My good friends, Bonnie and Kim, made this little video to commemorate their visit to the goat ranch last weekend. I especially like how the soundtrack makes Bodega look so exotic!

Enjoy!

PS – Where did the weekend go?!!

We’ve gotten so much rain over the past week…and there’s probably much more to come. It certainly adds to the challenge of living here.

The storm last Wednesday morning was probably the most exciting. I woke up a little before 5am…Scout had stomped his way up the bed to my pillow, purring demanding his morning cuddles. When I pulled him under the covers, I felt that his back was wet, and was instantly fully awake. I sat up and turned on the light, scanning the ceiling for what I guessed was a terrible leak. Then I noticed with relief that the front door had blown open in the wind. No leak…Scout had either ventured outside or stood in the doorway. It was an easy problem to fix.

The storm was gathering intensity, and I got up and started my usual morning routine. A short time later, the power went out.

I grew up being afraid of thunderstorms, or more specifically tornados. Tornados are very rare here, but living in a yurt puts you more in the storm, and I’ll admit that I was anxious.

I decided to work on a painting as a way to pass the time, and was enjoying it quite a bit. It got my mind off the storm until the wall next to me suddenly flexed. I stopped what I was doing and packed a bug-out bag…change of clothing, dog food, computer. The yurt felt stable, but I didn’t know what to expect. The tarps were still lose enough to make quite a racket, all adding to the ferocity of the storm. After packing the emergency bags, I just sat on the couch for a while with Laika and Scout, soaking in the experience of the storm, and the experience of taking responsibility for handling any problems that might arise.

I made the most of my morning…it was like a “snow day” from school…a rain day from the internet. I painted, read, cooked breakfast and made a second pot of coffee. Eventually, though, I realized that I needed to at least check in at work, so I took the computer and headed for town. On the way out, J. warned me that, depending on the tides, the creek level might crest 6-8 hours after the rain stopped. When I got to the bridge, the water was still a few feet below it, so I continued on. Had to go almost all the way to Sebastopol before finding power (and internet), but I was able to answer the most pressing work emails before racing back to be sure I was on the same side of the bridge as my dog and cat. I opted not to make the trip to the hardware store that I’d planned, for more rope and tarp clamps. We’d just have to get through things for a while longer as-is.

The power came back on in the early afternoon, and things got back to normal…or as normal as they get here. I was grateful for my new Muck Boots…a big expense, but really necessary here. J. urged me to get the chore boots, and he is right…the big lug soles are really great to have when sliding around on the mud out here. With all the flooding in Sonoma County, I’m probably not the only person doning muck boots to do her dishes. But I’m probably the most cheerful!

It’s hard to remember where one storm started and another left off. The time was filled with tarp adjustments, bringing wood in, working, and catching up on sleep lost during thunderstorms.

Saturday was beautiful; friends came to visit and once again I was filled with gratitude for the support and friendship people have shown me. I really enjoyed having the windows of the yurt open for fresh air, and then having it filled with warmth and laughter of visitors. And I’m the benefactor of Kim upgrading her iPod Touch, and so am the delighted recipient of her old one. As much as I try to keep my gadget lust in check, there’s been no denying my desire for this one. They almost could not contain themselves as I unwrapped the package with smaller packages inside…first a giant dog biscuit for Laika, next a cute tiny mouse toy for Scout, and then…a sleek shiny toy for me. Unbelievable.

A few minutes after they left, opened my door to find my friend TJ, out for a drive and stopping for a visit. I had a great time showing off how different things looked from the first time she’d visited.

Later, I made a quick dash for Santa Rosa and visited Harbor Freight for the first time. How have I not been at this store before?! There I found the kind of tarp clamps you need for a big tarping job: EZ Grabbit Tarp Holders. In between storms, I’d found a few of these in a package under the yurt and tried them out. They’re fantastic! By putting tension directly on the tarp (rather than trying to hold it down with the ropes over it), the flapping is much reduced.

Yesterday I spent some more time tying down my tarp. And my knots are much better, yes, because there’s an app for that…Knot Time Lite, in fact. I’ve been really happy through the storm of today — less rain, but I can tell that things are snugged down much better now.

