Ouch, July and August are harsh times to visit Phoenix and San Diego. Bet you were miserable. I dearly love both cities but after living in Oregon for so long I must visit in cooler months. If the fish is missing with no disturbance of plants and no scales or bones laying around it was likely a bird. Heron or kingfisher. Raccoons make a mess like a tornado and cats aren't very likely to actually catch a fish and if they do they often just play with it rather than eat it so you find evidence. Birds scoop them up and swallow them whole. Hope the Scarecrow does the trick for you. Easier to transplant tadpoles in spring than adult frogs to have them stick around anyway. Adults tend to leave.

I sowed seeds from my own plants last June, just as they were ripe from the plant. Lots of patience needed though, they finally germinated in MArch, by which point the seed tray had lost it's label (DOH!) and it was only a couple of weeks ago when the first 'true' leaves came through that I realised what they were. They had virtually all germinated, so that was pleasing. I just read though that they take 3 to 4 years to flower! Well thats my story. Perhaps it is different in California! Happy gardening Bina

Terriks - I was going to write about Solvang yesterday and ran out of time. Solvang is delightful, but you have to like cute. We've taken many getaways down there. It's in the Santa Ynez Valley - good wine country - north of Santa Barbara and over the Santa Lucia Mts (hills, really, there's nothing mountainous about the drive). Solvang was settled by Danish immigrants and retains a very Danish-European style today. There are stores that sell Danish imports, restaurants that serve Danish food, and there are all those yummy Danish pastries. The coffee is wonderful! Outside of Solvang there are wine tasting places around the valley, which in itself is very pretty. Our favorite spot is Los Olivos. A tiny town with one cross-street, it has Fess Parker's inn and country restaurant, which IMO is a must-do destination, the food and wine and ambience are that good. Fess recently passed away. He was Davy Crockett on 50's TV, for those creaky enough to remember! He became a master vintner and host. In general, that drive from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo is so lovely, one of the less visited areas in California. Not to say that there are not tourists - there are. But not nearly as many as at Disneyland or San Fran's Fisherman's Wharf. Another place that might be worth a drop-in is Ojai. It's on our to-do list. Ojai is an artist's colony, and I've read good things about it. It's just off Highway 1, a bit north of the Pacific Highway. Still another thing, especially if you're visiting San Simeon, is the Highway 1 drive up through Big Sur to Carmel. This drive is not for the faint-hearted, but if you're going south to north, it's easier, since you're against the mountains. The destination here is Nepenthe Restaurant, which is built on a cliff and has some of the most magnificent views IN THE WORLD! Apologies for screaming! Nepenthe basically serves burgers, etc., but they are good burgers, and anyway, you can't take your eyes away from the scenery.

Wow...where to start...it would help to know your style. Is it up-scale or a little funkier? Judging by your profile, a little funky would be Ok. I'll try to cover just the basics now, but pick up some books on California and read about some of the areas I mention. Flying into San Francisco or Oakland is easy. Staying in the City is wonderful and there is plenty to see and do. Driving up Highway 1 is, well... "very special." Depending upon where you start and expect to finish, it can provide some spectacular scenery, but consume a good deal of time in doing it! Flying back from your last destination could prove to be a challenge as there are no major airports North of SF until you get to Portland Oregon! There are a number of small airports that can provide a hop to one of the major ones, but that can take some time and cost a bit too. Wine country is a special place as well, but it is not just Napa. Most of California has become "Wine Country" as some very good wines come from way south in Santa Barbara County and East in the Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada foothills! Do keep in mine that late September can be a very exciting time in Napa-Sonoma depending upon the harvest, but, with all the activity, it can be a very busy time as well. I believe late September & October are the best time to visit though. It may be somewhat late for booking accommodations, or maybe not. IÂm sure you will find out! For the time you have, I might suggest going north from SF to Napa & Sonoma Counties as you have planned. Napa can be considered the "up-scale" area, for some pretty good reasons, while Sonoma is a little more down-to-earth and the Russian River area of Sonoma could even be called somewhat "funky." Some amazing wines come from all of these areas though! All this is centered around, or near, highway 101 Continue North to until Cloverdale, then take Hwy 128 (some great wineries along this narrow two-lane highway too!) to Hwy 1 and Mendocino. If you can get accommodations in Mendocino, stay there at least two nights. Continue north on Hwy 1 to get your fill of ocean/cliff scenery to where Hwy 1 & 101 comes together at Leggett. Just North of here is the Costal Redwoods and many parks dedicated to these giants. Well worth spending some time in! Run back down 101, through Ukiah and consider ending your trip with a few days in San Francisco, instead of starting it there. The Monterey Peninsula, seeing Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel and its "Wine Country" is another area that would be good to do, but it is South of SF. If you can map out the time, consider it though. Well, this is way long enough, maybe too long, for tonight. Just remember, California is a very large state and be sure to check mileage/driving times as to not wear yourselves out and enjoy the vacation less. All the best...