Old grape

This beautiful specimen is just one of thousands of vines that are growing all over this valley. Mendocino county is home to so very many vineyards.

Long time, no post.

Lots going on lately! Our other intern, Brian showed up, and we promptly got to work on some projects. He's cleaning out the barn, and making it into sort of an artists workshop. And adjacent to the barn, we're constructing a new goat enclosure around the legs of the solar array. I like working with Peter, and I'm learning a lot. We've also had help from a "friend of the family," Chris, who is as knowledgeable about natural building as he is about South American struggles.  The goats are excited to be in the new enclosure, as they had been allowed over there before the solar construction; they are rather curious about what's been going on in their old turf. We're also excited that this is getting done so the goats have their own, familiar shelter for kidding. We think maybe Licorice, the black and white beauty pictured here, has 4ish kids in her, so she wants a cozy place to rest. All this rain has everyone antsy out there, including the chickens. They want to roam about, but I don't trust them in the rain. Plus, I don't want to have to go herd them out of the garden and back into the coop in the rain either.

Also learned how to brew Jun and Kombucha from Jini as she prepared some of the best meals yet. 

Seafood is definitely on the menu this month, because we're expecting that maybe there will be a lot of radioactivity hitting this coast from the Fukushima disaster three years ago. Lots of rumblings about that issue here in NorCal, but I must admit that I hadn't heard a lot about that until arriving here. Past couple nights we have had snapper, and then crab and we're savoring every last morsel.

Last night, we went to the Mendocino Environmental Council's radio station/headquarters for one of the DJ's birthday party/potluck. We brought a vegetable tray that included Yuccan root and a chipotle hummus, and plenty of chicken wings with Salt Hollow Fig Barbeque sauce. I made some new friends there, too. It was nice to branch out a bit, seeing as I already feel so at home here on Road B.

That's all for now; those goats don't feed themselves!

Cookin' S'more

Got to work at Plow Shares today, where we made spaghetti and sauteed vegetables and garlic bread in mass quantities. Spent the afternoon with Jini making kraut, and kale chips, and then DINNER.

Mind you, I'm just the side-kick here, and Jini calls the shots, but I have really enjoyed these cooking projects. I learned how to make cinderella Pumpkin* stuffed with turkey sausage, brown rice, onions, etc., and topped with cilantro punpkin seed pesto and ghee. Had it with a salad greens, cabbage, steamed cauliflower*, chard, and carrots and a dessert of cranberry Norwegian fruit soup with dried fruit*, topped with Kiwi Juice and bitters. Delightful meal to make and eat.

A long day of cooking, but I'm finding that the kitchen is my favorite place. It  could also be that that is where I feel the most at home. I imagine I will really enjoy doing whatever it is that I might do here :D

Rained In

Today, the rain has us doing more indoor domestic work. Jini and I are going to organize the library and cook up some foods that need processing. I've also got plans to do some paper processing regarding taxes, a job application to the local food co-op, and other miscellaneous tasks. I'm feeling like I am in the swing of things already, and connected with the community. Warm fuzzies!

Getting Grafted

Today we went to the county Scion Exchange, where residents brought cuttings from their favorite productive plants. Seeds too. Cool events and speakers. Small farmer market, a rain dance, chicken mole lunch option (though we had packed in lots of food for lunch). To top it all off, I met some more Salt Hollow family, including a former WWOOFer. I was feeling like part of that family by the time we arrived home, when Brett told me that the room was free for me. I made the room my own, and breathed easy, feeling thankful to have the earth reach up to offer deep roots wherever I turn.

Getting Fed

Already a big day and it's only 5:30. Morning was graciously short, having been allowed to sleep in. Jini had morning obligations, and I needed the rest. I ate a delicious breakfast of back-yard eggs, kale, and goat cheese, showered, and Brett and I set to work tidying up for a meeting that the house will host tonight. Took Lucy, a perfect mix of whippet vigor and jack russle spunk for a walk. She's a little too big for her britches, tempting fights with any dog behind a fence, no matter how big.

Brett showed me the lay of the land, pointing out good places to meander, as well as the dwindling Lake Mendocino. A sad sight, really, but one improved by the rain that continues to fall. After our return, there was animal feed to file away, kindling to split, and a little time to get acquainted with the animals.

We've got 4 goats, a coop of chickens, couple cats, and a 4 member aviary. I'll be responsible for feeding them until the other WWOOFers arrive to share in the chores. WWOOF stands for WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms, or somesuch, a network of folks taking care of their land with the help of largely unpaid help, eager to work in exchange or a place to stay and a stocked kitchen.

We've also got a contingency of Three permanent residents, including Jini, Peter, and Charlie. Then there's me, Brett, and Thoth here, though I think Thoth and Brett will be staying elsewhere after this weekend. That's great news for me, too, cause I'll move into Brett's room, and finally get unpacked all the way. As it stands, I'm off to tend to dinner.

Gettin There

The blizzard had left me with a canceled bus ticket, and a frantic last day in town, with people to see, things to deliver, and no time for dallying. Then, I weathered the blizzard, driving 30 mph on the highway until I escaped the lake effect snow somewhere south of St. Joe. I had a great time catching up with my friend Matt, but didn't get much sleep even after he went to bed. Too anxious for rest. It was a good thing that my phone got me up an hour early, refusing to do the time-change from Eastern to Central time; I had forgotten that I needed to refill the rental car's gas tank, and the morning gridlock had me worried.

An uneventful flight landed me in San Francisco, where I was joined by Thoth, my host's son, and Brett, a farming friend from Michigan. Brett had told me about his time at Salt Hollow Acre, and how he loved it. He also vouched for my earnestness in applying to be the Resident Intern here. And now, he was our chauffer.

I made it to my new home exhausted, but bushy-tailed for the tour of the house. It was raining for the first time in ages--a nice, gentle mist-turned-drizzle that the ground could soak up without losing too much soil to erosion. It was also dark, so the outdoor tour was postponed for daylight. I met Jini, my host, and she gave me a second tour, including a nod to the hot tub which beckoned sumptuously. I soaked in as much as I could, took a brief soak in the hot tub, and crashed hard in the camper -trailer near the goat pen, thankful to have a happy community of warm faces, and a place now pregnant with new growth.