Published Pieces

Search by Keywords

Karen Telleen-Lawton: CaliTexas 2

by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist
https://www.noozhawk.com/karen-telleen-lawton-calitexas-2/
June 3, 2024 | 3:00 pm

Texas has a lot going for it, as I shared in my last column: a profusion of Blue Bonnets (lupine) and other wildflowers, safe and scenic bike paths, and a gracious Southern style.

They also boast coastlines facing just about every direction, thanks to barrier islands and a sloping east-south coast.

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. (Karen Telleen Lawton)

Texans dress across a similar spectrum as Californians, ranging from casual to better-left-unseen. Their official motto is “Friendship,” which we felt in spades.

I encountered some surprises in the Lone Star State. Most importantly, we didn’t discern a huge difference between Mexican food in California and Tex-Mex. We tested and tasted this proposition all along our route.

A friend explained that Tex-Mex dishes have more cheese, but the only item that bore that out for us was a menu item listed as “chili con queso.” I ordered “con queso” once, naively thinking it was chili topped with grated cheese. Instead, it was melted processed cheese in a bowl for dipping chips.

Other than that disappointing order, Tex-Mex was delicious from El Paso to Galveston and everywhere in between. Ask my bathroom scale if I enjoyed the food!

Another surprise was a remark by a guard at The Alamo that Texas is permitted to fly its flag as high as the U.S. flag.

“Since we were first a country for a decade, we negotiated that right when we joined the Union,” he revealed.

I thought that was a fascinating factoid but wondered (to myself) about Hawaii, which was a kingdom before it was a state.

Turning to the internet, I discovered that any state may fly its flag as high as the American flag – but no higher. So there you go.

You might consider Texas to be a solidly red state. Indeed, Fox News played in every hotel breakfast room we visited. Both U.S. senators plus 25 of 38 Texas representatives are Republican. However, Texans themselves are decidedly purple.

According to Pew polls, 40% are Republican or lean Republican, 39% are Democrat or lean Democrat, and 21% have no lean. This may be why Texas seems environmentally conscientious, with the yawning exception of oil and gas issues.

Keep up with Noozhawk’s daily news coverage, delivered at 4:15 a.m. right to your inbox.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Take birders, for instance. In Galveston, we attended a week-long birding event called Feather Fest. Texas is on the Central Flyway and sees an amazing variety of birds, from tiny calliope hummingbirds to dazzling roseate spoonbills.

In a competitive annual bird count, a Texas group almost always comes in first place, which is a tribute not only to the variety of birds but also to the number of birders who go outside to spot them.

Seven of the top 10 count areas this year were Californian (Santa Barbara placed sixth with 196 species), but first place (218 species) and third place (202 species) were Texas regions.

Birders, not surprisingly, are highly interested in land and water conservation and protection.

I asked Feather Fest organizers whether Texas birders tend to lean toward one party or the other. They insisted that you cannot predict. Political affiliation by whether or not someone is a birder. “All Texans are very protective of the environment.”

We met two Texas science teachers at a birding event kayaking through an estuary. (I clarified first that alligator habitat is freshwater, not seawater or brackish water.) I asked them how it was to teach about the environment in Texas. They looked at each other and chuckled. “It’s not easy,” they admitted.

Texas has a whole separate science curriculum than the rest of the nation, they told me. But by and large, they teach about the environment and ignore the politics.

They just get stuff done without mentioning words like “carbon taxes” and “climate disruption.”

Will it work in the long run? I don’t know. The Texas equivalent of our Western Gull is their Laughing Gull, so that may say something.

Plastic-Free July

During my visit to Easter Island, situated 2100 miles west of mainland Chile, I was struck by the ubiquity of plastics. It was a profound experience encountering plastic waste in such a remote and pristine environment, prompting me to reflect on the pervasive nature of plastic waste in our world.

The Library

The public library held a special place in my heart as my first love outside of my family. My connection to it resonated with Susan Orlean’s description in “The Library Book”: “I loved wandering around the bookshelves, scanning the spines until something happened to catch my eye.” The library offered a sanctuary for exploration and discovery, shaping my love for literature and knowledge.

Black Lives Matter

Last week, my email inbox was flooded with what I feared were mere platitudes about Black Lives Matter from organizations I am involved with. Everyone seemed to be expressing apologies, acknowledging that no one had been doing enough. This experience prompted me to reflect on the importance of taking meaningful action to support the Black Lives Matter movement.

Triple Emergencies II

In my last column, I discussed the interconnected global emergencies of pandemics, climate change, and biodiversity loss. A friend reached out to me, seeking clarification on the relationship between these issues. I found it challenging to articulate a clear explanation, prompting me to delve deeper into understanding the intricate connections among these triple emergencies.

