East Bay Living

I always love driving down Thousand Oaks Blvd, but right now, and for the next few weeks, it is a rare treat indeed, as brilliantly blooming plum trees frame the gorgeous homes along the boulevard. This image was taken near Great Stone Face Park (at … [Read more...] about Thousand Oaks Ablaze with Blossoms

Berkeley says it's OK!? Can’t you imagine your mother’s voice: “Just because Timmy jumped off a cliff, does that mean you should jump off a cliff too?” We all feel tempted to do what we see others doing, but at the same time, we’re afraid those … [Read more...] about Why You Should Build that Backyard Cottage

East Bay living means more sunshine, more garden space...and more butterflies! These monarch caterpillars are feasting on the milkweed in my back yard, getting ready to build their brilliant green chrysalises. … [Read more...] about Monarchs thrive in the East Bay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbI6CVaNZDI&feature=youtu.be … [Read more...] about Lake Merritt Love Letter

Every morning at this time of year, as I return from my run, I stop to pick up the newly fallen harvest from the pineapple guavas that grow in my front yard. I planted them about 10 years ago as a privacy screen, to shelter my line of sight from an … [Read more...] about A living privacy screen that bears tasty fruit

One more reason why it's smart to invest in Berkeley real estate: The city review website Niche recently ranked America’s best cities to live in, based on crime statistics, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities and local amenities. … [Read more...] about Berkeley ranked #8: Best places to live

  When I took a welding class at The Crucible, my first project was to design and build a cat-landing, at the same elevation as my raised floor diaphragm, that would allow me to install a cat door directly into the exterior wall of my … [Read more...] about The “Catio”

When my friend told me she was going to get in shape using an iPhone app called "Couch to 5K," I laughed. Then I checked it out -- and bought it. Now, I'm no slouch in the fitness department, having spent many years as a martial artist and tango … [Read more...] about From the couch to the finish line

Last year, I photographed the Magical Living Fence on Capistrano Avenue in Berkeley. At that time, the homeowner invited me to come back after February 14, because every year on Valentine's Day he buys flowers for his wife -- living flowers, that he … [Read more...] about How to Make a Woman Love You Forever

  I'm still laughing. I followed a link to an NPR piece about turkeys in Albany, which has some nice footage of the local flock sashaying through somebody's front yard. But you must scroll down to Sacramento TV producer Duffy Kelly's … [Read more...] about When Turkeys Go Bad

When my husband and I remodeled and expanded our home last year, my beloved rear garden was sacrificed in favor of a large new patio, hot tub, and other professional landscaping. This meant that this spring,  I needed to get busy installing some … [Read more...] about DIY stock tank veggie planter