in brambles and heart

bad man's plaything

2012-02-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

i've been thinking a lot about yarrow. it's a flower that makes a pretty bouqet, a leaf that's soft and yummy to sniff. a cough remedy, a fever inducer, it's the one you reach for when you have a cut that won't stop bleeding (damn new razor!) and why i just had to tell you about it, one of the best monikers in history!

Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
"In Greek mythology, yarrow grew from the rust that Achilles (thus, Achillea) scraped from his spear to help heal a man he had wounded (there's an interesting connection between iron/rust/blood/war/Mars here, kind of a neat obverse of the Venus/love aspect of this herb). Perhaps this myth is why in the language of flowers, yarrow can mean war or healing. Because it is aromatic, yarrow is often associated with the Element of Air, and it contains the planetary metal for Jupiter (tin), but it is traditionally connected to Venus because of the usefulness of the fresh herb as a poultice in skin problems. Yarrow also has the ability to potentiate other herbs when added to incense or when incorporated into love magick. It is put into love sachets, because it is believed capable of keeping a couple together for 7 years.
In Divination
Magickally, this herb is good for divination--the I Ching was originally thrown not with coins but with dried yarrow stalks--it makes a nice ingredient for dream pillows and for divinatory incense and tea (great to combine with mugwort for this purpose). Burning yarrow is said to produce visions of snakes. On a lighter note, yarrow has often been a device for divining the identity of one's future lover or determining whether one is truly loved.
As a Protector
In the past, yarrow was used as a protectant. It was strewn across the threshold to keep out evil and worn to protect against hexes. It was tied to an infant's cradle to protect it from those who might try to steal its soul. The Saxons wore yarrow amulets to protect against blindness, robbers, and dogs, among other things.
In Herbalism
Yarrow was commonly used to flavor beer before the introduction of hops, and it still flavors vermouth and bitters. A tea of the flowers raises the body temperature (good for the start of colds), works as a bitter tonic to help digestion, helps promote healthy coughing, eases spasms, and promotes menstruation (don't use during pregnancy). In India, yarrow was put into medicated steam baths for fever; the Chippewa used it very similarly for headache. Even now, the tea is sometimes taken as a remedy for the blues and for restlessness, especially during menopause. It is helpful in shedding fear and negativity.
Its Many Names
The many other common names for yarrow reflect how widely this herb has been used: allheal, angel flower, bad man's plaything, bloodwort, cammock, carpenter's weed, devil's nettle, devil's plaything, dog daisy, gordoloba, green arrow, herbe militaris, hierba de las cortadura, knight's milfoil, milfoil, nosebleed, old man's (the devil's) mustard, old man's pepper, plumajillo, sanguinary, soldier's woundwort, squirrel's taile, stanchgrass, stanchweed, thousand-leaf, thousand weed, woundwort, and yarroway." -harold roth

2012-01-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

the forest floor on a recent mushroom hunt

goat walk

full moon rising-a view from the kitchen!

the rain has come and planning has begun. there's lots to do on the new property. all kinds of fun with olives, fruit trees, herbs, flowers, goat kids in june!!! a new perimeter fence, chicken tractor and possibly a rabbit hutch/worm farm. and that's only the beginning! Ahhhhh, so much to look forward to!

2012-01-15T19:41:00.001-08:00

read up

2011-12-19T16:14:00.001-08:00

GMOs and why you should never use Canola oil.
February 8, 2011 in Ecology, Nutrition

Olive oil comes from olives. Sesame seed oil comes from sesame seeds.
But what is a canola? Canola is actually a made-up word for a genetically modified product.
Canola stands for “Canadian oil low acid.” It’s (sadly) a Canadian invention and subsidized by the government. The subsidies make it very cheap to use, so almost all processed or packaged foods contain canola oil. Be sure to read the ingredients. Here’s why you should:

THE SCOOP ON CANOLA
Canola oil is developed from the rapeseed plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants. These oils have long been used for industrial purposes (in candles, lipsticks, soaps, inks, lubricants, and biofuels). It’s an industrial oil, not a food.
Rapeseed oil is the source behind mustard gas, and on its own it causes emphysema, respiratory distress, anemia, constipation, irritability, and blindness. But through the beauty of genetic modification, we now sell it as an edible oil.

The claim is that canola is safe to use because through modification it is no longer rapeseed but “canola.” Except… canola is just genetically modified rapeseed. It has been marketed as a wonder oil that is low in saturated fats with a beneficial omega-3 fatty acid profile. It is recognized by the American Dietetic Association and the American Heart Association based on the belief that the absence of saturated fats alone makes it healthy.

It is now believed that rapeseed has a cumulative effect, taking almost 10 years before symptoms begin to manifest. One possible effect of long-term use is the destruction of the protective coating surrounding nerves called the myelin sheath. This is like having raw, open wires in the body. Some symptoms include:
tremors and shaking
uncoordination when walking or writing
slurred speech
deterioration of memory and thinking processes
fuzzy or low audio levels
difficulty urinating/incontinence
breathing problems/short of breath
nervous breakdown
numbness and tingling in extremities
heart problems/arrhythmia
From a nutritional perspective, canola oil has been found to deplete Vitamin E. It has a tendency to inhibit proper metabolism of foods and normal enzyme function. It also depresses the immune system.

THE SCOOP ON GMOS
Today, 72% of all products from the United States are genetically modified. The top 3 genetically modified foods are:
canola
corn
soy
Not too far behind them are potatoes, tomatoes, sweet peppers, peanuts, and sunflower.

Companies that commonly use genetic modification are:
Kellogg’s
Kraft
Miss Vickie’s
Hershey’s
Coke
Gatorade
General Mills
Labatt beer
McCain
No Name
President’s Choice
Quaker Oats
Ragu
When an attempt was made for new legislation to force the labeling of genetically modified products in grocery stores, the three companies of Kellogg’s, Monsanto, and DuPont spent $55 millions to fight it and eventually won. It is not mandatory for companies to let the consumers know when they have used genetic modification. Which is why today I refuse to use a Kellogg’s product (very corn-based). Produce that is genetically modified is sometimes identified by a 5-digit number on its sticker that starts with an 8. But not always.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF GMOS ON HUMANS
1. Toxicity
Apparently they have GMO Christmas trees that glow in the dark. Slightly cool, but kind of disturbing. They can also make pigs glow in the dark by injecting them with jellyfish.

2. Allergic reactions
Our bodies were not built to recognize and consume GMOs. They are foreign substances in our digestive system and in our bloodstream.

3. Antibiotic resistance
Many plants are engineered to become resistant. We consume those same toxins and may in turn develop resistances.

4. Cancer
GMOs are an offense to our cells. They depress our immune system and may allow for the onset of cancer.

5. Immuno-suppresion
Our immune system doesn’t recognize GMOs. It works to expel them from our bodies as soon as possible, and has less time to work towards our general well being.