Plastic-Free July

The Library

The public library held a special place in my heart as my first love outside of my family. My connection to it resonated with Susan Orlean's description in "The Library Book": "I loved wandering around the bookshelves, scanning the spines until something happened to catch my eye." The library offered a sanctuary for exploration and discovery, shaping my love for literature and knowledge.

Black Lives Matter

Triple Emergencies II

Animals Out of Control

August 19, 2024

2024 – August, Life, Nature and Science

The Secrets of Scots

August 5, 2024

2024 – August, Environmental Issues, Life, Travel

Find Your Happy Place With Happy Planet Index

July 22, 2024

2024 – July, Environmental Issues, Life

Sunset the Subsidies

June 24, 2024

2024 – June, Animals, Economics, Food – Eating – Sleep, Plastics

Miracle Soil

June 10, 2024

2024 – June, Carbon, Food and Compost, Local Interest (Santa Barbara), Pollution – Fossil Fuels, Seniors

CaliTexas 2

June 3, 2024

2024 – June, Birds – Birding, Carbon, Climate Disruption, Democracy – Politics, Life, Pollution – Fossil Fuels, Travel

CaliTexas 1

May 13, 2024

2024 – May, Birds – Birding, Climate Disruption, Democracy – Politics, Life, Travel

The Splendor of Biking Santa Barbara

April 22, 2024

2024 – April, Birds – Birding, Exercise, Life, Local Interest (Santa Barbara)

CDC in The Age of Skepticism  

April 8, 2024

2024 – April, Climate Disruption, Democracy, Environmental Issues, Health – Healthcare, Uncategorized

Update on the Right to Repair Bill

March 25, 2024

2024 – March, Democracy – Politics, Environmental Issues, Finance – Economics – Investing

Plastic Free July

July 13, 2020

2020 – July, Healthcare, Local Interest (Santa Barbara), Marine Animals, Plastics, Travel, Water

Santa Barbara Library a Candy Shop For Mind And Soul

June 29, 2020

2020 – June, Life, Local Interest (Santa Barbara), Writing – Language Arts

Animals Out of Control
August 19, 2024
A few days into the Olympics I was frustrated with the coverage. I wanted a variety of events without consigning myself to a part-time job as a couch-potato. The highlights coverage started at 8 o’clock, but I was jet-lagged and tended to fall asleep in the first hour. One day, doing errands…Read the rest
2024 - August, Life, Nature and Science
The Secrets of Scots
August 5, 2024
The bus driver in the Highlands clued us in on the secret of forecasting Scottish weather. We were passing alongside a Munro — a mountain higher than 3,000 feet — when he pointed to the peak, obscured in rain clouds. “If you can see the mountain top, it’s about to…Read the rest
2024 - August, Environmental Issues, Life, Travel
Find Your Happy Place With Happy Planet Index
July 22, 2024
“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” Attributed to Andrew Carnegie, this quote demonstrates the direct link between setting a happiness goal and achieving it. That is why I’m excited about the Happy Planet Index (HPI). The HPI purports to…Read the rest
2024 - July, Environmental Issues, Life
Sunset the Subsidies
June 24, 2024
My brother- and sister-in-law had a great meal arrangement. Greg is an amateur gourmet chef. They love to entertain, which they did frequently for years. He cooks with panache and relishes using every dish, pan, utensil, tool and surface in the kitchen. Marie was happy to do the dishes, until…Read the rest
2024 - June, Animals, Economics, Food - Eating - Sleep, Plastics
Miracle Soil
June 10, 2024
I have healthy amnesia with respect to planting veggie gardens. Every few years, I give it another go, forgetting the realities of gophers, voles, moles, ground squirrels, and deer. Our most recent attempt was a COVID garden in 2020, which was decimated overnight by insects. This year, I’m attempting again…Read the rest
2024 - June, Carbon, Food and Compost, Local Interest (Santa Barbara), Pollution - Fossil Fuels, Seniors
CaliTexas 2
June 3, 2024
Texas has a lot going for it, as I shared in my last column: a profusion of Blue Bonnets (lupine) and other wildflowers, safe and scenic bike paths, and a gracious Southern style. They also boast coastlines facing just about every direction, thanks to barrier islands and a sloping east-south…Read the rest
2024 - June, Birds - Birding, Carbon, Climate Disruption, Democracy - Politics, Life, Pollution - Fossil Fuels, Travel
CaliTexas 1
May 13, 2024
The solar eclipse totality was our dazzling first taste of Texas. Pre-eclipse, at LBJ National Historic Park west of Austin, we started spotting traffic control signs suggesting, “arrive early, stay late.” NASA and the Park Service had erected white tents on an old tarmac with plenty of park rangers and scientists providing traffic control and…Read the rest
2024 - May, Birds - Birding, Climate Disruption, Democracy - Politics, Life, Travel
The Splendor of Biking Santa Barbara
April 22, 2024
Call me provincial, but I believe the Gibraltar Road bike ride stacks up well against any road ride in the world. The landscape of rocky hillsides and canopy of coast live oaks fronted by the sweep of ocean and sky make me overlook the steep pumping required to transport me…Read the rest
2024 - April, Birds - Birding, Exercise, Life, Local Interest (Santa Barbara)
CDC in The Age of Skepticism  
April 8, 2024
I lost my Covirginity last month. After four years of caution and a scant few months after my eighth or ninth Covid booster, I partied while my husband was away. I let down my vigilance, accepting a carpool ride to the party. All but one of us came down with Covid. How…Read the rest
2024 - April, Climate Disruption, Democracy, Environmental Issues, Health - Healthcare, Uncategorized
Update on the Right to Repair Bill
March 25, 2024
by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist There are the fixers and there are those who can’t wait to get the latest, greatest gadget. My friend Jane and her best friend You Tube-diagnosed and fixed a plugged stovetop burner and a leaking refrigerator. She loves to fix things! My preference for fixing rather…Read the rest
2024 - March, Democracy - Politics, Environmental Issues, Finance - Economics - Investing
Plastic Free July
July 13, 2020
The ubiquity of plastics made its greatest impression on me five years ago on a visit to Easter Island. Twenty-one hundred miles west of mainland Chile, it is one of the most remote inhabited places on earth. As my husband and I strolled a beach on the northeast shore, we…Read the rest
2020 - July, Healthcare, Local Interest (Santa Barbara), Marine Animals, Plastics, Travel, Water
Santa Barbara Library a Candy Shop For Mind And Soul
June 29, 2020
The public library was my first love outside the family. My relationship mirrored what Susan Orlean describes in “The Library Book”: “I loved wandering around the bookshelves, scanning the spines until something happened to catch my eye. … It wasn’t like going to a store with my mom, which guaranteed a tug-of-war between…Read the rest
2020 - June, Life, Local Interest (Santa Barbara), Writing - Language Arts

