TimJFowler's blog

As the old saying goes, roughly: progress is not a straight or steady path.

Less than two years ago I replaced a broken coffee grinder. The old coffee grinder was unrepairable, yet it had worked for over 25 years. I just fixed the 'new' grinder which had a frayed power cord due to a design / manufacturing flaw (the sliding cord cover cut the wire insulation). Somehow this doesn't feel like progress.

Late 2015 and early 2016 have been an interesting time in the eco/enviro world. An international agreement was reached in Paris at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) to reduce CO2 emissions. Yay! Following COP21 it was announced that 2015 was the warmest year and January 2016 was the warmest month (measured globally) on record. Boo! What to do when bad news effectively cancels out the good news of a month earlier? I think it calls for both resolutions and resolve.

Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum). After a wet spring and much watering the Shasta Daisies are in full bloom. These flowers are neither native (a hybrid created by Luther Burbank) nor xeric (in our climate) we have made an exception for this small planting.

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Shasta Daisy

Leucanthemum × superbum

Luther Burbank

One of my trip goals was to bicycle as much as possible during our stay. This turned out to be much easier than I expected. Due to projects like Paris Respire and Plan Vélo Paris has become a relatively friendly city for bicyclists. With Vélib' kiosks throughout the city, finding a bicycle to ride is quite easy. Vélib' bikes are perfectly usable, if a bit heavy, city bikes with 3 gears, fenders and a basket. During our stay I learned a few tips that made cycling in Paris even easier.

While getting ready for a family trip this spring I came across the headline, Paris Briefly Tops World Charts for Air Pollution. Yikes! This is not the sort of news you want to read about your vacation destination. Fortunately, car restrictions and breezy weather helped to clear the air before we arrived. We loved Paris in the springtime with both blue and gray skies and even a little drizzle.

While I prefer multiple gears and brakes on both wheels (as opposed to fixies with a front brake only) I do agree the message of this poster.

'Biking is work. You are the engine.

  Your legs pump the pedals that rotate the sprocket. Its teeth grab the chain, rotating the back wheel, and you are fearlessly propelled forward. Gyroscopic and centrifugal forces help keep you balanced, all while you swerve, turn and switch gears.

A few days into January and I finally have a moment to reflect on the past year. I didn't finish all the projects I wanted to (Shock!). Nor did I write as much as I intended to (Surprise!). But, I did finish some tasks and started a few more. What lies ahead in 2015? Quite a lot.

Lanceleaf Coreopsis, aka Coreopsis lanceolata L., is yet another native perennial growing in our yard. Lanceleaf Coreopsis is a member of Asteraceae (the Aster family) and it has been blooming for the past month or so. While this flower is currently a single plant, I'm hoping it will spread via rhizome or seed across our yard.

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Plant Fact Sheet - Lance-Leaf Coreopsis

Coreopsis lanceolata

Yellow Prairie Coneflower & Mexican Hat are two color variations of Ratibida columnifera a native, perennial flower we have scattered across our front, side and back yards. Once I learned to recognize their leaves in the early season (sometimes a native plant can look like a weed to untrained eyes) these yellow and/or red daisy-like flowers started growing around our home. Bees love these tough and colorful coneflowers.

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