9/11 - Living on Vacation- A Wildlife Garden

9/11 will forever be a set point that reminds us how precious and fragile life is. Watching the ceremonies dedicating the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania yesterday, I should have held a bucket to capture my tears to water the garden with.

The speeches were all of the one nation under God variety. Former Presidents Clinton, Bush and VP Biden- the word "I"  was subservient to the greater good. The result was the greatest type of outreach- the type that is empathetic rather than self-serving.

God bless my nephew Juadon. You are serving this nation with honor. What men such as yourself you are willing to sacrifice, I pray our nation honors in every way possible.  

'Kiwi' Aeonium ,  Santa Barbara Daisy and 'Moonshine' Yarrow defy the sun's best effort to jerkify the trio

When we first looked at our present home, my husband fell in love with the scent of the chaparral covered hillsides. An avid outdoorsman, he said, “It smells like we’re on vacation.”

 At times we need could use a negotiator to work on for detente between us and nature. Moments like when the snake popped out to grab its dinner in front of me or when my husband had me "watch" the tarantula resting on his briefcase. Somehow, it all works out.

'Butterfly Bush' feeding a baby monarch butterfly-to-be

Where once there was not much more than sagebrush, we now have generously planted with trees, understory and a lawn. Certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Habitat, our garden offers richer opportunities for wildlife than the tinder-dry brush did

PLEASE enjoy my article on  Creating a Backyard Habitat.  DiamondBarPatch.com published yesterday.


This 9/11 Consider the Flight 93 Memorial is just 10 million dollars from completion. Express your gratitude to the citizens who took on terrorists in our darkest moment.