ReportWire

Tag: redwood

  • 10 Ways to Save Money on a New Patio – Gardenista

    If you’re upgrading an existing landscape, you can reuse pavers from an old path or patio to create your new outdoor space.

    7. Build a patio in stages.

    Above: Photograph by Brett Wood, courtesy of Dirt Queen NYC, from Before & After: A Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, Backyard Reimagined.

    To save money on construction costs, build a patio in sections. If you need to have soil compacted to create a solid base for a patio, plan ahead by leveling the entire area. Then build the patio in stages, as your budget allows for expansion. In the meantime, you can cover the unused area with mulch.

    8. Mix and match materials.

    The concrete pad at the edge of the deck was existing when the homeowners bought the house. Photograph courtesy of Terremoto, from Before & After: From Desert to Redwood Forest, the Essence of California in One LA Garden.
    Above: The concrete pad at the edge of the deck was existing when the homeowners bought the house. Photograph courtesy of Terremoto, from Before & After: From Desert to Redwood Forest, the Essence of California in One LA Garden.

    “The first thing you do in a small garden project is to take inventory to do an analysis, so you can make decisions about the things that are existing and are good,” says landscape architect David Godshall of Terremoto, who elected to salvage an existing concrete patio as part of a garden rehab (shown above) in Los Angeles.

    Mixing materials—such as redwood decking and poured concrete—can add interest and texture to a patio (while saving money).

    9. Create a focal point with inexpensive furnishings.

    Ikea chairs flank a ceramic stool-turned-side table. Photograph by Matthew Williams.
    Above: Ikea chairs flank a ceramic stool-turned-side table. Photograph by Matthew Williams.

    Instead of expensive outdoor furniture, you can hang a hammock to create a focal point for the patio. Create a seating arrangement with flea market finds or outdoor furniture from Ikea—versatile pieces can do double duty indoors in the off season.

    1o. Define a patio’s perimeter with potted plants.

    Above: See more at Enchanted Garden: Whimsy and Wit at Palihouse in Santa Monica. Photograph by Bethany Nauert.

    Building a fence or wall around a patio is an expensive undertaking. A budget-friendly alternative to create privacy is to group together a few tall potted plants.

    See more ideas:

    N.B.: This post was first published January 2019; it has been updated with new photos, prices, and links.

    (Visited 3,735 times, 209 visits today)

    Source link

  • Here’s the latest design for the newly issued California driver’s license

    California driver’s licenses are getting yet another redesign with new security measures — but motorists don’t have to race to their nearest DMV office to update theirs.

    Starting Wednesday, newly issued driver’s license and identification cards will include additional features, including a first-in-the-nation digital signature, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

    The driver’s license or ID in your wallet is still valid until the expiration date.

    “While I know some of our customers will want the new version of the driver’s license, there is no need to replace an existing license or identification card until your current one expires,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon.

    The fee for renewing your driver’s license remains at $45. An ID renewal is $39.

    What’s changed for the license and ID

    Say goodbye to the gold miner, agricultural lands, sailboats and the shape of the Golden State shown on the backgrounds of existing driver’s licenses.

    The new design includes California’s redwoods, poppies and coastline.

    What hasn’t changed is the REAL ID symbol, which is a golden bear with a star in the upper-right corner.

    New security features

    The new cards use “next-generation technology to enhance security,” including anti-counterfeit measures, Gordon said.

    The DMV has added a digital security signature to one of the two bar codes on the back of the cards.

    The magnetic strip on the back of the old driver’s license and ID has been removed in this redesign.

    Why is there another update to the California ID?

    California driver’s license and identification cards are updated periodically to improve security, according to DMV officials.

    The last time the card had a new design and security features was in 2010.

    The look of the card was changed in 2018 with the implementation of REAL ID, which upgraded the security measures needed to fly on domestic airlines and enter federal buildings. It was a program that was first proposed after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

    Karen Garcia

    Source link

  • A seemingly cursed Big Sur hiking trail finally reopens. But for how long?

    Even in picturesque California, few landscapes are as stunning – or as fragile – as Big Sur. The constant storms and seismic activity that forged its dramatic cliffs and canyons also make its infrastructure a nightmare to maintain.

    The primary road through the region, world-famous Highway 1, which clings to cliffs high above the Pacific Ocean in postcard worthy fashion, is almost constantly closed by landslides, isolating communities and stranding weary travelers.

    Local hiking trails don’t fare much better.

    The Pfeiffer Falls Trail intersects with the Valley View Trail, a lovely loop that provides gorgeous views of the state park clear out to the Pacific.