Today was my first day of feeding the goats on my own. The rain was pouring constantly (I think we’ve gotten about three inches in the last 24 hours), but I felt like I had a better time of it than the goats. They have some shelter, but are more exposed than I’d like. I’m probably a big softie when it comes to farm animals. I counted them today…we have 53 altogether: 23 pregnant mamas, 13 pregnant yearlings, 14 pregnant “babies”, and 3 billies. The yearlings were born in 2008, and so are really almost two years old. The babies were born last year, almost a year old. Usually, as commercial dairy goats, they wouldn’t be pregnant until they are yearlings and allowed to grow into bigger goats. But one of the billies, LeRoy Brown, has become quite adept at climbing out of fences where there are girls in heat around. So there will be 14 pregnant milk goats up for sale soon, suitable for backyard milkers. Want one?

Tomorrow the vet comes, so we’ll be rounding up all the goats so the vet can draw blood for annual tests, give them their shots, and we’ll do any hoof trimming that’s necessary. I’m looking forward to an interesting (and muddy) day.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed here is the wood stove. I’ve been learning a lot about heating with wood, and still have a lot to learn.

When I was growing up, our family had a wood stove that we used for heating the kitchen. It was quite different…covered in white enameled sheet metal, it stood a little over waist high and loaded from the top. Ashes fell into a drawer in underneath the fire area. In many ways, its design seems superior to the design of the wood stove I have now, but this one is much more beautiful. This stove sits low, and opens in the front, with a glass door so you can see the flame. There’s no separate ash tray. When I moved in, I didn’t realize that there were already about three inches of packed ashes in the bottom…I couldn’t believe it when I finally cleaned it out and found a random grate embedded in the bottom! (I found a manual for the stove online, and the grate shouldn’t have been there at all.) Still, I loved having this little fire in my home right away.

I also started going through my wood really fast. I was a little horrified. What was worse, my wood use wasn’t necessarily resulting in a cozy lifestyle. At night it was cold, and in the afternoon it was hot. I tried to keep the fire going to avoid having to make another fire. When I did have to make a fire, I had to use fire starter blocks…yet more stuff to buy, stuff to consume. The helpful bag of kindling I bought at the general store was much the same…worked great, cost too much. Really, I have been consuming a lot of resources!

I was spending so much time on my knees in front of the stove getting covered with ashes, I felt like the only thing I needed as a couple of wicked stepsisters and a fairy godmother. Alas, my footwear needs are more for muck boots with traction and not a pair of glass slippers.

Thank goodness for the internet. It didn’t take me long to find this page of tips from WoodHeat.org. That helped a lot. And some experimentation and common sense helped, too.

I bought a splitting axe and started making my own kindling. It’s taking time for me to learn how to split wood (videos on youtube help) and I can’t do too much at a time without developing a ferocious back ache. But it’s very satisfying.

I’ve learned some discipline from fire. On Saturday, I made kindling because it was obvious that the weather wasn’t going to cooperate for making it later. Want fire on Wednesday? Make kindling on Saturday. Same thing with bringing wood into the house before the rain.

You don’t manage a fire for the moment…you must plan ahead. I’m learning to back off on morning fires, because they’ll likely turn the yurt into a sauna by mid-afternoon on a sunny day. Evenings are similar…if I wait until it feels cold, it will be cold for an hour until the fire gets going enough to put out heat. So I have to think ahead.

And I have to pay attention. Fire can be dangerous. Ashes often contain hot coals, and it can be tempting to poke around too much in an effort to play “wood tetris” while feeding the fire, and those hot coals will roll out of the front of the stove if you do. Fire requires mindfulness; it will correct you swiftly and unmistakably.

A fire is like a living thing; you can ask yourself what it needs to grow, whether it might need to be reigned in, what it needs to be fed. You can do pretty well by learning the general rules and then tending it, but there’s always an element of uncertainty that makes a fire lively. Like most living things you might take care of, it can teach you a lot…a lot about fire, and a lot about yourself.

I’m still learning. I don’t always get a fire started as quickly as I’d like, and on a bad day, I’ll use the help of fire starters. But tonight, I got my fire going with paper and kindling on my first try. It feels just right in here…a welcome comfort in the calm between the storms.

