Sorry, not sorry for Ashli and familyI know Babbitt is someone’s daughter/wife/friend, but Capitol police showed incredible restraint by not firing at will on this deluded group of thugs (“Questions Ashli Babbitt left behind”, Cover …
Hummingbirds are zipping around San Diego County’s backyard gardens, scrub-covered coastal hillsides, and the warming Anza-Borrego Desert. Seasonal hummingbirds are making their way back to Southern California in preparation for breeding season in early Spring. …
Wistful for WilkI want to say thank you to David Levinson Wilk, whose final crossword appeared in an early January edition of the Reader (Crossword, January 4, 2024). For years, Wilk’s puzzles were much more fun …
Ornamental Pear Trees, one of the earliest-to-bloom trees in San Diego, are about to bear their white flowers. The thousands of blossoms appear in sheets and clusters, looking rather like snow when viewed from a …
Highest Monthly Rainfall totals in San Diego are most likely to occur in January and February (about 1.9 inches each, on average) according to weather-service statistics. If low temperatures accompany the typical Pacific storms of this …
Piqued Potato Chip populist protestsRyan Brothers, we get it. All of your journalists, (I mean you too, Siobhan), are displeased with the dystopian potato chip (“Potato Chip Rock from Poway”, Roam, January 5, 2024). While …
Recent Big Ocean Swells and wild surf conditions left some area beaches partially or wholly denuded of sand. The powerful waves pulled sand off the beach and moved it into deeper waters offshore, leaving behind …
Recent Chilly Days and Nights only confirm that San Diego’s lowest temperatures (according to more than a century of weather records) tend to occur during the month of January. January’s mean temperature at Lindbergh Field …
Gray Whale Migration Off San Diego County’s Coast peaks from now until February. The best view spots from land are high points close to the surf. Aside from the whale watching overlook at Cabrillo National …
Dan: a man with a planDan has a vision predicated on many trips around the world. He knows firsthand what world-class cities have for infrastructure and transportation.Dan is going to reform the political corruption that …
Poinsettias, a favorite of backyard gardeners, are now exhibiting their scarlet, petal-like bracts, just in time for the holidays. The onset of 14-hour-long nights triggers their scarlet behavior: In San Diego this condition is met …
Tree Aloes, the familiar succulent plants with red-hot-pokerlike flower clusters, are at their blooming best in January, but are showing off already around town. Large clumps of aloes can be seen at La Jolla Cove, …
Spelunkers are nutsYeah, just a brief comment on your story, (“Why do I do this? A conversation with the rational voice in Thunder Canyon Cave”, Cover Story, Nov. 23). About 72 years ago on the …
Shorebird-Watching enters its most agreeable season this month, with migrant and resident birds sharing common winter grounds. Egrets, herons, terns, and a variety of other species provide endless entertainment as they go about the business …
Ilustration by Oleh Kuzminskyi, Getty ImagesThe Nutcracker1100 Third AvenueDowntownThere are many, many Nutcrackers out there. If you haven’t seen this one, then maybe it’s time. The day may come when the San Diego Civic Theatre …
Loss of moral compassIt’s crazy that you will allow such a disgraceful lie to be published on your site (“How Scholder Got His Groove Back”, SD on the QT, Oct. 6, 2023). This is defamation …
San Diego’s Earliest Sunset (4:42 pm) Occurs December 3, a date that does not coincide with the shortest day (winter solstice – December 21) because of factors relating to the non-circular shape of Earth’s orbit …
Fish story vs. surf taleYes, I enjoyed the story (“Big Fish Small Boat,” Cover Story, Nov. 9). It reminded me of my younger brother Scott Cherry, who got his picture in Surfer magazine when he …
Extreme High and Low Tides are set to occur over several days in late November. On Sunday, November 25, the tide reaches a high of 7.22 feet at 7:50 am and then falls to -1.31 …
November’s and December’s Vividly Colorful Sunsets and sunrises are no accident. This is the time of year when high cirrus clouds, often the precursors of storms, sweep through our area with some regularity. When cirrus …
Sycamores, found in San Diego’s coastal and foothill canyons as well as in suburban and park landscaping, stand at their autumnal best this time of year. Stroll beneath their crispy, rustling canopies and catch the …
Will miss nude weekendsI read your article, (“Naked Hostilities”, Cover Story, Oct. 26), with great interest. We used to travel to De Anza Springs Resort often from the time that the Landmans first opened the …
Autumn Color in San Diego County’s mountains reaches its greatest intensity in late October and early November. The forested heights of Palomar Mountain are especially colorful right now. Black oaks on Palomar’s rolling uplands will …
Sunday | 5Fall Back FestivalHistorical street faire to learn about San Diego’s cultural history by participating in an assortment of activities and demonstrations. Observe a blacksmith displaying his trade, enter in a pie eating contest, …
Extreme High Tides Are Occurring This Weekend, Saturday’s will be +7.09 feet at 9:18 am, Sunday will be +7.19 feet at 9:50 am, and Monday +7.05 feet at 10:22 am. If we get large waves …
