Every once in a while, the climate conditions in Death Valley are just perfect to create a breathtaking display of flowers called a “super bloom.” There is an amazing super bloom in Death Valley right now. If you’d like to see it, head up there as soon as you can, as it will probably last only...

With everything going on in the world today, it’s wise to be prepared for any emergency. You can start by building an emergency kit. In it you should include a basic first aid kit, essential medications for everyone in your family, non-perishable food, a manual can opener, one gallon of water (minimum)...

The last century saw a big increase in the use of herbicides, both in the home garden and in agriculture. Some of them, like DDT, became known for their high levels of toxicity, and their use was eliminated. While this in itself is great news, there are many other legal herbicides that are still in use...

The National Park Service released its final Rim of the Valley Corridor study this week. Read it [here]. In their previous study release, the NPS supported alternate C, which did not include Santa Clarita and many other places in Los Angeles County. Basically, it included El Pueblo in Los Angeles, the...

It all started with those pesky whiskers. In the old days, men used to shave with straight-edge razors. The razors needed to be sharpened every day with a leather strap. I can still remember my grandfather sharpening his straight-edge razor. I don’t know if I was more afraid of that nasty blade or...

I have long been enamored of the exceptional, hand-made Chinese teapots called YiXing Zisha. I became aware of them when I visited China on my first trip in 1981. I have since made six trips and have continued to collect them each time. I currently have 42 pots, each one with a unique design. Most of...

When I was a kid, I had a bobcat as a pet. I had a lot of exotic animals because I lived near a state park, and it seemed that whenever animals were injured or orphaned, I’d end up with them. So even as a kid, I was rehabbing critters. Most of them could not be returned to the wild; those that could...

Yes, zombies exist. There are creatures that roam around that are not in control of what they do. They have been taken over by others and are internally guided by them until death. I can give you 10 examples of creatures that are commonly taken over, but I am sure there are even more. Below, you will...

Across America, species are disappearing. Estuaries and wetlands are disappearing; forests are disappearing or are being given up to mining, logging and oil; grasslands are being developed; and with this loss of habitat, species are disappearing. The food chain is being altered, and all of this is being...

It started out as an ordinary day. Members of the Community Hiking Club of Santa Clarita were assembling at the Walker Ranch Trailhead on New Yaer’s Day at 10 a.m. for their annual hike up Los Pinetos Trail to Wilson Saddle. Hiker Lise Meyers saw the smoke first. She pointed it out to several other...