Before moving here, the big question was whether Laika would be ok living here. The owner has a dog, Jasper, who’s very adamant about his position as top dog on the ranch. There are also three other dogs owned by the tenant in the lower part of the property. And don’t forget the livestock — many interesting kinds of poultry to chase, and of course, the goats. But I really couldn’t be happier about how it’s going. And Laika seems to love the place. It’s so great to see her running and playing with other dogs.

And why wouldn’t she love it? I think she’s finding treats all over the place, especially in my landlord’s kitchen, the place she runs to first when she gets to go outside in the morning. I hear her being exclaimed over in the other house like an honored guest, and if I wait to watch her emerge, I see her running up to her sentry position on the edge of the pond to sit and enjoy some delectable treat she’s been given. She’s quit begging for her dinner, and I’m probably going to be saving on dog food seeing as she’s getting fed so much at other houses.

It hasn’t been stress-free, that’s for sure. Laika is protective of our living area, and tends to bark too much at visitors. We’re working on it. I’m often on-edge about her unsupervised time outside. I don’t think she’s particularly car savvy, though most cars slow down properly while coming up the drive. And it will take a long time…maybe never…for me to feel that she’s bomb-proof around the livestock. I think we were lucky that I took her bed shopping with me last week. While we were gone, Jasper chased and killed a chicken…had Laika been here, I’m sure she would have been all too eager to show off for her new buddy by doing the same.

I have to give this dog credit — she really does try to please. During the first few days, she barked at any small noise. Now she’s developed a sense of what’s important and what’s not. I don’t tell her “quiet” every time she barks…sometimes a dog’s got to be a dog, and barking is appropriate. But, more and more, she listens when I do tell her “quiet”. Amusingly to me, she sometimes demonstrates her understanding by woofing very quietly. I think the most difficult part of dog training is to teach a negative. But woofing very quietly works pretty well for me. She’s also getting better at coming when I call her, especially if someone strange to her has arrived on the property. We still have work to do here, but I’m encouraged by her progress.

And delighted at her joy when she comes running up to me during her play time, ears flying and rear wiggling, a bundle of sweet doggie energy.

No wonder she’s getting all those treats.

I’ve always been a little envious of people who would stick with an exercise routine. They seem very in control of themselves; very orderly and organized.

I’ve never been like that myself. And because I’m not, I’ve tended to not get enough exercise. I’m hoping that will change with life on the goat ranch.

For example, meet my wood pile:

Today I stacked most of a cord of wood…enough to take me through a year, I’m told (though I bet I’ll go through mine faster). I’m grateful for the wood, a gift from my brother and sis-in-law. But I”m also grateful for the chore of stacking it. It felt good to have that physical activity, a way to enjoy this morning’s sunshine.

Speaking of sunshine, did you see the sunrise this morning? Gorgeous. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s is like.

Don’t worry, I won’t be writing this much every time. But now, when everything on the farm feels so new, I notice lots of things I might want to remember later.

I’ve been getting up at least once in the night to load the stove. Last night, I loaded in a large round log at around 1am and almost thought better of it. But I went back to bed, and after waking a few times to the coyote party going on in the moonlight and the coughing-shout of a fox, I ended up sleeping in later than I have in months…6:30 AM!

And it was cold outside of the blankets! The log was too big, and maybe too damp, and the fire had nearly gone out. Fortunately, the eucalyptus firewood that was delivered yesterday burns much better, and with a bit of finagling I got things cooking again.

Our morning walk was beautiful (a phrase I’ll probably repeat often). The fog that had settled below us was rising and the day was warming up. Before we left the property, I talked to J for a while, while Laika played with his three rat terriers. I gave him some feed money and said I’d get eggs on my way back.

During our walk, I saw some deer and leashed Laika before she could notice and give chase. When we got closer, the deer bolted and ran into some brush, and some other animals gave a strange cry. Laika stopped in her tracks and didn’t move, then tried to insist on running home with her tail between her legs. I’m guessing it was a coyote, but we never saw what made the noise, and eventually I convinced her to move along.

Got our eggs on the way back up the driveway. I started thinking of the eggs from our hens in Sebastopol as “coddled eggs”, since I took a lot of pains to provide clean nest boxes. If there was any dirt on them, I’d only have to brush it off. Here, the eggs are quite dirty, and I washed the whole dozen of the before stashing them in the fridge.

