Crotalus scutulatus, the Mojave rattlesnake or “Mojave green,” is a highly irritable and unpredictable pit viper. By comparison, the Pacific rattlesnake you might be accustomed to is fairly tame. The Mojave green can be found primarily in the deserts of the south and western U.S. and Mexico. This...

One of the reasons I wanted to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro was to see the glaciers before they were completely gone. It’s an amazing site to stand on an area near the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro as the sun is rising and watch the small, remaining glaciers turn pink. It was breathtaking, to say the least. The...

When I was younger, I learned to hunt in Africa. Native Masai taught me how to throw a spear and how to fight off an attacking lion and win. Many years later, I joined a hunting and gathering group in the Amazon basin, and my African hunting experiences came in handy. I made fishhooks so we could fish,...

The summit of Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States, reaching an elevation of 14,508 feet. (This is a bit higher than it was believed to have been; a recent survey just put it at that height.) And just across the mountains, 84.6 miles away in Death Valley, you will find Badwater...

A recent study uncovered the 25 healthiest cities across our great nation. Lots of factors were taken into consideration to determine how these cities rose above the rest to become “healthy.” Criteria included the obesity rate, healthy and non-healthy behaviors such as smoking and physical activities,...

Toby “Winema” Riddle was born in 1846 on a Modoc Reservation near Klamath Lake. These were troubled times. The U.S. government was pressuring the Modoc and Klamath people to leave their land and move to a reservation near Klamath Lake. Whites seeking gold were demanding land to mine in northern California...

I have a cat, Titus, who is half Asian Leopard Cat, and half African Savannah. Needless to say, he is a handful. Recently, he discovered that raccoons come into our yard at night and party. They swipe my vegetables right off the plants, the fruit from the trees and munch out all night long. I found it...

On Oct. 10, 2014, President Obama signed a proclamation that made 342,177 acres of the Angeles National Forest a National Monument. It is the eighth national monument under Forest Service management. Along with this designation came stricter guidelines for protection of the forest, the species that live...

A couple of years ago I wrote about recycling urine for use in the garden, as is done in Sweden. The overwhelming response from the community was a loud and resounding, “Yuck.” Well, San Diego has taken this idea a huge step forward. They are recycling treated sewage for tap water – and they’ve...

In the spring, I see an increase of people exercising, getting ready for bathing suit weather. Now it’s autumn, and thoughts go to cuddling up on the couch in front of the TV and drinking hot cocoa. But exercise should be an everyday activity, not just in the spring. Low-impact aerobic exercise is...