Test PB Collection: FTE

Although individual extreme weather events cannot yet be reliably linked to global climate change, the warming planet may be contributing to recent weather disasters in California. Across the state, 129 million trees died as a result of the drought of 2011-2016, many of them in the Sierra Nevada.

It was heaven in the bee haven. As temperatures climbed into the seventies last Saturday, honey bees foraged in the California native plant, Brandegee's sage (Salvia brandegeei). and pollinated the almond blossoms. It seemed like spring.

I mentioned last week that visits to the counties really help me see successes and challenges in context. Today was full of that sentiment.

Raise your hands! How many of you love bugs? If you had asked that question at the Bohart Museum of Entomology open house at the seventh annual Biodiversity Museum Day last Saturday at the University of California, Davis, the Yellow Shirts would have been proud.

Has anyone beside me noticed that the sun isn't at hot anymore? Actually, truth be known, it's been more than nippy outside lately.

I have three camellia plants, in my yard. The first one of the three shrubs blooms mid-January. The other two usually late February and March. The early bloomer is Camellia japonica 'Night Rider' just as the name suggests it is a very dark maroon almost black with semi double blossoms.

After almost 6 weeks without a substantial rainstorm, there is finally some precipitation starting to appear in the 10-day forecast for the Sacramento Valley. The lack of rain thus far has made it difficult to proceed with N fertilizer topdress applications in non-irrigated wheat fields this season.

We have a couple of upcoming seminars starting this Saturday in Chino Hills and Crestline. Hope to see you there.

While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Venezuela, Mark Gaskell got his first experience with thriving coffee plantations.

Put yourself for a minute in some kid-sized shoes. Let's call you Maggie. You are in third grade. Your dad works full time and he picked you up from the afterschool program at 6:00 p.m. You and dad got home about 7:00 p.m.