One March day a few years ago, after a rather wet and chilly start to the year, the weather had begun to turn a bit milder, which meant I was out working in my garden and yard. As usual, this started out with coffee on the deck, which led to severe pruning of an overgrown hot lips salvia, cutting back stalks of dormant lantana (which will eventually be dug up and moved), raking out debris, mowing … More Hacking Back the Lorapetalum

When I was in college, I had the notion I’d become a photojournalist, traveling the world – no roots, just me and my camera on assignment for National Geographic. I hadn’t been off the East Coast at that point, or even on a plane but I had an incredible wanderlust. It was an exciting prospect but, alas, one that was not to be. Oh, don’t feel sorry for me – it wasn’t like I was George … More Travel.

It’s been an early and somewhat wet spring and while the flooding that’s come from some of the all-day downpours have been problematic, the rain has nevertheless been good for local gardens. You never know what you’re going to get in central North Carolina, weather-wise. Summers can be extremely hot and dry, like last year, and when that happens it’s incredibly difficult to keep flowers alive. Even established plants suffer, and no amount of mulch, soaker … More Rainy Springs Make for Gorgeous Gardens – Go Look at Them!

The first time I went to the Greensboro Science Center, it was with my daughter’s school field trip two years ago. It’s about an hour and a half west of Raleigh – an easy day trip – and it’s a surprisingly awesome destination, offering an extensive, kid-friendly aquarium exhibit, an outdoor zoo, and a complex ropes course completed in 2015, among many other things. We went again recently, this time with the rest of the family, … More Plenty to Do At the Greensboro Science Center

Here in North Carolina, there are lizards – mostly skinks, sometimes other species. Either way, I don’t remember having lizards in Maryland, and I think the little guys are pretty cool. They eat bugs, and I’m always keen on things in my garden that eat bugs, preferably mosquitos. They hang around my deck and my garage – wherever they can catch some sun – and they don’t bother much. They do poop in the garage though. … More Lizards

Living in central North Carolina, a day trip to the beach is easily managed – the southern coast is only two hours away, a straight shot across I-40.  As much as I love the beach, though, my kids like to change it up a bit with a trip to the mountains, but that’s not as easy an endeavor.  To get there, one must travel some five hours west toward the Blue Ridge mountains, gradually climbing the Appalachian … More Hanging Around at Hanging Rock State Park

We have a deer problem here in central North Carolina.  There is a large field adjacent to our neighborhood in which there is a pond.  The deer travel from the field, through the woods behind our neighborhood and hang out in the strip of woods directly behind my house.  They travel the path of the drainage easement down the side of our yard, and spend quality time at our neighbors houses, too, before crossing the street … More Snakes and Deer

It is a pretty July 4th morning here in central North Carolina.  The sun is shining and there is an intermittent breeze, and the song of cicadas and birds are prominent in the background.  The dog in the other court is occasionally yelping for what reason, I don’t know.  I will have to break out the sunflower seeds today, and cut back the ligustrum as the branches have grown long enough again for the squirrels to … More Summer in Central North Carolina

Several years ago, on a cold January weekend during which my family and I were sufficiently winter-weary, we packed ourselves into the car and headed to the beach for a day trip.  As my husband is fond of saying, sometimes we just need a reminder that the ocean is still there, especially after a long holiday season has passed and we are left with nothing but the prospect of several more months of the long dark … More Beach Mailboxes