Living here is is much more deliberate than other places I’ve lived, much in the same way camping is. So far I like it, but I need to pay attention and stay on my toes. It’s up to me to make sure we have heat, that my firewood stays dry, that I have the water I need for the day in the yurt to save trips back and forth. It takes more effort to stay clean and tidy; I’m responsible for my own trash and recycling. I feel more in touch with my use (and reuse) of resources. I’m starting to feel my way into a routine, and so far have enjoyed that so many of the little chores involve more time outside.

We’ll see if I enjoy it as much in the rains. I was stacking firewood this afternoon when it started, then tarped everything back up and came inside to continue unpacking and arranging. My desk area and all books are now unpacked and mostly arranged. It’s looking pretty homey in here already!

This morning’s highlights were getting a load of firewood delivered, and convincing Laika to be quiet while Patty was outside directing an eco-tour of the ranch. Laika got into a bit of a scuffle with a visiting dog today, and she seems a little overprotective of her new home. But, all things considered, she’s doing well, and I’ll continue to work with her to get her acclimated.

I found out that it costs $29 to have a tick tested for Lyme disease by the Sonoma County Health Department. But only 2% tend to come back positive, so I feel ok in taking my chances. I’ll watch for symptoms. Hopefully all I’ll have is this ugly painful bump on the side of my neck. Ordered more Frontline for Laika today.

This afternoon I took my packing materials (except for a few boxes left to unpack) to the town of Bodega Bay to be recycled by another person who’s moving. While there, I checked out Diekmann’s Bay Store, to get a better idea of what they have in case I want to avoid a trip to Sebastopol and Santa Rosa sometime. They seem to have more hardware than the typical small-town general store.

But I was really more interested in checking out my new home town, Bodega, which is a few miles inland from the town of Bodega Bay. Stopped at the Post Office and picked up my mail, and a package from Rob, the friendly postmaster. Then I visited Artisans’ Co-op, where I was pleasantly surprised to see some of Randy Snyder’s work, along with many other beautiful things.

Then I stopped in at Hamilton Trading Company, an antique store, mainly just to be nosey and see what they had. But I found two trays of beautiful (and very reasonably priced) sterling silver rings, and it didn’t take me long pick one out to wear home…a big pretty Red Jasper ring. Joy, the woman who sold me the ring, also gave me a great story to go with it. In the early 70’s, a local counter-culture figure went to Tibet and became involved in helping some Tibetans escape the invading Chinese. However, once out of their country, they had no way of supporting themselves, so he helped set up a couple of businesses for them to work in, one of them a jewelry-making company. There were also local fundraisers, helped out by the Grateful Dead, and they actually flew a plane full of supplies (and Dead t-shirts) to the refugees. My ring is one of the rings made by that group.

Quick stop at the surf shop to inquire about tide calendars…I was surprised to see Ben Dougherty behind the counter. Everyone I talk to here seems to know Patty and the goat ranch. I really like the sense of community.

My last stop was at Bodega Country Store to pick up a few supplies. It’s a very well-stocked store for such a small town; the veggies look fresh, and I’m happy to pay a little extra for some of the things I needed for the convenience of having a it available without a long drive.

Then the short drive home, in the beautiful slanted sunlight of later afternoon in winter. As I pulled and parked, I noticed that there was something familiar about the people visiting the ranch. Lo and behold, it was Penny Livingston-Stark and James Stark, founders of Regenerative Design Institute and among my permaculture and Ecology of Leadership courses! It was great to see them…they were here to buy two goats from Patty.

Many have asked how many goats are on the ranch…there are about 42, which Patty says is the lowest number she’s ever had. That will change in the spring when all the babies are born. Should be fun!

I really like the sense of community there is out here. Everyone in town has been super friendly and welcoming, and it was a real boost to see Penny and James.

We had a beautiful sunset tonight:

And now a beautiful moon and some coyote yips far in the distance. I’m very grateful for all.

After two months of living a semi-nomadic live between Redwood City and Sebastopol, I finally moved into my own place: the yurt at the goat ranch. The ranch is a permaculture site and home of an artisan cheese business. Steve and I had actually looked at it as a potential rental a year and a half ago, but it wasn’t suitable for a couple. When we separated, I contacted ranch owner, and inquired about renting again.

