Author Archives: Lou Murray, Ph.D.

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About Lou Murray, Ph.D.

I'm a retired medical researcher, retired professional writer/photographer, avid gardener, and active environmentalist living in southern California. I wrote a weekly newspaper column on environmental topics in the Huntington Beach Independent for many years. I also supervised environmental restoration projects and taught at the Orange County Conservation Corps before retiring in the summer of 2016. This blog chronicles my efforts to live a green life growing as much food as possible for my husband and myself on a 4,500 sq ft yard that is covered mainly by house, garage, driveway, and sidewalks. I am also dedicated to combatting global climate change.

Harvest Monday–April 5, 2010

Here is my vegetable and egg harvest for this week ending April 4, plus photos of my southern California urban garden. Continue reading

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Whole lotta shakin’ going on – 7.2 Easter earthquake in Baja California

We were 140 miles from the epicenter of the 7.2 magnitude Mexicali quake on Easter Sunday and really felt it. I’ve added real time earthquake maps from USGS to my blog. Continue reading

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Harvest Monday March 29, 2010, and the peas that overgrew Los Angeles

Someone needs to tell my Super Sugar Snap Peas enough, already. I keep putting up taller and taller trellises and they keep outgrowing them. My 6-ft-tall husband drove 8 ft stakes into the raised beds, tied a string to top, … Continue reading

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Birding at the Salton Sea

Vic Leipzig leads birding trips throughout southern California for his birding and natural history classes, for Audubon, and for private clients who hire him as a bird guide through Southwestbirders.com. Here are some photos from two recent trips to the Salton Sea in Imperial County, CA. Continue reading

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Spring wildflowers at California’s Anza-Borrego State Park

The Orange County Society for Conservation Biology went camping at Anza-Borrego State Park in San Diego County. We photographed spring desert wildflowers as well as Ricardo Breceda’s metal sculptures of prehistoric animals that lived in this region a million or more years ago. Continue reading

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Harvest Monday March 22, 2010

Harvest Monday this week brought a tally from the garden of 2.5 lbs of produce and 16 eggs from the hens. Continue reading

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Snakes alive

Field trip at Bolsa Chica with the Orange County Conservation Corps new crewmembers. We found a Western Pacific rattlesnake. Continue reading

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What is (or will be) growing in my garden this year

List of vegetables that are or will be growing in my southern California year this year. Continue reading

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Curried Butternut Soup with Goat’s Milk

This recipe for curried butternut squash soup with goats milk is much better than it sounds, and very easy to make. Continue reading

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2010

St. Patrick’s Day dinner at our house was corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots, homemade white whole wheat pecan-currant bread, and a salad with all homegrown ingredients. Recipes included. Continue reading

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