Magazine

Courtesy of Robin Chapman
Chapman’s father, Col. William Ashley Chapman, with the new family automobile in the 1960s. The TV antenna on the roof was the latest thing in technology.

There are many advantages to living in the home I lived in as a child: a beautiful community, a connection to family history and, best of all, no mortgage.

Courtesy of Tanya Kucak
Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding vegetables to grow. Choices include red, orange, yellow, black, pink, purple, green-when-ripe, white and blue tomatoes.

What’s worth growing in your backyard garden?

Courtesy of Ann Hepenstal
Carolyn Dupuis, second from left, briefs Block Action Team, Community Emergency Response Team and ham radio emergency preparedness volunteers during an October 2017 neighborhood drill.

Living in California, we’re all aware that emergency events can occur at any time. An earthquake, flood, wildfire or other natural disaster may impact the local community. Or a more localized event may affect a neighborhood or require an evacuation.

Do you need help preparing your family and home to deal with the aftermath of such an emergency?

Megan V. Winslow/Town Crier
Isabelle Cnudde, above, visits with her flock outside their predator-proof coop. White Leghorns, inset, are known for big combs that flop at a rakish angle.

Chicken Little, the Little Red Hen, Medio Pollito - folktales from around the world acknowledge the goofy, enterprising and food-obsessed spirit of domestic egg layers. As backyard chickens keep gaining in popularity locally, spurred on by traditions like the Silicon Valley Tour de Coop, more families are getting a crash course in the personalities behind the eggs they eat.

Los Altos resident Isabelle Cnudde and her husband moved into their midcentury Los Altos ranch house in 2009 and first bought three hens, she said, "because I wanted to know where food came from - (seeking) 'happy eggs' was how I got started. But you come back from work and just hang out with the chickens. Egg layers become pets."

Courtesy of Javy Galindo
Peninsula Trail Running members take a breather at the summit of Windy Hill Open Space Preserve.

Art, technology, reading, writing, bicycling, running, yoga, music, board games, dogs, toddler playtime, business networking, foreign language conversation - wherever your interests lie, there just might be a group for that. If not, feel free to create one.

Meetup.com is an online social networking tool launched in 2002. By entering a city or ZIP code, users can browse events or groups by subject ("Arts," "Beliefs," "Food & Drink," "Hobbies & Crafts," "Tech," etc.) close to home or farther afield. There is also a "Create a Meetup" tab that takes users through the steps to list a new event.

S.M. Lieu/Special to the Town Crier
A youngster searches for treasure during the 2017 Los Altos Spring Egg Hunt. This year’s hunt is scheduled 9:30 a.m. March 31.

Spring has sprung, and with it comes a long list of family-friendly events in the area.