Category Archives: home

When Thoughts Turn to Stuffing

Posted on November 26, 2013 by joanienaz

Thanksgiving is upon us, and it’s time to make turkey stuffing. This traditional dish is very personal. Each of us has our own concept of the perfect ingredients. My own version has evolved over the past three decades, but certain … Continue reading →

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Mystery Droppings, Escrow, and Saying Goodbye

Posted on July 25, 2013 by joanienaz

We are moving. After living eighteen years in the same house (a record for both myself and my husband), we have sold our home and are packing up all of the “stuff” that we can’t bring ourselves to jettison. To … Continue reading →

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Wild Flowers

Posted on July 7, 2013 by joanienaz

Does Rose Mallow still qualify as a wildflower if it has been hybridized? I think not. But this beautiful bloom, more commonly known as Hibiscus, sure looks great in the garden! No time for a vegetable garden this year. Getting … Continue reading →

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Chillin’

Posted on June 13, 2013 by joanienaz

A gray fox and a young mule deer hang out in the same spot, but not at the same time, on a hot California day in the Sierra Nevada foothills. This was the view from my cabin one morning a … Continue reading →

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Woodpecker Heaven

Posted on April 22, 2013 by joanienaz

The foothill country of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California is woodpecker Heaven. The oaks and conifers are the big attraction here. We have been inundated by Acorn woodpeckers since our arrival last fall. They spent weeks pounding on the … Continue reading →

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Pollen Pollen Everywhere

Posted on April 18, 2013 by joanienaz

My nose knows there is pollen in the air. And what good is pollen without some pollinators? While the wind doth blow, and sprinkle pollen not only on the business end of flowers but everywhere else as well, sometimes it … Continue reading →

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Ant Beauty

Posted on April 11, 2013 by joanienaz

Ants tend to show up in an army, with flags unfurled. They invade every crevice and surface of your kitchen, or any other place they feel at home. Sometimes they appear out of nowhere. You walk away from a sinkful … Continue reading →

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The Not-so-plain Oak Titmouse

Posted on March 20, 2013 by joanienaz

In honor of the first day of spring, I sketched an Oak Titmouse, formerly know as the Plain Titmouse, from a photo I took last week here in the Sierra Nevada foothills, when the weather was warm and clear. Today it is … Continue reading →

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A Snow Day in the California Foothills

Posted on February 19, 2013 by joanienaz

After spending the long weekend on the coast enjoying a false spring, we returned to the Sierra foothills in time for a day-long snow frenzy. After a rainy fall it’s been a dry winter, so the precipitation was welcome. I was … Continue reading →

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Picture a Day #351 – Cookie Time Again

Posted on December 29, 2012 by joanienaz

The holidays are a time for cookies, cookies, and more cookies. I wanted to take a favorite from my childhood and give it a personal twist, so I looked up the Betty Crocker recipe for Molasses Crinkles. In the interests … Continue reading →

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