Storms and Gaviota

Storms and Gaviota The weather report says Storms the next few days. Tomorrow only severe thunderstorms and up to 2 inches of rain. The ground is waterlogged already, so we are warned: there could be flooding. But then Thursday, the report continues, we are to be prepared for 6 up to 15 inches of rain. If… Read more »

An Environmental Novel About Love and Redemption

An Environmental Novel About Love and Redemption Patricia’s novel Goatsong has launched this month!  The books are on the way!  Several events are being planned for the new year to introduce Goatsong, which will be announced in the coming weeks. What has been said about Goatsong:   Smokey Zeidel, Author of The Storyteller’s Bracelet: A moving tale of love… Read more »

The Greening

Shoots of native blue wildrye illuminated by sun photographed against the dry grass of mid October.                 The Greening This time of year is magical to me. For the last months in our Mediterranean climate, everything has been brown, and the fire danger, high, especially as autumn approached…. Read more »

Path of Light

One of the more magical experiences is walking in the forest in the early morning and finding a path of light—something so hard to capture with camera— the one place the sun makes it through to the forest floor. View Our Lavender Products

Rose Geranium: Last Distillation of the Year

Rose geranium in vineyard. The slightrise on the right shaded the plants, causingfrost damage. This month we did a second distillation of rose geranium. Now we can put away the still for the winter. It was a small distillation, as this first year growing rose geranium has been a steep learning curve. For one thing,… Read more »

October: Vineyard Cleanup

Loading rejected hay into truck with blackberry brambles. October: Vineyard Cleanup October is one of our busiest months. We clean out the invasive Himalayan blackberries that have sprouted by the small pond and take them, along with the organic hay we bought two years ago—and our goats refused to eat—to the county composting facility. The… Read more »

Racu’s Clooties

Racu rushing to a favorite rubbing spot.             Racu’s Clooties Racu, our llama, brushes pieces of his coat onto particular bushes about the ranch, almost like prayer ribbons or Celtic clooties— at least, that’s what they mind me of. He is such a regal being, a conscientious guard of a… Read more »

Pumpkin Party in Petaluma this Weekend!

Grandson Wesley helping Auntie Lisa load pumpkins for the party.                   Pumpkin Party in Petaluma this Weekend! Our son Jesse, his wife Lisa, and his partner Nathan are sponsoring a pumpkin party at First Light Farm in Petaluma this Saturday, October 20, 4588 Bodega Avenue. There will… Read more »

Biodynamic Rain Dance

  Upper Reservoir. Photo Art by Bill Fulton. Biodynamic Rain Dance This week we will do a Biodynamic sequence spray to increase moisture. On Wednesday afternoon, October 17, we will begin by stirring two earth preparations together, Barrel Compost (BC Prep) and BD 500 (horned manure), which we spray on the ground in the late… Read more »

Crush at Adler Fels Winery

Crush at Adler Fels Winery After harvest and crush, we return to the winery and collect the grape skins and seeds, or pumice, which we will add to our compost. Tanks with freshly squeezed grape juice. Grape skins and seeds being loaded into fruit bins. Chardonnay pumice. Four acres of grapes, 12 plus tons, end… Read more »