Windy with Rainbows Part 2 - San Francisco Fort Mason along Marina Green

 View of the Golden Gate Bridge looking across Fort Mason - walking back from Ghirardelli Square

The Marina 

What's a Marina?

Festive Season along Marina Green

Windy with Rainbows Part 1- San Francisco Ghirardhelii Square

 Though it was a mighty wet Sunday, Jasper and I enjoyed a long day's walking. We started out, by parking on Bay above Fort Mason and walked through the park, down the hill (out on the wharf it was too rainy for photos - exciting for a pooch though!) and across the road to a festively decorated Ghirardelli Square. More trip  - next posting.

Holiday Planting and Beyond! Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Packs a Red Punch

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is giving my succulent ball just the punch it needs for the holiday season - and beyond.

I got this lovely stuff - and quite a lot of the other succulents - at Succulent Gardens in nearby Castroville. It's a fantastic nursery - and right now they have free shipping. So guess who just ordered more of these darling little red guys?

Care and Prep - This time through I soaked my moss ball in fish emulsion (I think Braun makes these balls). Will see how that works out. Going to water between the plants with a spray bottle once or twice a week, once it dries out.

No, I'm not done yet!

Pismo Beach - Fall Camping with Cousin Martha

Cousin Martha and I camped for two nights at Pismo Beach in San Luis Obispo county, the week before Thanksgiving. Overwinter Monarch Butterflies, a very happy dog, and a heavenly beach,  made it a trip we're dreaming about repeating as soon as possible.

Jasper-The-New-Pooch had never seen a tent before. He's a little uncertain

Pismo Beach Monarchs

Monarch Butterflies clustering in a grove of Eucalyptus in Pismo Beach

Monarch Butterflies

Overwinter along West Coast

California!

* Pismo Beach - famous for clams - is in San Luis Obispo County

* This Monarch grove is right on HI 1

*During the year, these butterflies only live about six weeks, but the fall generation overwinter in clusters - entering into diapause, not eating and flying very little. When the weather warms up, about six months later, they'll fly off and live a normal six week life

Where to See Overwintering Monarchs: http://www.monarchwatch.org/download/pdf/where.pdf

Butterfly Survival http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Survival%20Strategies%209.htm

My California Garden - Fuyu Persimmons (Eating and Recipe suggestions)

Fuyu Persimmon

Make prime smoothies and salads

California!

Persimmons started out in China, but now they call themselves California natives - having lived here since the mid 1800's. This year we've had a prime crop. I'm partial to non-astingent Fuyu type, since they taste good either crispy - we eat them out-of-hand like apples or add chunks of them to our main dish salads. Then again, if they soften we scoop them out, freeze them, and make them into delicious smoothies - I throw the frozen pulp together with some pieces of frozen bananas, a little non fat milk and some vanilla - better than ice cream!

Do delicious persimmons grow where you live? https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/persimmon.html

Time Travel Portal - 1915 - CA Tower - (San Diego Field Trip)

Looking for a way back to 1915? Travel up the stairs of the California Tower in San Diego's Balboa Park. Back to the time of the Panama Pacific Exposition, when folks saw the world through a pair of rose colored  - Beaux Arte flavored - glasses, International was another word for exotic, and California drifted like an almost unexplored cultural island.