Besides the above, GMOs have a negative effect on nature. It upsets the balance of the earth, harms wild plants, and disturbs the life cycle of wild animals.

WHAT CAN WE DO?
Boycott that shit!!!! Don't buy it. Don't eat it. Read, learn, do it!

2011-12-16T21:02:00.001-08:00

geriatric computer motions have kept my blabbing to a minimum. that with a lot of too busy dicking around. also, i've been busy moving into a new place and getting accustomed to my new chore of goat milker/goat wrangler/goat bitch. it hasn't been easy but tonight i made moves. i ditched the leashes and saved my sanity. it was so fucking easy! there was no running away, no humping on the trail, no head butting me, no breaking through the gate, no shocks from the fence, no tug o' war, no nothing! my fuck it attitude really payed off this time.
and with another gift of vision, this one in the form of new specs, i could actually see what i was not giving a shit about. and somewhat unfortunately, the unblurred surprise of the ever fascinating goat penis. corkscrewed! for real!

yeay for silly!

2011-11-27T17:31:00.001-08:00

Seventeen Evergreen - Polarity Song from Lucky Number Music on Vimeo.

c'est la vie

2011-11-26T15:11:00.001-08:00

so many goodbyes! so many changes a happening. that time of year, that kind of life. work on the farm is over and i'm the last lonely person around. just me and the chickens, cats, rats, foxes and deer. my preffered choice of companionship? nah! i spent a wonderful morning collecting cranberries with new pals-just pulled a cranberry walnut tart out of the oven for dessert, it's homemade turkey pot pie for dinner. yum! turkey that i missed on thanksgiving, driving away. driving back. a costly reminder to remember. good thing i like driving. not a good thing my memory sucks.

2011-10-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

i had a nice birthday away from the farm this weekend. fat and happy in truckee with nathan and the aspens. yeay!
back in action today, i mowed down the last of the corn and the eggplant with the tractor. i was sad to see them go but driving the tractor is the best!!! little red wing black birds guided my way. after we mow the cover crop (legumes, oats, vetch) is broadcast and then all is tilled under and into the soil. the oats in the cover crop we planted where the melons were is already coming up! it looks so pretty and little. everything around the farm is really beautiful lately. my favorite time of the year. it's been cold and dark waking in the mornings and i just noticed how far over the sun has been settingi
i picked some of the last and some of my favorite flowers today-marigolds and strawflowers. also, some hot peppers, and some renegade mint and mugwort. we finished planting the huge plot of garlic and weeded the tiny little onions today too. tomorrows CSA box will barely close filled with beets, carrots, broccoli, lettuce, green beans, peppers, kale, garlic, winter squash, and radishes. life is good.

2011-09-30T15:45:00.001-07:00

the amazing Wangari Maathi passed away a few days ago. she started the green belt movement and empowered women to make a living and make a change by planting trees. for her work and her vision, maathi was the first african woman to be awarded the nobel peace prize. a true inspiration.

2011-09-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

we harvested the rest of our winter squash today-carnival, sunshine, confection, bon-bon (aka bon-bon barnacle bubble butt). we mowed down the corn, the summer squash, the cucumbers!!! the tomatoes are looking wimpy and all of the beautiful flowers are gonners soon too. birchville is becoming a field of flat again. it’s all coming full circle. seems not long ago that we were plopping all of those seeds in the ground to grow.
it's not all doom and gloom though. our scallions and spinach are coming up and the showy fennel flows in the breeze. the dragonflies are everywhere, making the sky busy and beautiful along with the bees. the fragrant citrus of turkey mullein fills the air and praying mantis cocoons abound.
fall. new moon in libra. balancing act.

happy mabon

2011-09-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

the fall equinox is a good time to bring harmony and balance into your life. as the days become shorter and the nights longer until the winter sostice in december, celebrate, harvest and save seed for the dark, cold days ahead.
we have so many yummy things to eat on the farm right now like pears and corn, raspberries and winter squash. i've been collecting herbs like mugwort to dry and saving seeds from popppy's to dill. as things wind down think about what you can lay to rest and look forward to change.

2011-09-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

today was pretty awesome. after a quick and easy harvest for the CSA (carrots, cabbage, eggplant, corn, basil, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, and melons!) we got to extract honey from our hives! it’s a once a year deal so i felt pretty fortunate to be a part of the whole process from sweeping the bees off the frames to uncapping the comb with a hot knife to holding down the huge extractor with the jumble of the spin. i ended up getting stung on the arm which made me kind of excited. i never hold a fear for that and even as the bees were swarming around us as we took their honey filled frames from their hives, i only got stung inside the shed, away from the hives as we uncapped the comb, totally random. so great though. it’s good to get stung and so damn good to eat fresh, sweet, raw, unfiltered honey- comb and all.
another highlight of the day was hearing a strange crunch noise in the distance and realizing an hour later that the pigs had gotten out. 5 big fat boys running around in our huge broccoli patch! it was such a wonderful scene. i’ve been taking care of them for the past week and have grown to adore them. i was happy they got a chance to run around free for a bit today. i think they had fun! wrangling them back into the pen was really easy too. they’re so smart and sweet.
oh and the cherry on top of the 11 hour work day of mostly fun was dinner! we made raviolis filled with zucchini, thyme and cheese with a browned butter and thyme flower sauce, yum! i’m pretty proud of my new recipe. soooo glamorous! i sleep now like the pigs, fat and happy. and thinking of my honey

2011-09-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

today we found a baby rattlesnake in the weeds we were pulling up. tiny little rattle, slither away under the shade. moved to the creek side. then found a dead one to match. a different snake crushed flat by the tractor.
we chased a gopher out of the potato bed and then found a dead one decapitated by the tractor. we save. we kill. sometimes on purpose sometimes on accident.
praying mantis were everywhere sending their wishes i guess.

wild geese

2011-08-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
-mary oliver

2011-08-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

just beginning to recover from one of the funnest four days in a long time. first there was the nevada county fair where i lived out my fantasy of getting high on life through multiple hours of being upside down while spinning around fast on dangerous metal contraptions with teenagers, dancing wildly, eating corn dogs and caramel apples, and taking home a stuffed animal! the zipper was the highlight as usual. my stomach was in knots we were laughing so hard! high as kites!
THEN the next day i drove to san francisco to meet up with sandals at outside lands for three days of awesome music. we met some amazing people on the monkey bars and it just kept getting better. black keys, tune yards, john foggerty, the roots, dead maus, girl talk, mavis staples, sooo much goodness! left at 4 in the morning to get back to the farm and here I am partying in a different way. we have so much food it's crazy-melons, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, basil, beets, carrots, lettuce, strawberries, arugula, zucchini, cucumbers, CRAZY! damn i'm a lucky girl.

WHOA!!