Animals Out of Control
August 19, 2024
A few days into the Olympics I was frustrated with the coverage. I wanted a variety of events without consigning myself to a part-time job as a couch-potato. The highlights coverage started at 8 o’clock, but I was jet-lagged and tended to fall asleep in the first hour. One day, doing errands…Read the rest
2024 - August, Life, Nature and Science
The Secrets of Scots
August 5, 2024
The bus driver in the Highlands clued us in on the secret of forecasting Scottish weather. We were passing alongside a Munro — a mountain higher than 3,000 feet — when he pointed to the peak, obscured in rain clouds. “If you can see the mountain top, it’s about to…Read the rest
2024 - August, Environmental Issues, Life, Travel
Find Your Happy Place With Happy Planet Index
July 22, 2024
“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” Attributed to Andrew Carnegie, this quote demonstrates the direct link between setting a happiness goal and achieving it. That is why I’m excited about the Happy Planet Index (HPI). The HPI purports to…Read the rest
2024 - July, Environmental Issues, Life
Sunset the Subsidies
June 24, 2024
My brother- and sister-in-law had a great meal arrangement. Greg is an amateur gourmet chef. They love to entertain, which they did frequently for years. He cooks with panache and relishes using every dish, pan, utensil, tool and surface in the kitchen. Marie was happy to do the dishes, until…Read the rest
2024 - June, Animals, Economics, Food - Eating - Sleep, Plastics
Miracle Soil
June 10, 2024
I have healthy amnesia with respect to planting veggie gardens. Every few years, I give it another go, forgetting the realities of gophers, voles, moles, ground squirrels, and deer. Our most recent attempt was a COVID garden in 2020, which was decimated overnight by insects. This year, I’m attempting again…Read the rest
2024 - June, Carbon, Food and Compost, Local Interest (Santa Barbara), Pollution - Fossil Fuels, Seniors
CaliTexas 2
June 3, 2024
Texas has a lot going for it, as I shared in my last column: a profusion of Blue Bonnets (lupine) and other wildflowers, safe and scenic bike paths, and a gracious Southern style. They also boast coastlines facing just about every direction, thanks to barrier islands and a sloping east-south…Read the rest
2024 - June, Birds - Birding, Carbon, Climate Disruption, Democracy - Politics, Life, Pollution - Fossil Fuels, Travel
CaliTexas 1
May 13, 2024
The solar eclipse totality was our dazzling first taste of Texas. Pre-eclipse, at LBJ National Historic Park west of Austin, we started spotting traffic control signs suggesting, “arrive early, stay late.” NASA and the Park Service had erected white tents on an old tarmac with plenty of park rangers and scientists providing traffic control and…Read the rest
2024 - May, Birds - Birding, Climate Disruption, Democracy - Politics, Life, Travel
The Splendor of Biking Santa Barbara
April 22, 2024
Call me provincial, but I believe the Gibraltar Road bike ride stacks up well against any road ride in the world. The landscape of rocky hillsides and canopy of coast live oaks fronted by the sweep of ocean and sky make me overlook the steep pumping required to transport me…Read the rest
2024 - April, Birds - Birding, Exercise, Life, Local Interest (Santa Barbara)
CDC in The Age of Skepticism  
April 8, 2024
I lost my Covirginity last month. After four years of caution and a scant few months after my eighth or ninth Covid booster, I partied while my husband was away. I let down my vigilance, accepting a carpool ride to the party. All but one of us came down with Covid. How…Read the rest
2024 - April, Climate Disruption, Democracy, Environmental Issues, Health - Healthcare, Uncategorized
Update on the Right to Repair Bill
March 25, 2024
by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist There are the fixers and there are those who can’t wait to get the latest, greatest gadget. My friend Jane and her best friend You Tube-diagnosed and fixed a plugged stovetop burner and a leaking refrigerator. She loves to fix things! My preference for fixing rather…Read the rest
2024 - March, Democracy - Politics, Environmental Issues, Finance - Economics - Investing
Plastic Free July
July 13, 2020
The ubiquity of plastics made its greatest impression on me five years ago on a visit to Easter Island. Twenty-one hundred miles west of mainland Chile, it is one of the most remote inhabited places on earth. As my husband and I strolled a beach on the northeast shore, we…Read the rest
2020 - July, Healthcare, Local Interest (Santa Barbara), Marine Animals, Plastics, Travel, Water
Santa Barbara Library a Candy Shop For Mind And Soul
June 29, 2020
The public library was my first love outside the family. My relationship mirrored what Susan Orlean describes in “The Library Book”: “I loved wandering around the bookshelves, scanning the spines until something happened to catch my eye. … It wasn’t like going to a store with my mom, which guaranteed a tug-of-war between…Read the rest
2020 - June, Life, Local Interest (Santa Barbara), Writing - Language Arts