Lake loreYour article on Clark Lake was interesting (“Hilary filled Clark Dry Lake 7-10 inches in August”, Neighborhood News, Oct. 3), but the writer is misinformed regarding the connection to Ancient Lake Cahuilla.The high-water mark …
The Tawny Hues Of The Black Oak Tree are just beginning to highlight the slopes of San Diego County’s higher mountains. Named for the dark coloring of its bark, especially when wet, the black oak …
Shining a light on the lighthouseI’ve really enjoyed the “Best Of” (“San Diego Reader Best Of 2023”, Cover Story, Oct. 4) editions from year to year and it’s my guess that you get a lot …
Make Sure To Catch The Annular Solar Eclipse On October 14. No, annular does not mean “yearly;” it’s taken from the Latin word anulus, meaning “little ring.” In geometry, the annulus is the space between …
Flower feelsThere’s a magnetic pull to flowers that elevates your mood.Stone rolls onStone: not just beer any more — but still very much beer.Pandemic problems, produce solutionsA tightly packed cubic foot of garden goodness, delivered …
Orb Weaver Spiders Are Everywhere! Late summer rains have increased the insect population, which means well-fed spiders, and well-fed spiders have the energy to create more spiders. Right now, that means a lot of Orb …
Explain the giftSo, Mister Cate landed a plumb position on the board of Voice of San Diego. (“Chris Cate – magnet for political fines,” Under the Radar, September 21, 2023) Maybe the great Cate ought …
Recent Rains Have Left Lots Of Standing Water Behind, and it is in these pools that the “ankle biter” mosquito spawns. The first Aedes Aegypti mosquito was seen in San Diego in 2014; they are …
“No bananas” missing a bunch (of words)Please note that the printed edition of the San Diego Reader for this week (“No bananas”, Cover Story, September 14) had a duplication on pages 6 and 12. The …
Spider Webs, Decorated With Countless Tiny Dew Droplets, are a beautiful sight on foggy autumn mornings. Look for them in San Diego’s wild canyons and park areas, or in your own back yard.The Recent Weather …
Restaurant noiseOn the topic of "aural invasions"(“How will the Padres fix Gallagher Square?”, Cover Story, August 23): One thing that bothers my wife (German) and I (expatriate Californian) when we visit the U.S. lately is …
The Time of Sunset changes most rapidly this time of the year. This is mainly because the sun is swinging rapidly south along the ecliptic (its apparent path through the background stars). From the latitude …
Chaparral, The Tangled Assortment Of Low-Growing, drought-resistant, native shrubs covering most of San Diego County’s lower mountain slopes, has managed to remain fairly attractive this summer. Unlike many of the scrubby natives near the coast, …
Blowers gonna blowLeaf blowers banned in '24? (“Noise is a necessary obscenity”, Cover Story, August 24) Not a chance my friend; this is gonna be another example of a law on the books that will …
It’s open grunion season for the last time this year on Wednesday-Saturday, August 16-19. Roughly between the hours of 10pm and 1am, just after the nocturnal highest tide, the small, silvery grunion tend to spawn …
Doesn’t like SpikeI don’t know what’s more bloated — Spike Steffenhagen’s bladder or his ego. Reading his yappy drivel (“San Diegans split on public access to bathrooms”, Cover Story, July 26), I imagine some dime-a-dozen …
San Diego’s Warmest Weather, on average, should be occurring right now, according to statistics compiled from several decades of measurements taken near the San Diego International Airport. In an average year, coastal residents enjoy an …
Pee problem’s simple solutionLike some of the people mentioned in (“No restrooms for the weary”, Cover Story, July 27, 2023), I am someone who gets quite angry when told by a business that there are …
Birdwatchers need not despair now that the winter migrants are gone. Plenty of shore birds can be found on summer evenings in the natural coastal wetland areas of San Diego County. From south to north, …
Orioles, the bright yellow or yellow- orange-and-black birds seen flitting among the palm trees, are summer residents of San Diego County’s coastal areas. A century ago, they preferred to nest in sycamore trees, which were …
Alas for the bass The article by Daniel Powell (“Half Day South”, Cover Story, July 13, 2023) included a picture of a 75 lb. black sea bass (possibly too young to reproduce) that he killed …
Cumulonimbus Clouds, or thunderheads, are most likely to form over San Diego County’s deserts and mountains during the latter part of the summer season, beginning around late July. The clouds appear by mid-afternoon — often …
Colorful Foliage along San Diego’s coastline lingers, despite the lack of rainfall and warmer, drier days. In the older, landscaped neighborhoods of Coronado, Point Loma, Pacific Beach, and La Jolla, you’ll find oleander and hibiscus …
Did Ed Bedford drop his fork? Hey, I noticed Ed hasn’t written anything for Tin Fork in a while. I’ve been reading it since I was a teenager and it’s become somewhat of a comfort …
Grunion Open Season is happening again this week (evenings of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 3-6) roughly between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am, following the nocturnal high tide. The small, silvery …