2011-07-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

too excited to post any photos but you HAVE to look up the mud dauber wasp! i got out of the shower tonight and went to put on my shirt and it had a thumb sized, cocoon like mud thingy on the back center of the collar! but it was familiar. andrew had found one a couple months ago and we put it on the window sill awating action. it has since dissapeared so i ran into the kitchen displaying my discovery and then decided the best thing to do was see what was inside!! i crumbled the mud between my fingers and oh my god! 7 spiders fell to the ground! holy shit!!! i was not expecting that! we poked and prodded and they appeared to be dead. what the hell was going on? i had a sneaky suspision that there might be a wasp involved and after a google search of mud wasp spider we found the answer. mud dauber. so fucking cool! the mud dauber wasp builds a mud tube, then hunts for spiders, stinging and paralyzing them then carrying them into the mud tube. THEN, she lays an egg on one of the spiders, closes up the hole and leaves forever, her young to hatch and grow on the spiders!
i've seen a video about other parasytic wasps but holy crap! this thing was on my shirt!
read more about it here. although i don't think it was a pipe organ wasp. the ones flying in and out of my cabin are black and yellow.
http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek020401.html

2011-07-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

guess who ate a watermelon from the field today! oh hells yeah!

2011-07-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

in these moments when there's time to wonder around the farm i find peace in the beauty of onion blossoms and beetles hiding out inside mariposa lilies. i dream of days laying amidst flowers like these with someone i love. on my own farm, watching the insects fly by against the blue sky and calling out images the clouds are making with my daughter. then i think about what i might dream if that was in fact my life. would i dream of being a lonely intern with nothing? i wonder.

2011-07-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

"ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering.
there's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."
written on this wonderful planter filled with sunflowers and corn on the streets in san francisco.
makes me so happy.

this week....

2011-07-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

tomatoes!!!! hot, hot days. strawberry basil crumble. fox in the morning. bear in the trash. mariposa lillies. lots of ice cream. even more flies and mosquitos. 6 stitches. reflection. a much needed break.

my bella

2011-06-30T17:20:00.001-07:00

this monday we said our last goodbyes to bella. bella donna, bella monster, big white, stinkerbell, bela lugosi. it was hard as hell. 13 years of adventure, bella and i went through it all together. she was my bodyguard through scary night streets, my lookout alone in the middle of the woods, my unintentional pick up line, my headache when the neighbors called, my happiness when i walked through the door, my tiny dancer, my crazy for food, overprotective best road trip partner ever. my bella.

my heart

2011-06-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

litha-the summer solstice

2011-06-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

i can’t believe the summer solstice is already here! just a few more days (june 21st) until the longest day of the year and a progression of shorter and shorter ones thereafter. then fall!! holy crap! i’m turning 33 this year in october and i can hardly believe it. i have a myriad of thoughts that go through my head, both good and bad. and then i read this.....

"Fold your wings inward, Libra. A poignant and intense year begins on June 4th, when expansive Jupiter enters Taurus for a year. Taurus rules your eighth house, one of the most complex and internal parts of the zodiac wheel. It rules intimacy, vulnerability, sex, birth, death, spirituality, shared finances, real estate, "other people's money" (taxes, credit cards, inheritances, loans)...to name a few.
It's the place where we merge our most personal resources with others'—no light matter. Needless to say, the next year might not be the most fun time you've ever had, but the opportunity for growth—emotionally, spiritually and financially—is tremendous, especially if you're willing to explore all of your shadows AND your light."

there’s comfort in a little cosmic insight i guess!? anyway, litha is a day to celebrate! let all of our worries fall by the wayside as we take in every ray of sunshine and give thanks for what we have. because even in hard times, even in the dark, the light always shines through! remember to eat good food, drink good drink, and be in good company on this day. celebrate the sun! celebrate each other.

thousands of veggies!

2011-06-08T17:20:00.001-07:00

we harvested beets, radishes, turnips, tatsoi, kale, zucchini, and garlic scapes for 344 families this week!!!! how amazing is that?!
everything looked so beautiful in each box-the colors so vibrant and the life so fresh. proud farmers here.
i wish i had a photo of the before and after of our birchville site (8 acres out of our total 12 farmed) where it's gone from green rolling hills to row after row of green growing food. so cool! life is good!

2011-06-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

holy ginormous slug slithering slowly accross the driveway. dead doe behind nikki's cabin-whoa! and a beautiful sky to take the gross out!

2011-06-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

“the world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.” extra so lately with the rain never ending. accepting it more as i remember how useless it is to complain, to fight, to try to control what is out of my hands. remember. remember. remind me again. when the rain falls hard and my heart feels heavy, remind me to accept. remind me the world is mud lucious and puddle wonderful.

this week....

2011-05-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

tractor, bees, ice cream, weeds. rain then sun, squash, carrots, beets.
swallowtails, birdsong, sunburn, hope. thunder, fire, bright and dark.
protozoa, worms, rotten corn. giggles, understanding, wind and change.
missing you. missing me.

Good Times!

2011-05-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

2011-04-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

after a shoulder swelling day of luggin around a 5 gallon spray pack in hopes of "taking care" of our little cut worm problem, i had the wonderful pleasure of sharing some talk with howard, or papa as he likes to call himself. papa owns the second parcel of land we're farming on. papa's 92 and a man like they used to be. his clear blue eyes remind me of my grandma bev and when he started talking about the good old days and how four dollars seemed like hundreds-a living wage for a man working a real job like farming-i knew it was all true. how four dollars was enough for every man and his family to live life well. a home, food for your children, a new car, a nice dress for your wife, dancing on the weekends, the essentials really. how politics have ruined autonomy. when packin pistols and fist fightin were how business was taken care of. and how all the generations would hang out together-take care of eachother and teach one another. the good old days indeed. it's sad how much things have changed, we all agreed. he told us he didn't have too much longer to live but that he was worried about the little ones and about us. i'm a little worried too, when all the wonderful elders like papa and my grandma are gone, who's going to be left to tell us the truth?

A break in the clouds

2011-04-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Smack dab in the middle of one of our giant fields, an easter egg!!! Found in its small rocky nest in the big wide open, a near miss this strange stranded egg, as we seeded radishes. A kill deer perhaps? Mom and pops were no where to be found??????
And the beauty that accompanies the rainy hiker on her quiet journey. Buds, lichen, mushrooms, cacti. I live in such a beautiful area! I’ve grown to love these rainy days in the foothills. The light is low and the colors in front of me just glow against the gray drizzle. Gorgeous when the sun peaks out and everything glistens as the rainbows form on the dewy drops left behind! I am so grateful for this fantasyland only 10 minutes away! Dream on! What?!

mountain bounty

2011-04-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

i have the best job ever! there's no going back....

awesomo

2011-04-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

saw this piece in lisbon by accident. such a sweet surprise!

and a cow

2011-03-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

what a storm! a shit storm! not really. i start work on my favorite holdiay, April 1st and i can't wait. i've been waiting too long-in limbo not knowing what was going to happen. the farm is mountain bounty and it should be bitchin! a positive i hope in what has seemed to be an incessent racket of change and giving up and sickness and instability. i've been lonely. confused. sad. it's good though, i'm learning a life lesson or whatever.
yesterday-my sunday ("funday" as we used to call it) marked the equinox and though i didn't want to be alone i tried to make the best of it and ended up really enjoying myself! it was rainy and windy and a bit cold but i wanted to go on a hike so i drove down the pretty, windy road wondering if i was going to run out of gas to my beautiful destination. all of the wildflowers have just started to bloom and i was in for a really wonderful moment of peace, quiet, and reflection. i needed that! so i got lost on the way back but found gas in time and even a weird little "cafe" to eat weird food in. i love the adventures in life and though i always prefer to share them, i think it was a good time to be okay with being alone. i mean really alone, i didn't even have my bella!
spring is comin though and all the hard shit of winter will soon pass, melt away. i look forward to more peaceful moments and getting really buff arms again.

boa ano!