    (Lisa Winner / Save the Redwoods League)

    So, as if they had just taken a deep breath and crossed their fingers, California State Parks officials announced this week that one of the region’s most beloved hikes, the Pfeiffer Falls Trail, will finally reopen after a towering redwood collapsed in a 2023 storm taking out its signature pedestrian bridge.

    The trail, a .75 mile stroll that cuts through Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and ends with a stunning view of a 60-foot waterfall, is one of the prime draws for a park that attracts roughly 750,000 people each year.

    For such a short walk, the trail has a long history.

    In 2008, the 162,818-acre Basin Complex Fire devastated much of the route and surrounding forest. It took $2 million and nearly 13 years to complete a renovation project — removing aged and damaged concrete, rerouting the trail and constructing the bridge — to finally reopen the hike in June 2021.

    About 18-months later, that storm arrived and a towering redwood crashed the party.

    The Pfeiffer Falls Bridge in 2023 after a fallen tree damaged the structure

    The Pfeiffer Falls Bridge in 2023 after a giant redwood fell on part of the structure, closing the trail.

    (California State Parks)

    The tree splintered a 15-foot section of the bridge. Crews salvaged much of the original structure but replaced the damaged section with fiber-reinforced polymer in the hope of making the span stronger and more resilient to its unforgiving environment.

    “It’s unfortunate that the trail had to close so soon after our original renovations,” said Matthew Gomez, senior parks program manager for Save the Redwoods League, a non-profit that helped with the repairs. “But our close partnership with California State Parks allowed us to rebuild the bridge better than ever.”

    It is a truly spectacular hike. Enjoy it while it lasts.

    Jack Dolan

    Source link

  • The Henry Miller Memorial Library Announces the Final Big Sur Redwood Auction, Sunday October 6th at 12 PM

    The Henry Miller Memorial Library Announces the Final Big Sur Redwood Auction, Sunday October 6th at 12 PM

    Nonprofit arts center will auction off 12 unique old-growth redwood slabs cut from a 500-year old tree that fell on the property in 2012

    Press Release



    updated: Sep 7, 2019

    ​​​​​​​​​​​​​Decades before Europeans first stepped foot in California, a 200-foot old-growth coast redwood tree stood in Big Sur, California, approximately 36.2703° N, 121.8064° W.

    In 1965, writer and Big Sur resident Henry Miller’s best friend Emil White built a cabin a mere fifty yards from the tree. In 1980, Emil named the property the Henry Miller Memorial Library to honor his friend. For the next 35 years, the Library hosted countless concerts including Philip Glass, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and David Crosby, plus workshops, exhibits, and weddings.

    On Sept. 11, 2012, prior to a Flaming Lips performance, tree trimmer Tracy Chesebrough climbed the tree to hang a disco ball. Afterward, he turned to staffer Mike Scutari and said, “That tree’s coming down soon.” Mike laughed. 

    In December, Mike was at the Library when he heard a loud cracking sound. He ran outside and saw the tree trunk explode. Glacially, and defiantly taking down a power pole and telephone lines, the tree finally settled on the ground.

    Examining the wood a week later, local lumberjacks were amazed at what they found: pure, pristine, unadulterated redwood.

    Henry Miller Memorial Library Executive Director Toren attributes the quality of the wood to the curvature of the tree itself. “This tree has grown over the centuries in a curve creating intense, and very unusual, pressure near the bottom. The tree had its center just over 2 feet from the one edge and 7 feet from the other resulting in the growth rings growing over a period of over 500 years 2 feet on the one side and 7 feet on the other!”

    According to the National Park Service, 96 percent of the original old-growth coast redwoods have been logged. So when an original old-growth redwood tree falls, and when it’s discovered to be comprised of pure, beautiful redwood, it is, once again, nothing short of miraculous.

    The Library auctioned off 10 slabs each at auctions in 2014 and 2015, generating $110,000. The funds come as the Library is working on upgrades to meet regulatory mandates, including structural modifications for ADA compliance, creating a new water system, and upgrading existing bathrooms.

    The Oct. 6 auction will be the last time the public will be able to purchase slabs from this tree.

    The auction will be held on Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Henry Miller Memorial Library, 48603 Highway 1 in Big Sur, 25 miles south of Carmel and 1/4 mile south Nepenthe restaurant.

    Auction sign-up and inspection is from 1 to 4 p.m. Bidding begins at 4 p.m.

    Buyers can bid remotely. Call the Library at 831-667-2574 or email Mike Scutari at mike@henrymiller.org.

    Visit www.henrymiller.org for more information.

    Source: Henry Miller Memorial Library

    Source link