Crop Conspiracy Theory

Okay, something or someone is clearly conspiring against my farming success. It’s bad enough that we’re having what seems like the coldest summer in 25 years. Well, that could go either way. On the upside, the longer, slower ripening might allow us to make a mellower, lower alcohol wine — more like the French Rhônes we’re trying to emulate than a typical...

Pond Life. Pond Rules.

There’s a new sheriff in town at Lake Charles, the little man-made lake we built on our property. His name is John the Baptist. His commanding officer is Mother Nature. There is no argument. No discussion. Things are done their way. Let me backtrack. Those of you who have been reading a while know about Lake Charles. It’s a completely man-made pond and waterfall built in a...

Water, Water Everywhere. Nor Any Hyacint...

Actually, that’s not completely true. Despite days of eradication work, the dreaded Water Hyacinth probably still lurks in the depth of our little man-made pond, Lake Charles. Before I tell you how that project is going, let me just beg you that if anyone, at any time, tries to talk you into Water Hyacinth RUN SCREAMING from the nursery, greenhouse, plant sale or whatever. DO...

Miwoks, Waterfalls and a John Muir Momen...

If you’ve watched the excellent Ken Burns’ documentary series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, you must be a John Muir fan. As the father of conservation and the idea of a park conservancy, John Muir figured prominently in the series as an irresistible American original (although he was born a Scot). A true ecstatic, John Muir’s best description in the...

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Pro...

I’m back in San Francisco for a whirlwind round of Big City stuff: haircut, dentist appointment, DMV, etc. It also seemed like a good time to leave Sonoma to the birds and bees, coyotes and other mating critters. The Barn Swallows, which I’ve now discovered are actually Western Bluebirds, are trying to build nests in the eaves of the barn. And they’ve been very...

Dispatches From the War on Terrorism

Yes, we are doing our part here on the Sonoma home front. Our enemy is insidious, all but invisible and skilled in taking advantage of our own resources to further his evil plans. Of course, I’m talking about non-Native plant invaders who are encroaching on our little piece of Sonoma paradise. But our defenses are marshalled. At the risk of a pun, I’ll add that we have a...