2011-01-28T12:39:00.001-08:00

not quite back in action-a wintery slumber still in bloggo land. but here's a cool photo of portugal-yeay!

2010-11-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

i could eat a whole jar of maraschino cherries. i have. lots of times! but this isn't good. glowing isn't good.

howl with the moon, wishes in the wind

2010-11-21T23:05:00.000-08:00

the snow is blowing hard and as i watch out the window sitting by this fire close to midnight i remember its a full moon. though hidden by the bright moving sky i feel its energy. that energy moved through me all day in waves of motivation but before my day started i was called on as a sad friend needed consolation, i remembered my own fears and faults, i saw a memory in flight. and as i sit here after the day is done, wind chimes whaling i come across this from an acquainted stranger who inspires me and everything about today, everything about everything comes together as she explains...
"Dreams floating in the air unfinished, the olden days are gone. No turning back, you can only go forward or embrace that time is folly and think outside the man-made box. Tonight’s full Moon in Taurus is about vision—seeing through the illusion of time to the other side and then bringing that knowledge back to this world. This full moon is powerful yet filled with sadness; it’s a time of moving on, of surrender and self sacrifice for the greater good and for your own spiritual evolution. There will be some healing pain as old wounds are incised and opened up, but this is when love can and will conquer all. Magical events and alchemies appear in unexpected and surprising places- open those reception wavelengths. Synchronicities abound. Put out requests to the universe and affirmations of intention and things will happen".

2010-11-20T23:30:00.000-08:00

familiarity fleeting, the semi on my right
mile on the markers, close to it again
white drenched willows hanging in the prairie
haystacks block the wind.
you flock of little chirps
you high rippled river
in the rearview, in my brights
going far for what i left behind

32 years later

2010-10-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

i didn’t take enough photos on my birthday trip. the oyster boats on the bay from the windy road. the eucalyptus groves in the shaded hills. the wild thyme and fennel growing around our spot. heading into the floating city glistening, foggy bright. crowded smiles in the low light of the dance hall....there are some great ones framed in my head though and alas, a few from the wondrous botanical gardens in berkeley. it was a good time to be me.

otis redding made me do it

2010-09-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

vine hill

2010-09-19T17:47:00.001-07:00

what it takes people

2010-09-19T17:40:00.003-07:00

a sustainable food system needs you:
Educate yourself:
Understand why sustainable food should actually cost 50 to 100 percent more than industrial, conventional food. Figure out how to buy food more directly from farmers and ranchers, if you want to avoid some of the transportation/distribution/retail markup costs.
Know the names of more farmers and ranchers than celebrity chefs, including at least one you can call by first name -- and ask how their kids are doing.
Understand that if you want to see working conditions and wages come up for farming and food processing workers, that you will have to pay more for food. Be OK with that.
Learn about the Farm Bill and plan to write a letter/make a phone call when it comes up for re-authorization.

Chill out:
Don't expect a farmer to have year-round availability and selection. Alter your diet to match the seasonal harvests in your area. Get used to not eating tomatoes until at least July, apples in late August to December, citrus in winter, greens in spring. Don't complain.
Realize that even animal products are seasonal because animals have biological cycles. Know that chickens produce much less eggs in winter when days are shorter and even come to a complete stop when they are replacing their feathers (molting). Consequently you may have to eat less eggs and pay more for them during that time. Don't complain.

Get your hands dirty:
Sweat on a farm sometime.
Participate in the death of an animal that you consume.
Successfully cook a roast. You don't need steaks and chops to make an amazing meal.
Save your bones for soup, beans, stock, or your doggies!
If you own land that's not being farmed, tell some farmers about it. If you rent land to farmers, offer a fair rental price or fair lease (long-term is better), and then stay out of the way and don't meddle or hinder the farmers. They are not your pet farmers nor your landscapers.
Throw your consumer dollar behind a couple beginning farmers or lower-income farmers. Be concerned about how landless, lower-income producers are going to compete with the increasing numbers of wealthy landowners getting into farming as a hobby.
Help your local farmers do their job:
Bring your kids/grandkids/nieces & nephews to the farmers market and to real farms as often as possible
If you ask to visit the farm, also offer to help out or spend some decent money while you are there. Otherwise, wait patiently until the next group farm tour. Don't expect a farmer to drop everything just to give you a special tour.
Consider making a low-interest loan, grant, or pre-payment to a farmer to help her cover her operating expenses. Stick with that farmer for the long haul, as long as he continues to supply quality product and can stay in business.
Give more than just money to a farmer or rancher -- maybe a Christmas card, invitation to a party, offer to spiff up their website, or watch their kid for an hour at the farmers' market.
Really put your money where your mouth is:
Don't complain about prices. If price is an issue for you on something, ask the farmer nicely if he has any less expensive cuts (or cosmetically challenged "seconds"), bulk discounts, or volunteer opportunities. But don't ask the farmer to earn less money for his hard work.
Don't compare prices between farmers who are trying to do this for a living and those that do it only as a hobby (and don't have to make a living from what they produce and sell).
Share in a farmer's risk by putting up some money and faith up front via a Community Supported Agriculture share. And then suck it up when you don't get to eat something that you paid for because there was a crop failure or an animal illness.
Buy local when available, but also make a point of supporting certified Fair Trade, Organic products when buying something grown in tropical countries
Buy organic not just for your health, but for the health of the land, waterways, wildlife, and the workers in those fields
Figure out the handful of restaurants that buy and serve truly sustainable food and become loyal to them. Occasionally give them feedback and thank them.
Don't buy meat from chain grocery stores, not even Whole Foods. Understand that for them to get meat in volume with year-round selection and availability, they have to work with large distribution networks and often international suppliers, and don't pay enough to the producers for them to even cover their costs.
Get the majority of your produce, meat, eggs, dairy, bread, dried fruit, nuts, and olive oil from farmers markets, CSAs, U-pick farms, and on-farm stands. Try to buy from the actual farmer, not a middleman. Get the rest of your food from the bulk section, dairy case, or bakery of your local independent grocer.
Pay for your values. If it hurts, don't have fewer values, just eat less food (sorry, but most Americans could stand to do a bit of this).
I admit, this is a lot to digest.
What I am saying is that we can't be casual about the food system we want to see. If more people don't show some commitment, and take part in some of the hard work that farmers, ranchers, and farm workers do on a daily basis, then we cannot build a sustainable food system.
You don't have to be a passive consumer. You are part of this system, too. Don't just eat, do something more!
Rebecca Thistlewaite

no root no fruit!