So yesterday, an amazing group of people met up in Sebastopol and moved my belongings from storage in the garage there and into the yurt here. I feel incredibly blessed to have such good friends; the move might have been incredibly depressing, with all of the feelings I have about the separation. But my friends turned it into a fun and even joyous occasion, and the cloud of grief lifted for the short three hours it took to move everything. Suddenly, it was all done, and at that moment the rain started. Very lucky!

So there are three of us now living at the upper end of the ranch: one in a cabin, the owner in the house, and me in the yurt. And there is one person living lower on the property. Last night, by quirk of the holidays, I was the only resident of the upper ranch here. Laika was ecstatic, spending as much time as possible outside. I went to sleep, astonished that I could hear not only the harbor horn at Bodega Bay, but also the ocean itself. A Great Horned Owl hooted from a nearby tree.

In the morning, I craved a shower, but was reluctant. Because the shower is outdoors, I’d been thinking I’d change my habits and start showering near the end of the day when it’s warmer. But I decided to try it in the morning anyhow. It was 45 degrees out, may as well see what it’s like. So I did, and was very pleasantly surprised; there’s hot water, of course, and the minimal time to undress, dry off, and dress wasn’t terrible. So far, most things have been like that here….I’ve worried about hardships, but then find that things roll along pretty smoothly. I think I’m even getting the hang of the wood-burning stove.

After breakfast, I took a walk with Laika, stopping for a conversation with Jordan, who lives down the hill. He does many interesting things, among them training his three rat terriers to do useful things around the farm and the winery where he works. Jordan manages the poultry on the property, and by contributing to feed costs, I can get a supply of eggs and even meat, all right here.

We walked down to Tannery Creek road and then a little further up the road. Lots of birds, of course, probably my favorite being an adult Cooper’s Hawk sitting in a tree. I also saw a large morning fly-out of Turkey Vultures, and then later in the day counted fifty of them soaring over the ridge before I gave up counting..I guess there was about a hundred.

I spent my day unpacking and taking care of small details. I ordered a cord of firewood, a gift from my brother’s family, and it will be delivered tomorrow morning. A good chore for me, stacking firewood! Eventually I’ll work into rotation on the ranch, feeding goats and then milking in the spring. Every hour of work I can do here means money I can deduct from next month’s rent. And you’d be surprised what an old yurt without plumbing runs for in Sonoma county! (But worth every penny!)

My friend Thelmajean visited in the afternoon, and I could see her initial apprehension about the situation melt away. She agreed that it simply has a “good feeling” here. It seems to be a common vibe with permaculture sites.

This evening, there was a ranch dinner where I was treated to Peruvian chili chicken and a delicious persimmon “pudding” – similar to a cake, but steamed into a lucious moistness. I really like everyone here at the ranch so far. It feels like we have a small community.

During dinner, I was distressed to find another tick, dug in deep, this time on the other side of my collarbone. I got one during Christmas Bird Count last week, and am not sure where this one came from. P is not only a permaculturist and artisan cheesemaker, she is also a registered nurse, and she helped me with tick removal. Identifying it as the species that’s a possible carrier of Lyme disease, she prepared it to send to the health department and gave me instructions on calling them and arranging for a test. All in all, I’ve felt very taken care of here.

Laika, confined to the yurt, howled during the rest of dinner when I disturbed her by coming back for a pair of tweezers. I think she realized I was still on the property, and she wanted out to roam with her new buddy Jasper. My cat, Scout, has been hiding behind the kitchen cabinet all day. I’m hoping he comes out tonight, and I’m trying to be patient with him but would like to see him eat, drink, and use his litterbox. But I expect both pets to adjust gradually.

So. There’s still more unpacking to do. I need to get a bed, but Craigslist is looking very promising there…hoping for a twin-sized captains bed….small and with drawers for storage.

I’m fortunate in so many ways. The road to getting here was not one I would have chosen. I still have a lot of grief over the separation. But it’s opened me up to the feeling that I have a lot of growing up to do. This seems to be a good place to do it.

Scout just came out of hiding. I think we’re going to be ok.