Trying to stay active during the lockdown.

Hey everyone. I hope this blog post finds you and your families safe and well. I haven't been able to post much, because we are in quarantine like much of the world. I've been trying to stay healthy by hanging out with my pets in the garden and playing fetch in the yard. If the weather is nice we go for a jog in the open space near our home. How are you all coping?

Anthony Chabot Regional Campground

Anthony Chabot Campground is nestled among the trees near san jose, California. spanning about 3,000 acres it offers many hiking trails to explore. This hidden gem allows on leash dogs in the campgrounds and on some of the hiking trails. Best of all there is NO pet fee for taking your furry friend with you to enjoy nature. That alone earns this campground a star of approval from Wookiee and I.

The area is seriously gorgeous and even though you are conveniently located a short drive from the city, you will feel like you've entered another world as you walk through the forest. I really hope we can go back some day as we had an absolute blast.If you'd like to learn more you can check out the website: https://www.ebparks.org/parks/anthony_chabot/default.htm
A special thanks to my sister for taking the photos in this blog post.

spring garden

Have you started your spring garden yet? Recently I planted tomatoes, peas and cilantro. I added that to my backyard which already houses a blueberry bush, roses, a dwarf peach tree and flowers. The carrots from winter are almost gone. The radishes and turnips are just about ready for harvest.

Inside my house I have a bounty on my windowsills. I grow mint, basil, chives, lavender. I also have cat grass for the kitties. I'm even growing a variety of lettuces, a few carrots and a couple radishes.

I'd like to add a few more fruit trees and grow sunflowers again. What are you growing? Any plans to add to your garden?

An Ode To Misty Mornings

I was born and raised in the desert. Home to me means joshua trees, jackrabbits and the song of coyotes on a summer night. While I will always consider the desert my home there are other wild spaces that hold a special place in my heart. Let’s face it, the desert is hot. Really hot. I remember one particularly brutal summer I was working on a rescue ranch and the temps reached a thermometer busting 118F. Even the animals were miserable. When we get a bit of cool weather it’s a nice change of pace. Beyond that it reminds me of some of my favorite memories growing up. 

You see, my parents were the ones who fostered a love for the outdoors in me. If it involved the outdoors we’ve done it. We’ve road tripped to the Grand Canyon. We’ve snorkeled in the Florida Keys. Many a chilly morning was spent traipsing through our local nature preserve trying to point out plants and animals we can identify. There’s a saying (and I’m not sure who was the first person to popularize it) but it goes something like “at the end of your life you won’t wish you had spent more time at work.” No, but these are the moments I will remember when I’m older. 

I may not have a lot of money right now, but I still have a lot. It’s mornings like these when I can sit on my porch with a cup of tea in my hands and my pups curled at my feet and close my eyes. I can imagine the cool breeze is the crisp mountain air against my cheeks. I can almost see myself waking up in my tent to the smell of campfire and coffee grounds. Or bundled up on the beach at night, toes in the sand eagerly awaiting the grunion run.Or paddling out to the lake at 4am with the scent of diesel fading from the docks. I’m not jetting off to Fiji at the moment and my travels are confined to one state,but I can still cherish the adventure in every single day.