2010-09-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

“Kids don’t have a little brother working in the coal mine, they don’t have a little sister coughing her lungs out in the looms of the big mill towns of the Northeast. Why? Because we organized; we broke the back of the sweatshops in this country; we have child labor laws. Those were not benevolent gifts from enlightened management. They were fought for, they were bled for, they were died for by working people, by people like us. Kids ought to know that. That’s why I sing these songs. That’s why I tell these stories, dammit. No root, no fruit!”
the words of utah phillips. i had the pleasure of seeing him in the flesh back in Colorado and i was all smiles. the entire time. he was tall. he was wearing a red flannel and overalls, a cool hat and a big grey beard. he had tattoos from the war and from the trains. he was someone you could not ignore. and when he started telling stories and playing his guitar i couldn’t sit still-i was giddy.

2010-09-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

amigoisms

2010-09-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

for me, one of the interesting dilemas of having a blog (worst word ever!) is that people might actually read it. i willingly share with the world but in doing so i set myself up for judgement, stalking, weird comments from my sis, etc. but it's part of the whole deal, i accept that. it's funny though because sometimes i'll censor myself or i'll find myself writing for someone else and i hate it when i do that. anyway, it's a fuckin blog-it's so self masturbatory and nerdy and i can't take it too seriously. that is, until i find out that i've shared something totally untrue! no not the post about the crapper-that shit's legit. but the post about gold lake. the lies! the lies!
just so we all know some real history here-not the bullshit that father like figures sometimes tell, the song "camptown races" (camptown ladies sing this song doo-dah doo-dah) was written by stephen foster. he was not from camptonville california and he most definitely didn't write the star spangled banner. that was written by francis scott key, a distant relative of the cutest fact checker i know. truth be told. truth be gold.

2010-08-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

the bees-doin there thing

and the corn keeps growing

biggest cucumber ever!

2010-08-10T20:25:00.001-07:00

Reap and Thresh

2010-08-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

this moment makes me think of finding purple periwinkles and yellow daffodils in the middle of the forrest and how that means there once was a house there.

5 am in the pinewoods

2010-08-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

i'd seen
their hoofprints in the deep
needles and knew
they ended the long night

under the pines, walking
like two mute
and beautiful women toward
the deeper woods, so i

got up in the dark and
went there. they came
slowly down the hill
and looked at me sitting under

the blue trees, shyly
they stepped
closer and stared
from under their thick lashes and even

nibbled some damp
tassels of weeds. this
is not a poem about a dream,
though it could be.

this is a poem about the world
that is ours, or could be.
finally
one of them-i swear it!

would have come to my arms
but the other
stamped sharp hoof in the
pine needles like

the tap of sanity,
and they went off together through
the trees. when i woke
i was alone,

i was thinking:
so this is how you swim inward,
so this is how you flow outward, so this is how you pray.

-mary oliver via the sweet sweet paris miller

heart heart heart

2010-08-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

400 years later

2010-08-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

Tuttles, the oldest farm in america is shutting the big barn doors and calling it quits. worst news ever! it’s been nearly 400 years from the beginning of it all in this country, an historical landmark, an emblem of our past, a lived long family tradition. and now after all of those years it’s going to be just those things-a place to visit and take a tour around, a place to see tinted photos of tractors and dirty hands, a fading reality young Tuttles will keep to themselves as they meet their peers in college.
in a time when family farmers are being raided by government agents all the while struggling to compete with corporate rule and public demand for cheap food it should come as no surprise. when i ask my boss for advise on what to do on my own farm, if it would be best to have a CSA or just do farmer’s markets his answer sums it up, “neither! there’s no money in farming”.
now he knows damn well that i’m not in it for the money and though his answer bursts my bubble a bit as i realize more and more how hard it truly is to be good, do good things, and expect to survive in a world full of rotten, i know that places like Tuttles-not even places but models like Tuttles are important reminders of where we came from and where we’re headed.
Tuttles closing down is a cultural metaphor that i don’t want to see or believe as i take the leap into this farming world, a dreamy place of past and necessity for the future. farming for me answered all of the questions i finally figured out how to ask and it holds big hope not only for me but for you as well, whether or not you realize. it brings up some bigger questions and large concerns. where are we headed in this era of “progress” and big business monopolization? what are the real values of life?
i know that i’ve always resisted progress in the technological form-where do all those cell phone parts come from? what does that reception do to your brain? where do all the old computers go when the new mac comes out? mining and landfills and satellites are not in my utopian vision but even more importantly, i know that i value family, community, friendship, love and good food. i mean, is there anything more important in life? don’t those just all go together so nicely?! don’t forget the real value of your life. it’s easy to forget when we have to check our email and text everyone about dinner. we’ll all soon forget about the Tuttles legacy but god damn if we keep letting big business and government control our health and happiness. “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.”
read the sad story here

2010-08-02T21:34:00.001-07:00

sliding down waterfalls into pools of clear green.
jumping off the highest rock. little leg wiggle.
hold on to that crag- oh wait! no let go
fall into my little heaven.

weeeeeeeeeeeeee

2010-07-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

the four of us took a day off and went sailing. on a canoe made special-a trimaran. made the drive to gold lake and though i was a bit apprehensive about being on a wee boat on a wee lake- it was pure heaven. there is nothing like sailing the ocean and i have too many good memories to ever forget my time on the san diego bay but i’ve come to the conclusion that sailing-whatever and wherever is the shit.
i would have posted some photos but i had left my camera aside popcorn kernels and gum on the sticky theatre floor. wouldn’t you know. neither photos nor words however, could ever capture the magic of that lake; an untouched wonderland of mossy ornaments; timber for miles fallen and scraggely, new and all knowing, the water so perfect in temperature and color i had brief visions of “the blob” and jason voorhees coming to get my ass, coming to wake me from this surreal fantasyland. the only creatures to stop by were a pair of ducks and later a pair of geese.
the canoe story is a long one built from many years and many parts and is one in a handful of successes. a really beautiful work of wood and a vehicle for speed, agility and wet butts. we trolled the lake for dark waters or upcoming gusts of wind and at the right moment i would jump up and out to balance for the ride. faster, faster! come on wind, come on! i didn’t want to leave but i know i’ll be back to this little gem in the mountains.
and on the ride home we spotted really rare, wild azaleas that smelled like perfume fit only for goddess’. we drank out of a natural spring-so cold and delicious and sang “camptown lady sing your song do-da do-da” that song writer was from camptonville and he also wrote the star spangled banner! (amigo is full of facts-i know he gets tired of my hundred questions a day but, he humors me, thank god!)
so just picture your ideal secret hideaway with a gorgeous lake to swim in and lots of trees to hike around in, where you would take your loved one to get away from it all. that is gold lake and you better not tell all your friends.

