flowers

Local Photographer Mark Gillard’s art is featured in a one man show at DST Coffee here in Gardnerville starting on Monday, January 15th.

His work ranges from landscapes to flora and fauna; historic buildings to his favorite – cows. Mark has enjoyed photography since he was a kid. It remains a passion to this day. His photos are of areas from Mad Canyon’s majestic peaks to Gardnerville’s Meadows, historic locales from Genoa to Virginia City, barns to classic cars.

Closeups of Dahlia and Tickweed in the Gardnerville Ranchos.October 3rd, 2023.Photos by Mark Gillard

Gardening brings me peace of mind — it soothes my soul. All the workday worries seem to melt away.
This has been a challenging year for local gardeners — a late freeze damaged both flower and vegetable gardens.

The rule of thumb, “Don’t plant anything before Memorial Day” was beaten down by a hard frost on June 20. Slowly my garden has moved forward.

I love bulbs. My front garden is full of crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips. They are some of the hardiest plants I grow. Even covered with snow, they poke through and bloom.

Spring blooms are always uplifting for me. Especially this year. Our harsh winter has kept folks inside way too often. That is, unless we were shoveling snow.

A few things that show spring has arrived. Yellow headed black birds at the golf course, tulips and dandelions in my yard and dwarf hyacinths everywhere all show that spring has arrived around Carson City.

In recent weeks, the ground was pliable. The temperature, comfortable and the outside beckoned. The urge to plant was getting hard to resist. Yet resist we must, for this is winter after all. I know the 15-day forecast is unreliable, but I can’t help but check it out, if, for no other reason than to instill a smidgin of common sense into my “I want to plant” brain. Snow is ahead this week.

Most of us might agree, 2020 was the annus horribilis of our lifetime. But just as the darkest cloud has a silver lining, 2020 has offered one thing about which we can all brag and be proud. I can't think of what that one thing might be just now, though it does occur to me that learning how to cut our own hair might be a thing to celebrate and be genuinely proud, unless of course you're a barber.

Alan Harney Glover
In Coelo quies est
(In Heaven there is rest)

For Ages 18+, join us virtually via Zoom.

To register: please visit https://carsoncitylibrary.libcal.com/event/6870052

Join us once a month to relax through art! Every month we will explore a different technique to use art to help de-stress. For the month of November, create a beautiful glass vase from a recycled glass bottle. The glass bottle will be provided by the library. Pick up your take home kit at the info desk. Supplies are limited; registration is required. Zoom invitations will be sent to registrants on the morning of the event.

Obituary for Phyllis Ann (Annie) Trautwein

Annie was born January 4,1940 in Cleveland, Oklahoma to Jay and Mamie Hart. She attended public schools in Seminole, Cushing, and Stroud, Oklahoma. Annie moved to Sterling, Colorado in 1959 where she met and married Kenneth Trautwein the same year.

A Celebration of Life ceremony will get underway at 1 p.m. today, Thursday, for Carson City Mayor and native Nevadan Robert “Bob” Crowell.

The ceremony is not open to the public but it can be viewed via live stream at the following link here: Mayor Bob Crowell Celebration of Life Ceremony.

UPDATE: On Wednesday, by executive order, Governor Steve Sisolak ordered the flags of the United States and the State of Nevada to be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol and State public buildings and grounds from sunrise until sunset on Thursday, October 29, 2020 as a mark of solemn respect and in remembrance of Carson City Mayor and native Nevadan Robert “Bob” Crowell, whose memorial is being held Thursday.

Lynn Doyal, 73, passed away October 14, 2020, with his wife Janis by his side at their home. Lynn was born in Turlock, California on May 8, 1947 to Jack and Elyse Doyal. He lived most of his life in Alpine County, California.

Heading into the weekend, there’s a bevy of activities around the Carson City region. The Nevada Day Golf Tournament in remembrance of Mayor Bob Crowell will be held at Silver Oak Ranch Golf Course on Saturday. Dozens of fundraisers, including the Benson’s Feed 4 Paws 4-H group, will be scattered throughout the Carson City and Gardnerville areas. Combined with live music and several dinner specials, the state capital will be buzzing with excitement! Read on for more information.

Verne R. Horton of Carson City, Nevada passed away at his residence on October 19, 2020. He was born February 1, 1941 in Los Angeles, CA and is survived by loving and devoted wife of 23 years, Brenda; sons Sean and Scott, daughter Debra, 5 grandchildren and brother, Jim Horton.

To kick off our Dia de los Muertos celebration this year I will lead a craft making Facebook Live event at 10 a.m. Saturday as part of the Nevada State Museum Family Fun Saturday. We will be making tissue paper flowers that are used to decorate Dia de los Muertos Altars.

Mr. Thomas A. Bohemier, 74, of Brooksville, Florida passed away peacefully with his wife and children by his side on October 11, 2020.

This spring I told myself I would remember to fertilize the lawn in the fall, because I forgot in 2019. I noticed the grass didn’t seem as strong this year and I had a lot more weeds such as clover and black medic infesting the lawn. Now fall is here and I’m ready to fertilize!

Here are the winning pictures judged by the Carson City Photo Club as part of its monthly photo contest. The theme addressed by the August winners was "Night Sky."

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed Friday, and on Saturday night a group of Carson City residents joined together at the Nevada Supreme Court to honor her life.

People came and went throughout the night, leaving flowers, lighting candles, and discussing the Justice’s passing with other community members.

Over the years I have seen or heard some big herbicide bloopers. A man came with samples of damaged leaves and I told him it was herbicide damage. He insisted it couldn’t be because where he used herbicide wasn’t anywhere near these plants.


I found photos last week of our landscape when we bought the house in 1988. There were trees lined up like soldiers along the borders of the property and lawn everywhere else. No flowers, no shrubs. Everything was flat. Although this was boring, it certainly was easy to maintain. Thirty-two years later, I look back at that landscape and think, why did I plant so much?

They wore pajamas, were wrapped in blankets, and carried cups of Dutch Bros and Starbucks as they gathered to celebrate the beginning of their senior year and the almost end of the soothing summer weather. The Class of 2020-2021, while practicing social distancing and wearing the latest fashion in face masks, gathered together at 6:00 a.m. Sept. 4 on the bleachers of the CHS football field to watch their sun rise.

After an almost two-year battle with pancreatic cancer, Sparks Mayor Ron Smith has died. He was 71 years old.

Mayor Smith was officially sworn in as the 25th Mayor of Sparks on November 13, 2018. He was elected to the Sparks City Council in November 2006 and was re-elected to four-year terms in 2008, 2012 and 2016. He served as Sparks Mayor Pro Tempore from 2012-2018.

When Will Truce and Jake Conway worked as high school teachers in Carson City, a colleague offered them some crystallized honey from his bee farm, and the two began experimenting with making mead, the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage brewed by fermenting honey with water and sometimes referred to as ‘honey wine.’

A Calliope hummingbird eating at a feeder in Carson City. This is the smallest bird in North America, measuring about 3 inches long and weighing about one-tenth of an ounce.

Another favorite walk in Carson City. This is the path by the Carson River at the end of 5th Street.

Watching the news on the Numbers Fire south of Gardnerville reminds us how important it is to create and maintain defensible space around your home. The fire burned 18,380 acres in the week it took to get it contained. Have you taken responsibility to make your home/landscape defensible and survivable?

There’s nothing better than fresh air to restore the mind, body and soul, and in these troublesome days when we must wear masks just about everywhere, it is nice to be able to breathe in fresh air as we exercise our bodies and clear our troubled minds.