2024

December

November

October

September

August

Animals Out of Control
August 19, 2024
A few days into the Olympics I was frustrated with the coverage. I wanted a variety of events without consigning myself to…
The Secrets of Scots
August 5, 2024
The bus driver in the Highlands clued us in on the secret of forecasting Scottish weather. We were passing alongside…

July

Find Your Happy Place With Happy Planet Index
July 22, 2024
“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” …

June

Sunset the Subsidies
June 24, 2024
My brother- and sister-in-law had a great meal arrangement. Greg is an amateur gourmet chef. They love to entertain, which…
Miracle Soil
June 10, 2024
I have healthy amnesia with respect to planting veggie gardens. Every few years, I give it another go, forgetting the…
CaliTexas 2
June 3, 2024
Texas has a lot going for it, as I shared in my last column: a profusion of Blue Bonnets (lupine)…

May

CaliTexas 1
May 13, 2024
The solar eclipse totality was our dazzling first taste of Texas. Pre-eclipse, at LBJ National Historic Park west of Austin, we started…

April

The Splendor of Biking Santa Barbara
April 22, 2024
Call me provincial, but I believe the Gibraltar Road bike ride stacks up well against any road ride in the…
CDC in The Age of Skepticism  
April 8, 2024
I lost my Covirginity last month. After four years of caution and a scant few months after my eighth or…

March

Update on the Right to Repair Bill
March 25, 2024
by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist There are the fixers and there are those who can’t wait to get the latest, greatest…

February

January

2023

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

2022

December

November

October

September

August

July

Plastic Free July
July 13, 2020
The ubiquity of plastics made its greatest impression on me five years ago on a visit to Easter Island. Twenty-one…

June

Santa Barbara Library a Candy Shop For Mind And Soul
June 29, 2020
The public library was my first love outside the family. My relationship mirrored what Susan Orlean describes in “The Library Book”: “I loved…
Black Lives Matter
June 15, 2020
Last week my email teemed with what I feared were mere platitudes about Black Lives Matter from organizations with which…
Triple Emergencies II — An Illustration
June 1, 2020
Last column, I wrote about the co-incident and related global emergencies of pandemics, climate change, and biodiversity loss. A friend…