2010-07-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

it's skies like these...

mornings picking these...

evenings in here...

after a hard days work-swimming in this...

whirlwind

2010-07-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

things are a happenin and i feel like there's just too many stories to share so, some random words to sum up what's been goin on lately...
honeybees and marionberries, ‘squitos, paris, runaway goat.
hot flash waterfall, rock dive, bikes, national’s balcony, uruguay and spain.
kale chips, bear, o positive, sungolds.
mac the draft horse, santa cruz, sauerkraut.
violas, ferraris, utilikilts and sweet williams.
in living color, outdoor kitchen, king snakes. onion blossoms and ice cream.
fishing pole, arrow and bow, buckeye, rose massage.
eagle, beards, mountain road, outdoor wall. climbing up...

CHERISH

2010-07-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

One word. make it count. now until forever.

like the prettiest eyes

2010-07-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

2010-07-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

gangsta

2010-06-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Can't Tell Me Nothin' from Zach Galifianakis

that's will oldham in the background-hillarious!

yeay summer!

2010-06-23T10:42:00.001-07:00

love this life!

2010-06-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

for A and M

2010-06-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

wish it was a vampire instead

2010-06-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

i gave blood today for the first time ever!!! i finally weigh enough-
oh god! all muscle though baby all muscle!
i have good veins and i didn't even get light headed!
fucking champ y'all!
osiris might have malaria from his travels to syria so he wasn't able to bloodlet. but while i teased him about the real reasons why he wasn't allowed (you know, all of the man sex and shooting up back in '76) he was good for stuffing junk food and power ade in my bag while we waited for my blood pouch to get full. good boy! we never get junk food on the farm!
anyway, we finished the day against nurse orders and got some beer and painted a new banner for our first farmers market on saturday. thank the vegetable gods! i need some socialization!
my rogue d' hiver. the blood red lettuce awaits you!!

the 70's

2010-06-12T16:45:00.001-07:00

really?

live free!

2010-06-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

"we still remember that we cannot be free if our minds and voices are controlled by someone else. but we have neglected to understand that we cannot be free if our food and its sources are controlled by someone else...
one reason to eat responsibly is to live free."
-wendell berry

2010-06-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

i opted to stay home and make rose cordial while the mens went on a mushroom hunt- what a perfect gender assuming scenario. nonetheless, i absolutely revel in my time alone on the farm, even though i do yearn for female companionship of the human-kind like the mosquitos for my bare skin.
rose petals underneath sugar piled with lemons below boiling water. viola!
i hope it turns out as yummy as i think....

that fence is done

2010-06-11T14:22:00.001-07:00

a hammer in my hand feels good, feels natural. suddenly i have purpose. i have strength. pounding the stakes into the ground high up on a ladder i can see everything and i see no one coming to judge me. i prove nothing to anyone but myself. i’m strong. i have purpose. i’m a carpenter’s daughter but a fatherless girl searching for the skills that skipped over my little frame. i love that hammer. this lesson in letting go.

i'd do him

2010-06-07T20:05:00.001-07:00

a superb bird of paradise dances for the lady. wow!

in the news...

2010-06-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

"porn star jumps to his death after murdering co-worker with samurai sword."
wait i think i saw that movie

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/05/porn-actor-accused-murder-dies-cliff-standoff-la/

2010-06-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

i just finished burying my favorite chicken black beauty. my aracauna mistress with baby blue eggs. my favorite because she was the smartest. always finding her way out of the run while the other girls just pecked around. she was kind of an outsider too often doing her own thing away from the rest of the flock. she had this strong independent presence, plus she just looked tough! all black head with blue glimmering neck feathers and brown speckle ridged feathers like wood grain everywhere else.
the wild neighbor dogs came over right after we let them out of the run to roam. bella was taking a nap. i was inside. the neighbor came and broke the news. she was nervous. i told her it was okay and it was life and that dogs just do these kinds of things. she showed me black beauty and after she walked away i thought of life and death and all the things that just happen. i took her back over by the coop and covered her with dirt and lupine. my black beauty.

2010-06-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

i found another swallowtail today. i know they’re everywhere right now but when i find them i like to think instead, that they find me. my grandma bev would put out her arm or a finger and a butterfly would always land on her. she had that kind of magic with birds and all kinds of other animals too. they liked her. there were all the squirrels, the stray dogs, the daddy long legs we named herman that she let live in the corners of the house. she was the st. francis of the neighborhood. the saint of my life who showed me the fun of rolly pollies and the sweet taste of honeysuckle.
so as i cradled that pretty fragile thing into my room i thought of grandma. and as i gathered all of the brightly colored, sweet smelling flowers today i thought of her too.

my bluebird sings

2010-06-01T19:41:00.001-07:00

the month of may-hem is over. for many of us here on the farm and many others i adore afar, it’s been a bitch.
part mercury, part spring, part weather, part life equaled a lot of change. a lot of loss. the latest frost in 50 years claimed the hundreds of big and beautiful tomatoes and eggplants we watched blossom from tiny little seeds. grapes and peaches were bit with the black tongue. the potatoes took a hit but seem to be bouncing back (must be an idaho/irish thing!!). we’ve only just started transplanting from the greenhouse most of what has been begging for earth, air, and sky. what a season to be a farmer in the sierras!
the beauty in all the bummer is that this pacific northwest-like weather has brought unusual abundance. all of the berry bushes have twice as many flowers, which means twice as much fruit. yummy!
by the way, next to my favorite the raspberry, we have strawberries, blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, elderberries, black currants, and the area famed mullberry tree. mmmmmmmmm.
and there are hundreds of birds on the farm-ones missing from the trees for ten years or so. it was a lovely day to see a tiny nest in the rose bush filled with even tinier baby chicks, pink skin and whitish mohawks, so new and fragile. the mating calls of the ravens are a click clack like i’ve never heard before and the morning songs of countless other birds make waking up so damn early almost pleasurable.
so friends, as you cry from heartbreak just remember that may has passed and june is here, summer is on her way carrying sunny days and new love. so come eat some freakin’ berries! possibly bathed in liquor as a sweet reminder that may came only once this year!

