Farmer Henry returns with Lindsey!

Jay and Lindsey returned this weekend, spent the night in the guest house.  The plan was for Henry to sleep here, in the new sleeping bag we bought him.  He was sick during the day, however, so they wanted him with them, in case he got sick again, but we won't go into it!

He was as thrilled as before to come out here!   It's going to be something he remembers forever, I think, and it's so interesting to see that!  It's been so enjoyable with him!   On sunday, we took him back to Haworth Park, where he rode the train again, with Jay and Lindsey this time.  He also took his very first pony ride, wanted me to walk him around, and oh, he was loving it!  Was absolutely still and quiet, just taking it all in, and this is not typical Henry behavior! 

first horsie ride ever!

Lindsey really enjoyed the farm too, and I know Jay did, he kept suggesting to Lindsey that they get some chickens.  Apparently, Henry has been talking about it all week long, the animals, the "jungles" all around it, the dogs, and the eggs, how fun it is to collect them, and then to eat them.

I must say, as a city gal, I have never tasted anything as good as these eggs.  I generally get stomach aches if I eat eggs in the morning sometimes, but I've been eating one daily, and have no problems.   What does that tell you, sadly, I fear!

Later in the afternoon, we parted ways, and we drove to Dillon Beach, to see a friend from Leelanau whom I know from zumba.  It was about a 45 minute drive.  Dillon Beach is beautiful---very rustic, an old Norweigan fishing village, our friend said.   Quite remote.  As we drove in, the fog set in, and it was very dramatic.  Walked on the beach with Christina, then had to get back home to feed the charges.

Dillon Beach when the fog rolled in

Jay, Henry and Lindsey on the train!

My Zumba friend, Christina

Name the Chickens and Grab an Egg

Time to show the pictures of all the chickens on our farm.    Do you know the kinds they are?    Other friends are working on this puzzle, and sending me their guesses, some have even looked them up, some have asked others who might know, or should know.
Well, here they are, along with their beautiful eggs.

Henry becomes a Farmer and We Buy a Jug

Henry and Jason came to spend the night with us, as Lindsey was out of town helping her friend who just had a baby. 

the eggs Henry proudly found

It was a long ride for Henry, I really wish we were nearer, but it was really fun for all of us.
He really, really loves "the farm", as he calls it.    He explored every nook and cranny, called the surrounding fauna the "jungle one" and the "jungle two", which only he could get through.   He got to feed the Koi in the Koi pond, and then, he got to help with the animals.  Oh, he loved it!  We found about 3 eggs in all, and he carefully got them and held them oh so carefully. 

Henry particularly likes Jesse James, the goat, and he laughs at how greedy he is, especially when he tried to eat the fence!   He also was very careful with Murphy, but really wanted to say hello to him, and did, carefully.   Murphy let him pet him, which was nice.

we are becoming friends with Murphy

We found a nearby park, where he got to ride the train and the Carousel, and then went to dinner at Willy Bird's restaurant, where he ordered the "turkey dinner" for us all.   Willy Bird turkeys are well known in this area for Thanksgiving. They are tender birds, which of course, are Organic--god forbid anyone in Northern California isn't doing anything that is "sustainable" and "organic"!
That night, he and Jason took a hot tub. 
He's been in a jacuzzi, but never a hot tub.

hot tub with daddy!

He was worried about Dan coming in because he was afraid if Dan came in, he would drown!   When he realize how big it was, he thought then that it would be o.k.   He called it a "hot tub bath."
Sunday morning, we let the girls out of the hen house .  Henry had named them all "Mimi", after a video game character he knows.  Jay took the adjoining video of them parading out of the coop, and please, don't notice how awful i look!    They left after lunch, with Henry being very, very sad to go!  He really liked it here!








After Jason and Henry left we took a ride to the Preston Winery and filled a jug with a Zin blend wine.

The jug wine from Preston Winery

This is a weekly event where you can bring your jug and get it filled for $34. Lots of fun, and a great drive up there to Dry Creek.  This may be a weekly event while we are here. 




