Local Columns
“On the Come Up” by Travis Hunter is a young adult book that doesn’t include profanity, blood and guts, sappy romance or magic and is totally without vampires.
Question: I planted an orchard about 4 years ago here in Pahrump. I planted many different fruit varieties and have come to find some of them do not work here. Their blossoms and foliage, in most cases, are very beautiful, but the fruit does not ripen. I was wondering about some other fruit trees that may work in our area.
“Take this job and shove it. I ain’t working here no more.” Those words from my favorite country song occurred to me last week in my day job, following a particularly busy week. Running a golf course could be fun. Running two would probably double the excitement.
Have you ever wondered why you wear underwear? In the new kids’ book “50 Underwear Questions: A Bare-All History” by Tanya Lloyd Kyi, illustrated by Ross Kinnaird, you’ll find out.
Question: I have a Washington navel orange which is about four or five years old. The fruit is splitting. What causes this?
Travel around Summerlin with an observant eye and you’ll soon discover that an alarming number of folks still don’t understand it’s illegal to text and use hand-held cell phones while driving. Or, maybe they just don’t give a hoot.
Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 to provide a wintering habitat for migratory birds including a large variety of waterfowl. “Pahranagat” is a Paiute word meaning “valley of shining water.” The refuge encompasses about 5,380 acres of lakes, cattail marshes, wet meadows, riparian habitats and even desert uplands.
Question: In March of this year I planted a 2-foot tree with few leaves. It now has grown to 4 feet with a wide spread of branches. It is planted in an 18-inch pot in the southeast section of my yard. Will this tree continue to grow in a container? If so, should I transplant it to a larger container? I grow citrus trees in containers and in the ground successfully. This is my first attempt to grow a peach tree.
“Barn Boot Blues,” an teen angst-free novel about a city girl’s relocation to a farm, is a real kick.
A water conservation program offering a rebate encouraging property owners to remove grass in favor of desert landscaping has come under attack in some quarters for permitting one property owner to renew his love affair with a lawn.
Question: My husband and I spend four months away from the valley during the summer. When we returned in late September, we could not believe the number of flies in our yard, and because we are used to leaving our doors open, in our house.
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge serves at least two important functions: Preserving rare creatures and plants, and preserving the sanity of urban visitors by surrounding them with the beauty of green wetlands, glimpses of small fish darting through natural pools, and the sound of birdsong.
