By Wendy Langhans While I was grading theology papers the other day, I came across a questionable statement,  “rebirth is always progressive”.  I smiled to myself as two pictures came into my mind, pictures that were taken last Saturday in Aliso Canyon, documenting the rebirth that was occurring in the aftermath of last year’s destructive Station Fire. Was this rebirth ...

By Wendy Langhans The e-mail header asked, “Do you know what this is?”  Whenever I receive an e-mail like this, I never know what I’m going to find.  It could be simple, an easy-to-answer question or it could be a bit more challenging, like this one turned out to be.  But there is an upside to a challenging question – ...

By Wendy Langhans Oh look, there goes one….and there goes another…the air was full of them.  I was sitting out on my back porch, enjoying a cup of tea, literally watching the world pass by. The sky was full of tiny little white pieces of fluff, swirling past me on the ever-changing air currents.  What was going on? The fluff ...

By Wendy Langhans One afternoon last week, Mr. Langhans and I played hookey.  We ditched our “to do” list and took a drive out to the Antelope Valley Poppy reserve. But before we left, we had a “discussion” about whether or not to bring umbrellas.  He’s much more worried about getting wet that I am.  As it turned out, the weather was ...

By Wendy Langhans If you spend any time at all outdoors, you can’t help but notice that our valley is rich with new growth.  Trees are budding, flowers are in bloom, and even normally sane people are purchasing Topsy-Turvy upside-down tomato planters. Over time, plants have evolved to take advantage of our growing season.  They have developed three strategies to ...

By Wendy Langhans What’s the worst thing you’ve ever smelled?  A pair of “forgotten” gym socks?  Leftovers tucked away at the back of the fridge?  A dog who had an unfortunate encounter with a skunk? Last Saturday, Mr. Langhans and I went for a wildflower hike at the Tejon Ranch Conservancy property near Arvin, about a 75 minute drive north of ...

By Wendy Langhans Ahhh.  The smell of fresh coffee the first thing in the morning.  Whether you brew it yourself or visit the local coffee shop, many people start their day with a dose of caffeine.  But humans aren’t the only baristas – certain flowers lace their nectar with caffeine too. Sugar is the main ingredient in floral nectars.  But ...

By Wendy Langhans Who hasn’t been stung by a bee or a wasp at some point in their life?    Kids scream, “Ow”!  Adults often mutter something a bit more “earthy”.  Now you are probably thinking, here’s another story about how to avoid or treat a bee sting.  Nope. There are plenty of places where you can find that kind of ...

By Wendy Langhans   A dab of that green paste, smooshed with a dollop of soy sauce. Put too much on a tuna roll and it will bring tears to your eyes. That’s because mustard oil, the pungent ingredient found in mustard, garlic and Wasabi, activates our TRPA1 pain receptor. But that’s not all the TRPA1 does. Recently, scientists have ...

By Wendy Langhans This story has all the earmarks of a classic Harlequin romance.  A story of consuming passion, condemned by society, between a Bladderpod, a colorful boxer with “issues”, and a Harlequin bug, a zombie mother who, when threatened, feigns her own death and abandons her offspring. Oh, and did I mention she’s an immigrant too?  And best of ...