Pat

Notes from the would be Assasin and Pickle Ball in Sonoma

There is trouble in the barnyard.  One of the girls is sick.  She is quite lethargic and spends a lot of time lying down.  Our hosts are out of the country, but called yesterday. When I reported the poor health of the fowl, we found out her name is Ginger and that she is quite elderly. Lucy, who is the regular tender of the barn yard, asked me if I could kill her if necessary.  Well I have killed chickens in my past. but it's been about 50 years.  We had chickens when I was a teenager, and we would chop off their heads (ala  Alice in Wonderland) when we would thin the flock.  So my first thought was to find the hatchet.  After further reflection, I went to a modern source to find the latest methods, and Googled how to kill a chicken.  There are hundreds of hits on that, and also Youtube videos.  The preferred method these days is breaking the neck. I will not go into the details of the technique. Many of you who enjoy fried chicken may turn into Vegans if you stop and think about who you are eating. So I have studied  up on how to do this, and believe I have the technique down, but in the mean time she rallied yesterday. Word must have gotten to her that Lucy has given her the death sentence. We do know that there is a predator in the vicinity and that chickens have been known to disappear around here.  I am hoping for that. If she does disappear we will not make a police report. We are on our way out for the morning feeding, we'll see what the morning brings.
(Later in the morning)
Sometimes if you do nothing, the problem takes care of itself. Rather than being Dr. Kervorkian, I am now the Undertaker.  Alas, she did not make it through the night. I found her under the chicken coop, she looked at peace. She will be part of the Sonoma county landfill soon. 
 

In the meantime we have found a pickle ball group that meets daily. It feels good to get back into playing and working out the kinks. If you haven't heard of pickle ball, check it out.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2KNhIgOkXM 

It's a great work out and a great group of people. Dan

We get to Know the Girls Better

(Traverse City readers, enjoy the comedy Fest!   We are sorry to miss it, though we are happy to be out here.  Laugh heartily for us!)
We are getting friendlier with the animals here, who of course, care less about us but about the food we can provide them!  Anyway, they are fun.  We do, alas, think we have a sick little gal, one of the chickens though not sure yet.  She's sort of laying on the ground, not moving, unless urged.

Murphy

 

Murphy the dog is a challenge. He is a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog, but very shy, and very stubborn.  Little by little, he's letting me pet him, but getting him to come inside has been a challenge.  Still, he is such a beauty and we are determined to make him our friend.

We went up to Healdsburg today, to do a little wine tasting, and just to go there, as it's a very cool town.  Dan met a guy who owns a restaurant called "Wurst", turns out the guy is from Detroit, used to play bass with Ted Nugent, and his restaurant has all the Detroit goodies, like Dearborn sausage, Sanders Chocolate Ice Cream Topping, etc. He also has some classic Bass guitars on display.

Included is a video I took of the feeding this morning, it probably won't be the last one!

My sister in law is really enchanted by the chickens too!  

Here is Jesse James, the goat.  At first, I thought he was very aggressive, but now, he lets me pet him and he's really a character.

Jesse James

Dan is out in the hot tub now, i am too lazy to go into it, though i will soon.  There are frogs croaking or whatever they do out there, I do not particularly like frogs! 

And oh yes, I bought Dan a bacon cupcake today at a really good bakery in Healdsburg.  I have been reaidng about bacon desserts now for a while, but so unsure about them, so of course, Ibought it for him!   Umm, i tried it, not bad.  Dan is trying to give the bacon to Murphy to make friends.  Oh yes, I bought myself a homemade "oreo" cookie.  It is mighty good.  I will not share it.

We Reconnect with an Old Friend and we See some Very Old Trees and weFace the Drought

Not many pictures today, alas.   But here is one Dan took when he went to close up the chicken coop.  The rooster is standing on top of two hens, while towering over the rest of the brood.  They are regularly laying three or more eggs a day. 

Look closely, the rooster is the  king of the hill!

