neither she, nor the guy, will ever forget. They met online. He suggested a hike out to the Black Diamond Mines in Antioch. She agreed, although she wasn’t much of a hiker. During the hike and while climbing in and out of the mine tunnels,… Continue reading Sorry About That