Thank goodness that one of my least-favorite errands (Home Depot) takes me on one of the prettiest drives in California - up Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu. It's how you get to Las Posas Road, which is how you get to a truly depressing spread of big box development.

But before you arrive, there's a wide and wild stretch of untouched coast, all windblown, wind-tossed shades of blue. It's California how it used to be, and now I'm thinking I should be showing you pix of that instead of this this field of artichokes. But the field was so strange, both sides of the highway, artichokes as far as the eye can see. And when you get out of the car, the humming of thousands of bees.

So next time, I'll show you that coastline. But right now it's big, green, spikey artichokes. With drawn butter, please, and some crusty French bread.