Played pickleball this morning, we are loving it!  Came home and had an old friend over for lunch, Maria.   She was our secretary many, many years ago when we worked in clinic in Dearborn--she was a young gal then, newly married, wile her husband was at Wayne State Med School, a very bright, delightful gal that we've exchanged Xmas letters from for years.   It was so nice to see her !  She looks the same, and we were all immediately comfortable with each other.  She lives about 5 minutes away, and invited us to her house on friday.  Just set the pace for a nice day, especially after pickleball.
In the afternoon, we drove to Calistoga, but actually drove through it, and north of it on the Silverado Trail.  There was nothing of note there, except a beautiful road that wound it's way up the mountain to the Robert Louis Stevenson State Park.  Very rustic, hair-pin turns, full of very old Redwoods and Eucalyptus trees.  (I just had to ask "Siri" how to spell that, try it yourself!)   Then, drove down to St. Helena, a wonderful little town in Napa Valley.
Came back on Spring Mountain Road, which we haven't been on before.  It connects Napa Valley to Sonoma Valley, is one of about 3 or 4 backroads that does.  Again, it was beautiful!  Woodsy, and winding, narrow and steep, with vineyards and a few wineries along the way.
Got back to our area, and had a drink at a nearby bar.  I am enclosing the blurb they have in the menu, as it is SO California!   Full of everything sustainable and fresh and organic and carefully cultivated, etc. etc. etc.!    I joke about this, but truly, it is a good thing.
At the end of the menu, and as you walk in the restaurant, they have a sign saying they would only give water to you if you asked, because of the drought.    So us mid-westerners, really, have no sense of what this means.  At least, I don't, perhaps others do.   But I am getting a sense of it.  We've been out here a lot, but this is the worst drought since our longer visits began, and you become aware of it.
Lucy, our hostess, as she was showing me the house, kept mentioning all the ways they conserve water.  Such as:
1. keeping a bucket in the shower to collect the cold water as the shower is heating up and using that water to water the plants
2. not flushing the toilet after every use if it's "yellow"
3. not using the dishwasher, or being sure to put it on the light load
4. not overwatering plants at all
5. the obvious, not running the water in the sink or any place at all

very California!

I find myself having more awareness of this, as we experience this life in Sonoma.

The Move in to the House and a Very Fun Activity we Love

Our hosts, Lucy and Bob, left late last night after showing us all around during the day.   We went out to dinner with them beforehand at Sweet T's, a casual place near here with GREAT FRIED CHICKEN.   I admit to having a fried chicken fetish, and was very glad to see that Lucy and Bob do also.   This place did not disappoint.

This morning, we began the move into their house, not as difficult as we thought.  It takes a few days to adjust to someone else's house, though this house is very nice, and i've included some pictures.    Unpacked, did some food shopping, and settled in.  Their bed is so comfy, it's a California King, and moves up and down and other ways.

Fed the animals on our own today, I will be taking pictures of our charges tomorrow probably.   I am beginning to really like the chickens!  There is one named Posey who sort of follows us around, she's a real character.  Lucy told me not to get too attached because they are free range, and therefore, predators can swoop down on them, and do occasionally.    She said she used to cry when one would be gone.

Before we moved into the house, we found the place and the group that plays pickleball!   We are very happy about this, as we have missed it and brought our rackets.    We played for a little while, it feels like a similar crowd to the one we play with in Traverse City.

Tonight we are going to meet Henry and Lindsey for dinner, and surprise Henry!  more tomorrow.

We Did Not Have the Same Fate as the Donner Party

Short post with no photos today.  Just to say we got here safe and sound.   The highway east of Reno, through the Lake Tahoe area, can be very dicey.   Just ask the Donners!   Seriously, often cars are required to drive with chains on them, and if you don't have them, you rent them from and they are put on by the "chain monkeys" at various spots.    There is also fear of avanlanches.    We were here once with the kids for a ski trip, and had to escorted out by State Police, who led out about 20 cars at a time on back roads because of the avalanche concern.    I remember we were all perfectly still.

Anyway, we had no weather problems, and got here safely and soundly, happily meeting our hosts, Lucy and Bob.

Went out to dinner at a place called Willi's, which we are giving 4 stars.  (out of 5)
Had small plates, but very, very good.    Had a Charcuterie plate with a duck prociutto, a chorizo, and a tartufo, which is an Old Style sausage that had truffles in it.  Also had a cheese platter, 3 kinds of cheese that were outstanding, except for the Smokey Blue (too smokey for me) a Vintage Cheddar, and a Triple Creme Brie.  This
was served along with truffle honey and fig butter.   Last dish was a small plate of Filet Mignon sliders, served on homemade brioche rolls served on creamed spinach.

