Living

August brings many changes in nature's calendar; some are obvious, while others are more subtle. Mid-summer is a busy time for our birds with much time spent raising their families.

It may take a village to raise a child but it takes a community to build a garden and the enthusiastic citizens of Lynn Valley gathered recently to build one.

Summer is here, and more people are cooking outside to take advantage of warm temperatures.

Fragrant basil loves nothing more than the long, hot days of summer. This Mediterranean native craves the sun, and if you have a few plants in your garden you’ll have seen them thrive in our recent hot spells.

Have you ever encountered someone who challenged you to identify Canada’s national dish? It happens to me a lot.

Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up approximately 60 per cent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water.

Champagne, by Giles Fallowfield and W. Craig Cooper, Princeton Architectural Press, 144 pages, $19.95 Champagne is linked with celebrations and plays a role in many important occasions.

"Paul Minichiello is truly a 20 carat character - a bon vivant, connoisseur, family man, friend to the famous and benefactor to amateur sports. He's also a gambler of some skill (if there is such a thing) and a remarkable tailor.

I'm intrigued by the notion of the public palate, the way in which "normal" people grow into and adopt new ideas, as opposed to the geekery into which most of us food and wine types fall because we're immersed in it every day.

Outdoor Yoga: Free flow-inspired practices Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. until Aug. 28 in Waterfront Plaza outside the Lonsdale Quay Market, 123 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver. Participants must bring their own yoga mats. lonsdalequay.