After the warmth of summer, there's no doubt that your favorite fishing hole has some vegetation built up in it. In summer, when the water warms, the different aquatic vegetations are able to bloom. And if you are a bass angler, there's nothing that makes you happier than grass in a fishery.Grass is important to a fishery for a multitude of reasons. First, young fish (called fry) are able to retreat into the dense aquatic ... [full story]

Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill's birthplace and one of Britain's most opulent houses with seven acres under its gilded roof, is a sight to behold, even if you arrive by bus. But my friend Diane and I dreamed of a different sort of arrival - something a "Brit different" that would provide a lasting if not indelible memory.   BLENHEIM PALACE - Blenheim Palace was home to the 11th Duke of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir ... [full story]

SEATTLE - It happened last year when we went to Prague, Vienna and Budapest. It happened the year before when we were on a Baltic cruise, and in 2004 when we ventured to Paris and the Loire Valley for a week.   SEATTLE LANDMARK - The Space Needle, one of Seattle's landmarks, is just a stone's throw from the architecturally mind boggling Experience Music Project. CNS Photo by Preston Turegano.    FARMERS MARKET - From produce to homemade ... [full story]

Q: When the cicadas arrived in June, the two sugar maples in my front yard were inundated with them. Once they were gone, small branches with a few leaves on them began falling. They are numerous and continue to fall. I see no end in sight, and the tree is starting to look sparse.  Is this a result of the cicadas, or is there some other problem with my trees? Also, are my trees dying ... [full story]

Fractured from the ancient ice sheets that encrust Antarctica, the bergs of the Weddell Sea may appear at first glance to be cold and sterile places, as lifeless as ice cubes bobbing in a glass of water.   MELTDOWN - Scientists are assessing the impact of global warming on the Earth's southernmost continent. CNS Illustration. But like their proverbial tips, they have much more below the surface. New research - perhaps the first of its kind - ... [full story]

That long car drive to your favorite getaway spot can be a grueling experience. Kids go: "Are we there yet?" 34,987 times - before you even clear the first rest stop. Every time you fill the tank, your heart breaks. Public restrooms? They can take your breath away.   A LASTING IMPRESSION - Wanna play guess the dead bug on the windshield? One Florida researcher plays the game by inspecting the windshields of Greyhound buses. CNS ... [full story]

Outside Edward Beighley's lab, the skies were clear and the air balmy. Inside, Garth Brooks was crooning "Raindrops on the windshield/There's a storm moving in," and the San Diego State University professor was predicting heavy rain - about 1.5 inches over the next few hours.   SHOWER POWER - Keywords: water, irrigation, rain, sprinklers, soil, hydraulics, erosion, Mother Nature. CNS Illustration courtesy of Daniel Wiegard. As co-director of one of the largest soil erosion testing centers in ... [full story]

After 20 years of battling high blood pressure, Rose Marie Shullo feared she was losing the war. Despite taking different medications in various doses to tame her hypertension, it still hovered around 150/95 mmHg, more than 30 points above normal.   WINNING NUMBERS - In addition to exercise, a healthy diet and meditating, Rose Marie Shullo of San Diego keeps close tabs on her blood pressure. CNS Photo by Don Kohlbauer.  "My blood pressure was always a ... [full story]

If you could rack up frequent-flyer miles on ships, trains and trucks, a little square plastic bottle of Fiji water would be eligible for some big-time rewards.   POUR CHOICE - Designer drinking water comes to you from afar. Fiji water travels 5,600 miles from Viti Levu, South Pacific to the port of Los Angeles; Voss comes 5,400 miles from Aust-Agderin, Norway; Pelligrino comes 10,000 miles from Italy; and Ty Nant water comes 5,300 miles from ... [full story]

Though it was a warm summer day, Perla Perez wrapped the sweat shirt around her. She couldn't stop hugging it. She couldn't stop smiling. Across the room, Maria Guadalupe Mendoza's eyes brimmed with tears as her nephew, Lucio Calderson, pulled on his sweat shirt.   COLLEGE PREP - Adriana Sixtos of San Diego was thrilled with all she received at a recent surprise party at Barrio Logan College Institute. Through the San Diego institute, graduates receive ... [full story]