Pint of joe coffee beer Columns Food & Drink 

A Pint of Joe: Best of All Worlds – Coffee in Beer

By Mike De Smidt and Greg Roe  One of the reasons we enjoy beer and the process of designing and brewing it are the endless possibilities. Fruit, spices, alternative grains (everything other than the traditional barley), you name it; there’s probably somebody somewhere who has experimented with putting it in a beer. One such experiment that has yielded some truly… Read More
Emily Pomeroy Photography oyster mushroom Columnists Columns Food & Drink 

Foraged Wild Mushrooms: A Conversation with Bob Wynn

By Julie Horner Lompico’s beloved mushroom gastronomist, Bob Wynn said, “Typically right now I would be knee deep in mushrooms getting ready for the Fungus Faire.” If not for the pandemic, the 47th annual Fungus Fair would have taken place the second weekend in January at the Louden Nelson Community Center in Santa Cruz. Wynn presented cooking demonstrations and sold… Read More
February Gardeing Columns Gardening 

February in the Garden

By Marielle Martin Gardening in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains means contending with a variety of microclimates and conditions. We have forested mountainous terrain offering sunlight challenges, a marine influence, and a range of soil types. Fortunately, our temperate climate makes for a longer gardening season and a variety of plants thrive here. In general, our frost-free season begins the… Read More
Catie Cade Astrology Astrology Columns 

Cosmic Weather Report for February 2021

By Catie Cadge Welcome to the Santa Cruz Cosmic Weather Report – Evolutionary Astrology of the moment, your moment in time, our collective moment of change! We so often think of February as THE month for romantic love, and this month astrology underscores cupid’s theme! Winter blues leave us desiring spring’s arrival. Valentine’s Day comes around to cheer us up… Read More
Open for business in the san lorenzo valley Business Columns 

Business Opportunities and Predictions for 2021

By Chris Miller When you combine this past year’s unprecedented experiences with 15+ years as CEO, customer and partner interactions, countless technical training and certifications, and reading any technical trend article and email I can get my hands on, you might have a pretty solid understanding of which technologies and strategies to make a priority for your optimal business success.… Read More
San Lorenzo Valley water drought wildfire Columns Fire Water 

San Lorenzo Valley Water, Drought, and Winter Fires

Californians have a fraught history with drought. Historical data indicates the state has at least one period that can be classified as a “drought” every decade. According to the United States Geological Survey Center’s (USGS) California Water Science Center, a drought is defined as, “a period with drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems.” Read More
Imbolc fire festival dragons lair Columns 

Barefoot on the Crooked Path: Dragon’s Fire

By Melinda McNutt, Seanchaidh Time and weather had worn spaces in the old barn planks allowing light to pierce the abyss; half illuminating the mysteries held inside. Stones stacked upon each other, mortared together with ancient mud. Tools made from iron and wood hung about becoming shadow appendages. Leathery remains of wings suspended from the roof. Noses pressed into crevices brought… Read More