Willi's Wine Bar

A Worrisome Day on the Mud Baths of the Salt Flats or The Rain is not in Spain but on the Flats

Left Salt Lake City after a quick breakfast with Matt, Isaac and Rachel.  Sad to go, but we'll see them again on our way back. We vigorously began our journey, making jokes about our little yellow car.   Got on I-80, and I took pictures of the Great Salt Lake.  It is not great, though it is salty, and it was particularly ugly in today's weather, overcast skies and light rain.  (at that point)

We soon hit heavier rain, and some flooding, as it's so flat around there.   Our little car began hydroplaning, and it was mighty worrisome.  We never skidded, but we were very tense.  I actually was a nervous wreck, and I'm usually a pretty good passenger.    Dan held the road well, as well as his nerves, and I began calling Enterprise to see if we could get another car.
Well.  Yes, of course we could, but where?   So between Salt Lake City and Wendover, Nev. is .................nothing.   And I mean nothing!  Oh yes, there are the Bonneville Salt Flats.  Am enclosing some pictures of that whole area.  Have done this before on other blogs, but it's never been in the rain before.  It sorta looks like quicksand, but it was just mud!  Anyway, there is NOTHING for about 80 miles.  It was a tense drive, though the rain did abate, and the water on the road dried up some.   Still, we began to hate this car.   It was so noisy we couldn't listen to a book, and passing trucks was a challenge.
We finally got to Elko Nevada, which is actually a pretty cool little Western town that we generally stop in. It is now a boom town because of gold mining. There used to be my favorite breakfast place here, The Koffee Kup, but it's now been replaced by a Denny's.  Anyway, they actually have an airport there and an Enterprise office, which was open til 2, and we thankfully made it there.
We traded in the car for the one in the picture.  This is a Hyundai Accent, and is like a limosine compared to the Spark.


We ate lunch and then headed out, much relieved.  On the way, Jason called to tell us it's raining like crazy in the Bay area, flooding actually, and that I 80 West of Tahoe is closed due to heavy snow conditions.   We aren't going that far today, but still, it was worrisome.   We checked the weather and found that yes, there are SEVERE weather warnings around the infamous Donner Pass, a place where we've been snowed in before.  And you've all heard of that place, I'm sure.    There are snow storm warnings as well as avalanche warnings.  And if that isn't enough, there are flood warnings in Solano County, which is on the way to Sonoma.
O.K., well, what can we do.   We stopped in Reno, where we are as I write this, and Dan is downstairs in the Casino while I watch the Olympics.   We'll see what tomorrow brings with weather.

  Here is the nice thing though---we checked the price of rooms in Reno on Booking.Com, as there are generally bargains here.   We found a great one--we're in the Concierge Level at the Grande Sierra, with breakfast included for $42 a night!   http://www.grandsierraresort.com/hotel

And the irony of it all is, we love Traverse City very much, find it hard to leave there, but for the weather this winter!!!!

The Mellow Yellow Car and the Big Red U

Our Mellow Yellow

I haven't mentioned our car yet, other than to mention the staff from Enterprise.   We have a bright yellow Spark, which although is the safest of the sub compacts, is indeed a sub compact.   We were concerned that we couldn't get all our luggage in, but we did manage.   Here is our mellow yellow.

Isaac had a birthday party, so we relaxed in the morning, watching the Olympics, and catching up on rest.     When he came over, we had fun.  I brought some materials for making a pop up card, but of course, he did his own thing.  Somehow, the pop up card morphed into making a huge dragon out of 6 sheets of paper, with very involved dragon parts cut out of different colors of paper. This then, morphed into a sign to bring to the Utes basketball game that night, with red "U's" strategically placed at various parts in the picture parts.

Isaac's first new tooth!

We also played with an app called "Hollywood Camera", which he loves.  For those of you grandparents, it's a really funny app.  Here are some examples:

Later that night, we went to the Utes basketball game.  Isaac, at age 6, is at a great age to take to a college basketball game.  He did make signs,( though thankfully not the involved one he was working on )  hoping the camera would focus on us.   (It didn't)

break dancing in front of the Dots

He especially was spellbound by the Breakdancing Girls, as he is taking breakdancing and loves it!    He also loves the Dippin Dots, I mean really loves them.     he even named them.

Such a short trip, but we'll see him on the other end of it.