Barbara Falconer Newhall

At Point Reyes: Wild Flowers . . . and Animals Wild and Tame

May 16, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

Elephant seals lie on beach at base of cliffs at Chimney Rock, Point Reyes, CA. Photo by BF Newhall

A wild spot just 36 miles from the urban bustle of San Francisco. The purple wildflowers are douglas irises. They’re native to the Pacific coast; some ranchers consider them weeds. Photos by BF Newhall

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A couple of weeks ago, I mourned the loss of little hill in Michigan called Eagle Top. This week I’d like to celebrate a place that, unlike Eagle Top, has been preserved in all its wild and pastoral beauty – the vast triangle of land along the California coast known as Point Reyes, especially the narrow outcropping called Chimney Rock. [Read more...]

Filed Under: A Case of the Human Condition Tagged With: chimney rock, don't miss, eagle top, nature, photos ops, point reyes national seashore, travel adventures, wild places, wildflowers

In the Garden: Look What Happened to My Front Yard Over the Weekend

May 9, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

San Francisco Bay Area rock garden with geranium and blue-eyed grass tucked alongside moss rocks. Photo by BF Newhall

Going crazy in my front yard — geraniums, blue-eyed grass (a California native) and the moss rock, at lower right. Photos by BF Newhall

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

I wasn’t looking. I was at the computer all weekend with my back to the world. When I finally took a bleary look out the window on Monday morning, I saw a front yard crazy with life – poppies, [Read more...]

Filed Under: A Case of the Human Condition Tagged With: adoptive parents, don't miss, family stories, flower photography, jillian steinberger, my unruly garden, peter, rock garden, rocks, san francisco bay area gardens

On the Shores of Lake Michigan — Eagle Top, a Wild Place Tamed

May 2, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

An August sunset over Lake Michigan from a beach near Pentwater, MI. Photo by BF Newhall

A summer sunset over Lake Michigan not too far from Eagle Top. Photo by BF Newhall

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Somebody owns Eagle Top. They bought it ten years ago and built a cottage on it. I didn’t think it was possible to buy, sell or own Eagle Top. I thought Eagle Top belonged to itself. But [Read more...]