gettin kind of sick of all the god damn bad news in the world

2010-05-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

2010-05-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

today was hard

2010-05-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

today was real hard. i’ve been the presence of stability and support lately but this morning my callouses crippled my grip and the sweat and tears washed away my game face. i finally had my time to be real and give up the fight a bit. i got worked.
love sick. nostalgic. tired. lonely. it all came to the surface today as i struggled to carry the weight of the soil, the weight of their emotions, the weight of my own swelled heart up and over that big ass hill. the wheelborrow broke. we both did.
a few sad songs and a good memory are all it takes sometimes and some time, that's all it takes to get over i thought. the ones that stick aren't meant for memories. those are the ones that become you, take over your dreams, shape your favorites and form your new old habits.
today was hard but yesterday was harder having to pretend. this heavy chest and tired body lay to rest. tomorrow will be easier in theory. science just can't catch up to my fate.

have you ever seen a mole? they're super cute

2010-05-11T21:35:00.002-07:00

it's been a crazy past couple of weeks on the farm but the plants are pushin and soon we'll be at the market basking in the glory of all our hard work and talking to people about things other than roto-tillers and bolting brassicas. my ginger brew is ready in a few days and the kombucha is looking thick and slimey-which is a good thing!! making beer in the pm and oh i can hardly contain my excitement for......
ROAD TRIP!
i'm taking a long weekend and driving to SF for a little holiday from the farm before things really start rollin. my annual meetin up with old friends, lookin at art, drinking yummy coffee (blue bottle this time baby), and gettin my music fix! grass widow at li-po! what?!
last time we were at li-po it was pooring rain and i was trying hard to ignore the annoying bar fly while filling up my empty sake glass with the black water from my socks. i was bored. i was bummed. i love a good prank.
anyway, god i love the farm life but damn i love the city too and i’m so lucky i can have my cake and eat it too. fuck what ya heard!
on the list under "eat good mexican food" are a couple urban farms to visit. people are doing wonderful things between apartment buildings and parking lots (and it isn't just sex or pissin)! check out little city gardens for instance. i love their politics and the fact that their pals always come together to help out. makes my heart cry.
oh and i just watched garbage warrior about michael reynolds-the amazing architect who uses tires and bottles to build the often beautiful but unfortunately named "earthships" or completely self sustainable houses for hippies, forward thinkers, people displaced by natural disasters accross the world, etc. get really inspired! this guy rules!
it's on a farm and it's in a city. a reminder to follow my dreams, be inspired by the dreams of others, and never hang a dream catcher from the rearview mirror in a car. k. never.

2010-05-09T08:40:00.003-07:00

2010-05-02T11:55:00.001-07:00

happy beltane!

2010-05-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

frolick in the flowers and leap over a fire! it's spring baby!
for me. for you. neruda says it best:

But I forgot that your hands fed the roots,
Watering the tangled roses,
Till your fingerprints bloomed
Full, in a natural peace.
Like pets, your hoe and your sprinkling can
Follow you around, biting and licking the earth.
That work is how you let this richness loose,
The carnation’s fiery freshness.
I wish the love and dignity of bees for your hands,
Mixing and spreading their transparent brood
In the earth: they cultivate even my heart,
So that I am like a scorched rock
That suddenly sings when you are near, because it drinks
The water you carry from the forest, in your voice.

2010-04-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

what the eyjafjallajokull?!

2010-04-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

the boston globe has some crazy photos of the recent volcanic eruption in iceland here
note the preface to the story is the affects on european travelers.

funny farm

2010-04-14T19:15:00.004-07:00

yesterday i made lunch for the crew, including joy the accountant. it was a simple meal. i marinated olives in garlic and lemon juice, cooked up some pasta with homemade sauce from the pantry, made garlic bread, a nice salad from the garden. it was yummy. we all finished and were kind of just doing our own thing when all of a sudden, i felt high. it was very confusing. i didn't remember smoking anything! i went into the kitchen and told hillary. she felt high too. we were standing there wondering what the fuck and osiris walked in from the back porch. the look on his face was just perfect. we were all out of our minds!! ripped! we stood there trying to figure out what the hell happened and decided it was the pasta sauce from the pantry. it was a batch from last years canning and was labeled "G Sauce". guess the G didn't stand for garlic!
i felt pretty bad (and really good) and suddenly it dawned on me that joy the accountant must be stoned too! i got the fucking accountant stoned with lunch! when i approached her and she told me she felt weird i thought i was gonna die. she kind of started freakin' out and i was real non chalant about it all. i told her to drink some water and that she would be fine. she told me she's never even SMOKED pot before! never even smoked pot and the woman just ate some seriously strong ganga food. unwillingly!
the guilt. the giggles. the awkwardness. the desire to clean!
we were completely useless the rest of the day. we all tripped out on our own-in a blissfull disbelief that what had happened really did just happen. i stared at trees and hung out with the chickens. took photos and made flower arrangements, walked around, let the rain fall in my mouth. i don't know how joy worked like that. actually i don't think she even could. she forgot to pay us! she was afraid to drive home for christs sake! i felt so bad!
9 hours later we all went to bed still high....unbelievable.

"Every passing bird, every river Says lay-lay to you my baby"

2010-04-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

found an acorn woodpecker in the middle of the road last night. just laying there. dead. sometimes i close my eyes when i know i'm coming up on something that lay dead in the road. avoiding the sad and mangled blood and guts of what once was a breathing animal. i hate seeing dead animals. i think most people do.
but we reversed for this mysterious thing in the road. my eyes followed the lights onto the black reflection of this woodpecker that lay there still in the brightness of our headlights, in the darkness of the forrest. it was so beautiful. i held it in my hand. it was big and warm and incredibly soft. so now it lies not in the gray of the gravelly road but in the freezer. in the hands of the likeness of its probable ending. dead but living on for my selfish desire to gaze forever at his beauty.

holy teet

2010-04-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

thursday i was lucky enough to take a day off the farm and go to another small, pretty farm and milk a cow. i met dan a couple weeks ago. he was teaching his unsurpassed skills in grafting. we practiced with some heritage cherry scion's from felix gillet's time-(a pioneer for nevada city as far as botany goes and an all around rad dude that shaped the city in many ways).
we've been picking up raw milk from dan on the underground (raw milk is illegal!) since he stopped by the farm and modestly mentioned this other passion in his life. the milk is wonderful. there is nothing like fresh, raw, cream on top milk from your local dairyman!! he has two cows and a heifer on pasture and when i expressed interest in helping him milk he gleamed. if i was any good at milking he would be able to take his first vacation in years, as dairy cows have to be milked twice a day, period. it turns out that i was pretty good, i'm a natural! and all that winter climbing came in handy! milking is a fuckin workout!
i loved the warm sweet smell and being close with the cow. like real close. it's really something else to experience. i'm more appreciative than ever for that milk i've been using in my coffee and alongside the fresh hot cookies and cakes i can't stop baking!!!!
dan pastures the cows on his beautiful yet not overly large property alongside his impressive apple, plum, and cherry orchard. he has three nigerian dwarf goats, chickens, ducks, guinea fowl (rattlesnake wranglers and tick eaters-yeay!) and a slew of dogs, some of which aren't even his...

dan and old girl. notice the baby in the background on left. little buck tooth cutie!

geraldine-my name for her

baby girl

the hooligans. pete the rat terrior, dodger and charlie. pete showed me an old petrified rat he successfully killed-ewe! good boy! and the goldens successfully tormented as many chickens as possible and spooked the baby into the outfield while we were milking. good boys!

grandma, mama, and baby (and dodger)

the kids sniffin the kid

can you spot the ducklings? awe! so cute!