May

April

March

February

January

2021

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

Animals Out of Control
August 19, 2024
A few days into the Olympics I was frustrated with the coverage. I wanted a variety of events without consigning myself to…
The Secrets of Scots
August 5, 2024
The bus driver in the Highlands clued us in on the secret of forecasting Scottish weather. We were passing alongside…
Find Your Happy Place With Happy Planet Index
July 22, 2024
“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” …
Sunset the Subsidies
June 24, 2024
My brother- and sister-in-law had a great meal arrangement. Greg is an amateur gourmet chef. They love to entertain, which…
Miracle Soil
June 10, 2024
I have healthy amnesia with respect to planting veggie gardens. Every few years, I give it another go, forgetting the…
CaliTexas 2
June 3, 2024
Texas has a lot going for it, as I shared in my last column: a profusion of Blue Bonnets (lupine)…
CaliTexas 1
May 13, 2024
The solar eclipse totality was our dazzling first taste of Texas. Pre-eclipse, at LBJ National Historic Park west of Austin, we started…
The Splendor of Biking Santa Barbara
April 22, 2024
Call me provincial, but I believe the Gibraltar Road bike ride stacks up well against any road ride in the…
CDC in The Age of Skepticism  
April 8, 2024
I lost my Covirginity last month. After four years of caution and a scant few months after my eighth or…
Update on the Right to Repair Bill
March 25, 2024
by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist There are the fixers and there are those who can’t wait to get the latest, greatest…
Plastic Free July
July 13, 2020
The ubiquity of plastics made its greatest impression on me five years ago on a visit to Easter Island. Twenty-one…
Santa Barbara Library a Candy Shop For Mind And Soul
June 29, 2020
The public library was my first love outside the family. My relationship mirrored what Susan Orlean describes in “The Library Book”: “I loved…

2020

December

November

October

September

August

July

Plastic Free July
July 13, 2020
The ubiquity of plastics made its greatest impression on me five years ago on a visit to Easter Island. Twenty-one…

June

Santa Barbara Library a Candy Shop For Mind And Soul
June 29, 2020
The public library was my first love outside the family. My relationship mirrored what Susan Orlean describes in “The Library Book”: “I loved…
Black Lives Matter
June 15, 2020
Last week my email teemed with what I feared were mere platitudes about Black Lives Matter from organizations with which…
Triple Emergencies II — An Illustration
June 1, 2020
Last column, I wrote about the co-incident and related global emergencies of pandemics, climate change, and biodiversity loss. A friend…

May

Triple Emergencies
May 18, 2020
An emergency is typically an acute, awful event. Locally, we’ve reserved the term for wildfires, debris flows, and occasional earthquakes.…

April

March

February

January

Birds

Birding

Climate Disruption

Lorem ipsum dolor ist amte, consectetuer adipiscing eilt. Aenean commodo ligula egget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Donec quak felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quid, sem.

Democracy

Politics

Democracy

Gun Control

Violence

Justice

Poverty

Immigration

Disasters

Environmental Issues

Carbon

Plastics

Pollution

Fossil Fuels

Renewable Energy

Finance

Economics

Investing

Accordion 2

Economics

Investing

Personal Finance

Retirement Savings

Risk Management

Privacy

Taxes

Health

Healthcare

Disease

Exercise

Food

Eating

Sleep

Healthcare

Islands

Chumash

Land

Soil

Gardening

Farming

Food and Compost

Land Strategies

Life

Music

Seniors

Local Interest (Santa Barbara)

Marine Environment

Marine Animals

Nature and Science

Animals

Philanthropy

Spirituality

Religion

Travel

Water

Writing, English Language

Published Pieces

Karen Telleen-Lawton: CaliTexas 2

Plastic-Free July

The Library

Black Lives Matter

Triple Emergencies II

Plastic-Free July

The Library

Black Lives Matter

Triple Emergencies II

2024

December

November

October

September

August

August 19, 2024

August 5, 2024

July

July 22, 2024

June

June 24, 2024

June 10, 2024

June 3, 2024

May

May 13, 2024

April

April 22, 2024

April 8, 2024

March

March 25, 2024

February

January

2023

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

2022

December

November

October

September

August

July

July 13, 2020

June

June 29, 2020

June 15, 2020

June 1, 2020

May

April

March

February

January

2021

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

August 19, 2024

August 5, 2024

July 22, 2024

June 24, 2024