Ginny Prior

Town Crier: Scorpion sightings in Oakland hills homes

April 12, 2013 by Ginny Prior

MONTCLARION: April 12, 2013

I’ll never forget the first night we met — you with those ugly brown pincers and me in my bare feet and PJs. You must have been as nervous as I was. You reared up your tail and made a strange clicking noise that sent me scrambling for the light.

That was 10 years ago in a living room encounter that still gives me goose bumps. But lately, you and your scorpion sidekicks have been slipping into other Montclair homes. There’s been chatter on the Montclair listserv about scorpions in bathrooms, garages, even a hat removed from storage. Continue Reading »

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Town Crier: Rockridge hairstylist wins top honors again for best haircut award

April 8, 2013 by Ginny Prior

MONTCLARION: April 5, 2013

Some people know, early on, where their talents lie. In the case of Oakland’s Rebecca Ferris, her interest in hair goes back to her childhood, according to big brother Mitch. “We (my two older brothers, myself and our dad) would go to sleep and wake up with rollers and make up on,” he remembers. “I think she was around 8 years old when she did that. We have photos somewhere.” Continue Reading »

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Happy Wanderer: Acorns come full circle in Sonoma

March 28, 2013 by Ginny Prior

HILLS NEWSPAPERS: March 28, 2013

Some things in life come full-circle. Take acorns, for instance. Once used by early Californians for flour, these tannic oak offerings are making a comeback in one of California’s culinary hot spots — Sonoma. Continue Reading »

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Happy Wanderer: Take a trip to an urban park gem — S.F.’s Presidio

March 15, 2013 by Ginny Prior

CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: March 15, 2013

Spring is busting out all over San Francisco’s Presidio. From March through the end of July, this amazing urban national park sees more airborne activity than SFO. That’s what 991 acres of open space in extraordinary coastal habitat will do for you — spawn a nesting season that rivals the top birding destinations. Continue Reading »

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Art you can pluck off the wall and take home

March 15, 2013 by Ginny Prior

MONTCLARION: March 15, 2013

I did something naughty the other night. I plucked a piece of art off the wall and took it home without paying.

Did the devil make me do it? No, but Project Utopia did. This Oakland exhibit lets you pick out one piece of art to take home at no charge. My friend and I jumped on a matching set of watercolors by San Leandro artist Jorge Luis Iniguez. Continue Reading »

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Town Crier: Blossoms show spring has sprung in East Bay

March 7, 2013 by Ginny Prior

Photos by Jane Fuerch

MONTCLARION: March 8, 2013

Spring blossoms … two little words that rank high on the list of what makes people happy in March. These delicate paper-like blooms are nature’s answer to tax season. Things are looking up, and you should be too.

The neighborhoods of Oakland are bedecked in pink and white blossoms. Some trees are in full bloom as I write this. Others have already peaked, like the blossoms on Olive Avenue (delicious irony). Continue Reading »

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