2010-03-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

a blind shot of my chill spot. i broke my camera screen goofing off on the mountain bike and now i can't tell what the hell i'm shooting. can't change settings either. bummer. funny side note, i lost my glasses yesterday in the vineyard so blind shot is pretty right on. what can i lose next week? already lost my wallet and my favorite hat before i left. maybe i'll lose my patience and break the little fucker in my pocket who's throwing out all my stuff.

for ma.

2010-03-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

cut loose wild goose! but don't fall asleep at the wheel. yellow roses await you. hugs and kisses your way.

for/from my north caroliners. see you in sacramento

2010-03-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

from heaven and earth-happy spring!

2010-03-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

hillary in the garlic

the gentle soul of solomon

osiris and the girls

at home in the wild open pastures and pine lined foothills. national forrest abounds and the stars are in my eyes. literally. they're everywhere up here. up there. the frogs sing me to sleep and my belly full of seeds and weeds, i dream of the past and remember.
planting food, my roots. sowing oats, my boots.
the yuba winds with turqouise deeps and a stones throw makes it that much sweeter. the melon sky tells the time.
a mix of red necks and hippies. 4x4's and sandals with socks. this is what funny's made of.
bike fast past ponds and heifers. wave to the porch dwellers and the wind in my teeth makes a whistle.

2010-03-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

2010-03-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

holy shit! i'm off to heaven and earth farm!
it comes at a time when things really coudln't be better
so it will be hard to leave but...

"mankind has always sought the sparkle of distant stars,
tromped up ridges toward secret summits,
dreaming of a fantastic elsewhere.
the dream is always becoming"

and this is indeed a dream.

in all the familiar places

2010-03-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

stopped by la maze cafe. after dinner at tom waits' old hang around.
was greeted by the band. sittin cozy right in front. we had the whole place to ourselves and it felt good to be home.
vinyl slid and candles were lit. we joked a bit between songs.
she asked me what to sing for the last act.
"i'll be seeing you". her mama's favorite.
i coudn't help but crying. grandma was on my mind. i sang all the lyrics. we shared a hug and a drink for our good old girls.
it felt good to be home.
vinyl slid and candles were blown out. i imagined it years ago.
it used to be a happening place. now it just feels like home.

buhgawk!

2010-03-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

my favorite heirloom of the moment isn't a tomato but this cute little hen called a silver sebright. they are about a quarter size of standard chickens and lay little white eggs. everything's mini!
i like this one a lot too. it's a blue silkie, originating in china. silkies have black flesh and black bones!! wow. they are prized for their medicinal qualities and apparently the meat, if you can get over the fact that it's black, is even tastier than your standard pale, fleshy toned variety. but i prefer to think of her with her feathers on.
she's just so snuggable!

drink it in the wind

2010-03-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

got my new skerton hand grinder in the mail today. its got burrs, its glass, it has a lid, the arm comes off, it's japanese-me likey. i can take it camping if i want!!!
i look forward to roasting my own coffee beans too. who knew it was so simple and fun?! i love breakfast and though i don't drink copious amounts of coffee, a quality cup is mucho important to me! i'm excited about this mornings cup alongside oatmeal cinnamon pancakes with strawberries and cream! what?!

he goes good with breakfast (ramblin jack elliott)

children of the earth

2010-03-01T14:23:00.001-08:00

for your viewing dis/pleasure-my least cuddle friendly specimen. the ever so creepy, screech inducing jerusalem cricket.
i kept this in a box for a while before deciding to take its photo (thanks matt!). this really is one of my least favorite things to look at in all the world. i have nightmares about these cussing things!
my first encounter with one was about five years ago. it was slowly crawling weary, weirdly, accross the sidewalk. i was stoned or something i think and i truly thought i was witnessing the spawn of an alien creature searching for its first victim. it was not gonna be me!!! i walked away and i never walk away! its pale armour and glazed over eyes. the large head and spiked appendages! no thanks.
they live underground moslty so that explains a lot about the way they look and the slow nature of their travel. they use their ginormous mandilbles to dig through dirt and in my mind,
to devour the digits of unsuspecting children playing in the yard.
back in your box alien baby!

2010-02-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

he gives good radio

2010-02-18T00:33:00.000-08:00

it all started out real slow-normal pace with no big and fancy displays. no obsessive rushing to get home.
no skipping meals for him.
but now. now i'm addicted to this american life!!!!!
i can't stop listening and laughing, and cringing, and gasping.
the episodes on dvd are amazing as well. I caught an episode with young black runaways in phili. with horses.
black cowboys trotting through the shit stormed streets early mornin' to a green park just outside city limits to run wild.
no one else for miles. big buildings in the backgound.
a band of outlaws. such beautiful imagery!
dork out! you won't regret it

weeeeeeeeeeeeee

2010-02-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

out for a roll on my new bike-yeay!

bird watchin

wont' be climbing this tree

2010-02-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

my new recipe for blackberry cobblestone. kind of like a cobbler but not really. i threw in some raspberries and blueberries too. out of the oven and into my belly! on granny's pretty old plate with a little milk to balance the sweetness a bit. sooooo good!
i've been cooking and baking a lot. i found my niche. i've found my measuring cups!
i've been juicing like a mad woman too and making tinctures and perfume. i should say that taking my vitamins and being a good girl healed me from a scary medical condition so maybe that's part of the craze too! (making christmas dinner for 16 people might of helped. cuss that was hard!) anyway, making some rose petal jam, homemade apple cidar vinegar and trying out a new merlot sauce laters.
move over martha!

2010-02-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

got a bunch of fucked up feet today. bloody, bruised, and blistered. part from walking 2 miles or so in heels, then dancing in said heels, then getting stepped on by a gargantuan practicing his spastic break dancing style, then slipping off my pedals and into my new chain ring. fuck!! my feet used to be so cute. it all started with ski boots and my frightening tendancy to lean back instead of forward-what a wanker i am!
anyway, i was thinking about it the other day in the tub. lookin at 'em all haggard, toenails black and blue. scabs floating away in the water-just kidding-that's gross.
beauty is pain (heels). and pain is fun (skiing/hiking/river dancing) i guess it's worth it-having ugly feet as a 31 year old woman. as long as i look hot and am having fun right?
i guess it could be worse. my feet could look like an old chinese ladies' from the 19th century.
yikes!

this city can't swallow me

2010-02-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

matt lingo

"every generation needs a new revolution"

2010-01-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

at peace with his fist up. thank you howard zinn