Columns Archives - San Lorenzo Valley Post

Astrology: Autumn Harvest and Celebration

September 1, 2021September 10, 2021 slvpost.com0 comment

By Catie Cadge, PhD Welcome to the Santa Cruz Cosmic Weather Report – Evolutionary Astrology of the moment, your moment in time, our collective moment of change! Fall begins in the northern hemisphere with the autumnal equinox, September 22nd. Equinox – “Equal day/equal night” – occurs when the Sun makes its ingress into the sign, Libra. Daylight and nighttime balance… Read More

Columns Gardening

Preparing for Fall Planting

September 1, 2021September 13, 2021 slvpost.com0 comment

By Josh Reilly Fall is the season of bedrock Puritan virtues in the garden, like delayed gratification, preparedness, hard work, and thrift. It’s the best time to plant perennials, shrubs, trees, bulbs, many leafy vegetables, vines, and almost everything else (except bare root roses, best planted in January). In the San Lorenzo Valley, Fall brings the rain. Hence, savings on… Read More

Columns Farms

Love Apple Farms: Earthbound in Scotts Valley

September 1, 2021September 13, 2021 slvpost.com0 comment

By J. A. Romanoff with Julie Horner “Only two things that money can’t buy, that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes” – Guy Clark You might find it hard to believe that the tomatoes you eat on your pizza or pasta were once believed to be an aphrodisiac. Tomatoes are native to Central and South America. When they were brought to… Read More

Columns Food & Drink

Egg Custard Pie

August 21, 2021September 2, 2021 slvpost.comFood, recipes0 comment

By Alison Steele Every year for my birthday I bake egg custard pies. It’s one of my mama’s favorites and seems to tickle fond childhood memories. Treats like spoon bread, egg custard, bread pudding, and cream pie were readily made on their small backwoods farm from fresh eggs, freshly skimmed cream, raw milk, and day-old bread. Becoming harder and harder… Read More

Ben Lomond Fire station vintage photograph

Columns History

Pflueger and Rivera and the Ben Lomond Fire Station

August 19, 2021August 29, 2021 slvpost.com0 comment

By Randall Brown A remarkable event is taking place at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Diego Rivera’s epic mural – “The Marriage of the Artistic Expression of the North and of the South on this Continent” – is being shown to the public for the first time in 80 years. The spectacular fresco – 74 by 22 feet… Read More

Columns Food & Drink

The Buns of Summer

August 14, 2021August 27, 2021 slvpost.com0 comment

Part 3 in the Mountain Fermenters series on summer cooking By Greg Roe and Mike De Smidt In the last two installments of our summer series, we discussed the perfect summer beer and fermented condiments. In this 3rd installment, we’ll discuss how to make your own fermented sourdough hamburger and hot dog buns for your summer feasts.. The most important… Read More

Columns Gardening

Seasonal Gardening: Pots and Containers in Summer

August 1, 2021August 19, 2021 slvpost.com0 comment

By Josh Reilly Most gardeners have at least a few pots around the yard. You can move pots seasonally, if your plants need more, or less, sun in summer, or frost protection in winter in a greenhouse or under your roof eaves. You may just like moving things around from time to time. Pots are, mostly, gopher-proof (animals keep effort… Read More

Columns Fire Recovery Real Estate

SLV Homes: Defensible Space and Home Hardening

August 1, 2021August 14, 2021 slvpost.comdefensible space, fire recovery, home hardening0 comment

By M.C. Dwyer Given the one year anniversary of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, here’s a summary of the Santa Cruz Association of Realtors Fire Safety and Prevention Panel, presented by Mark Bingham, Boulder Creek Fire Chief; Mike Ayers, Ben Lomond Assistant Chief; Mike DeMars, Fire Marshall Central Fire District; and Greg Vandervoort, Fire Prevention Captain at Scotts Valley Fire… Read More

Astrology Columns

Astrology: Leo Season Shines

July 31, 2021August 11, 2021 slvpost.com0 comment

By Catie Cadge, PhD Welcome to the Santa Cruz Cosmic Weather Report – Evolutionary Astrology of the moment, your moment in time, our collective moment of change! August, the heart of Leo season. Time to shine brightly like the hot summer Sun and radiate love with a generous heart and with self-expressive gusto! It is hard not to recall the… Read More

Columns Food & Drink

Elderflower Soda

July 11, 2021August 21, 2021 slvpost.comFood, recipes0 comment

By Alison Steele The elderberry tree (Sambucus nigra) is native and to both Virginia and California. It waves its abundant white flowers in processions along mountain roads and stands watch in the corners of cultivated gardens in early to mid summer. My mother’s Mennonite Community cookbook, from 1950, offers recipes for pies, jams, jellies, vinegars, cordials, and wine including this… Read More