out and about Archives - Curiosity & Collectanea

Return to the secret garden

February 23, 2024 out and about the birds and the trees

More than four years ago, Craig introduced me to a small patch of wilderness that decades before had been planted with narcissus and daffodils. I wrote about it then, and last week we finally made another trek out to check on the current state of this secret garden. Don’t hate…

After the storms

At the end of a very rainy winter, Craig and I took advantage of a few days of sunny weather for an outing to Treasure Island. And before the rains started up again, we also attempted a hike at Briones Reservoir. Results were mixed. Come for the view, stay for…

Undaunted by wind and rain

March 3, 2023 out and about the birds and the trees

We have indeed been having weather! But that has not deterred us from getting out. My sisters and I hiked at Coyote Hills Regional Park last week. And on the weekend Craig and I made an overnight trek out to the Central Valley to see the almond blossoms and visit…

Tennis for old people

September 24, 2021 it's good for you out and about

I should perhaps start by saying that I’ve never been much of a tennis player — and when I tell you that I spent most of my tennis matches chasing mis-hit balls (chiefly mine), you’ll get a sense of how dreadful I always was and why I was never keen…

Our local birds

July 30, 2021 out and about the birds and the trees

Since we live on an island in the San Francisco Bay, we are blessed with all sorts of bird life, like these double-crested cormorants. Many species show up in our backyard, but beyond its bounds there are lots of others. I wanted to show you a few of them. Every…

A secret garden

February 14, 2020 a good book musings out and about the birds and the trees

Somewhere in the woods not far away, a minor path leads off a well-traveled trail to a vernal pool. There, more than two decades ago, someone planted narcissus. Once established, the plants spread into thick clumps around the perimeter of the pool, and a few brave clusters still hide in…

Bird by bird

February 7, 2020 a good book creative endeavors musings out and about the birds and the trees

I listen to a podcast on my morning walk, and I often let the length of the show dictate the length of the walk. On a recent morning the podcast was On Being; Krista Tippett was interviewing Brené Brown. I was engrossed — Brené (she seems like a first-name sort…

The Bay and beyond

January 31, 2020 out and about the birds and the trees

The San Francisco Bay Area is blessed with many splendid open spaces, including state, regional and national parks, as well as numerous local watersheds accessible by permit. But a significant loss for us this past year was the closing of the Buckeye Creek Trail in the Oakland hills, where Craig has…

Around the Bay

January 23, 2020 out and about the birds and the trees this and that

One of the true luxuries of no longer having a job is being able to go hiking on weekdays, when few others are on the trails. Not to mention just having more time to spend out of doors, whether we’re exploring on foot, by bicycle, or from the air. This…

Hiking the Drakensberg

November 14, 2019 a-roving out and about the birds and the trees

The eland, explained Sipelele, our young Zulu guide, was sacred to the nomadic San and Khoekhoe peoples who were once the main inhabitants and stewards of the Drakensberg region of South Africa. These indigenous artists created paintings on sandstone — in caves and on sheltered rock faces — that reflected…