Strength Of The Small

Fundraiser for Frédéric V. Mamia

By JM PerezOctober 28, 20232 min read538 views

Dear Friends and Readers,

I am reaching out today, on behalf of the Mamia’s family, to let you know that they need your help.
Just a few days ago, their son, brother, and our friend, Frédéric Mamia, was rushed to the hospital unconscious and has since been going in and out of consciousness.

Our friend is gravely ill and needs urgent intervention. He is very sick, and his treatment is too costly for his family to pay for alone, but we can help ease the financial burden and stress that they are facing.

I have organized a few fundraisers in the past; however, those fundraisers were to support the bereaved.
This is the first fundraiser I am organizing to assist the living, and I hope that you can all lend a hand.

If you’d like to show your support, you can help in the following ways:

By sending your donation directly to his senior brother, Matthieu Mahouve, at +(237) 6 99 93 82 07
By donating here. For transparency purpose, names of donors and donation amounts will be listed here. Should you prefer to remain anonymous from the public, let me know.
By praying for Frédéric and his family

Please take a minute and make a donation. Frédéric, who has given us so much joy over the years and is now fighting for his life, truly needs our help. Any funds donated will help save Frédéric’s life.

“If Kindness could be passed along, unrestrainedly, as forward messages, the World would be a better place.” ― Joan Ambu

CONTRIBUTORS LIST:

Joan Ambu – $200
Lionel Njeukam – $50

Anonymous – $80
William Fotso – $80

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By JM Perez

Ground Squirrel Plant Propagation Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Summer End Happenings

By JM PerezOctober 2, 20232 min read484 views

It has been quite an interesting couple of weeks here. The weather has been hectic and it’s hard to tell if we are still in Summer or moved onto Fall. One week it’s scorching hot and the next it’s very cold; then having to deal with allergies and everything in between. Nevertheless, it feels good to welcome a new season.

A few days ago, a young chicken found itself into our backyard, and it was quite hilarious to watch my kids run after it in multiple attempts to get it to return to where it came from. One of our close neighbor’s have a chicken coop, and strangely, the chickens prefer to sleep in a tree. It took a while, but in the end, the young chicken climbed onto a bench and flew into a different neighbor’s backyard. We all had a good laugh and workout out of it …

A few months ago I experienced first hand how invasive the ‘Madame Galen’ Trumpet Vine can get.
Last Fall, we trimmed the vine back to the main trunk and relocated it by an opened area next to the storage shed. We thought we took out all the roots, only to find out a few months later (after it rained heavily) that this plant is extremely invasive. Young plants began emerging and worsened each time we got rid of it. Two weeks ago, we dug a large area, found the main root and pulled it out. Keeping our fingers crossed!

Finally, after months of trial and error, we caught one of two mischievous squirrels. These rodents are becoming smarter when it comes to avoiding traps. They have destroyed so many of my tender and younger plants that I am now going back to using chicken wire to protect the most vulnerable plants.

I have been doing a lot of cleaning in and around the house. Indoors, I have been sorting, organizing, re-organizing, getting rid of, and giving away stuff someone else could use. There’s still much to do, but as of now, it’s good. Outdoors, we finally finished the deck.

Happy gardening.

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By JM Perez

Hiking Outdoor Adventures Destinations Nature Flowers Shrubs & Trees

A Day Exploring Wrightwood, CA

By RachelJuly 15, 20231 min read634 views

Yesterday we visited Wrightwood, CA to go hiking and sightseeing.

We stopped by The Big Pines Visitor Center to get information.

The Big Pines Visitor Center is a historical building built in 1924. It is open Mondays through Fridays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m, and you can obtain National Forest Adventure Passes, Campfire Permits, and much more. There are two hiking sites: the Blue Ridge Trail which is across the road and Big Pines Nature Trail which is above the visitor center building. Restrooms are across the road.

*The Big Pines Visitor Information Guide Board.*

The start of the Nature Trail is above the staircase. The walk is quite simple despite a few steep areas. After a certain point, you can’t go further due to the possibility of encountering a Mountain Lion.

Due to the extreme weather, we did not venture on the Blue Ridge Trail.

There is a sitting area across the road. It’s next to the public restrooms and the parking leading to the Blue Ridge Trail.

*Sitting Area across The Big Pines Information Station.*

While hiking, we spotted a few native plants on our way up:

Arctostaphylos Parryana (also known as Parry Manzanita), Eriastrum Sapphirinum (also known as Sapphire Woollystar), Asclepias Californica (also known as California Milkweed), Castilleja Applegatei (also known as Applegate’s Indian Paintbrush ), Phacelia Ramosissima (also known as Branching Phacelia), Penstemon Speciosus (also known as Royal Penstemon), Justicia Californica (also known as Chuparosa), Astragalus Lentiginosus (also known as Freckled Milkvetch), and Hypericum Calycinum (also known as Creeping St. John’s Wort).

We wrapped up our trip by visiting Alice’s Vintage Cottage.

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