Manger SceneManger Scene
Manger Scene My sister and I called the nativity the “manger scene”. We would get the set out of the attic for the first Sunday in Advent. The scene had the holy family, of course, and an assortment of angels, but also a cow, donkey, two sheep, and a shepherd. My grandmother’s set was so… Read more »
P.I. enjoying the labors. Cutting Up Wood Donald and Ramon cut up downed wood and dead trees most days, wood that we season a year and burn for heat. This practice is carbon neutral if the wood is seasoned well and then burned hot in an environmentally certified wood stove. Splitting logs, which will then… Read more »
Before: Downed dead wood and brush in dangerous buildup Forest Care After years of fire suppression (80 years in our area), there is heavy buildup of downed wood and underbrush. Part of bringing balance to our ranch involves clearing some of this. After: Forest floor that has had… Read more »
Bobcat hunting south of kitchen last week. Bobcat: Why habitat is important. This is the time of year we see the bobcat hunting. He comes early morning and again late in the day, patiently waiting by gopher holes for his meal. He is seldom disappointed! Photo taken a year ago… Read more »
Lot Number Goatsong 11
Lot Number Goatsong 11 This year 2011 most of the lavender we cut to dry came from field Goatsong, an area between our house and the labyrinth. This lavender grows in thin topsoil and the plants have grown more slowly over the years. But even now, at age 12, they are putting out the long… Read more »
Toyon leading goats up slope. Lot Number Toyon 11 Each year Ramon looks for those plants whose stems are the longest for bouquet making, and this year the field Toyon was one of two that won! Field Toyon is on an north-facing slope above the Chardonnay. Often the lavender there blooms earliest. The little brown… Read more »
Lot Number Labyrinth 11
Lot Number Labyrinth 11 Labyrinth after the 2008 fire. The labyrinth has many stories: The morning after Donald and I laid it out using only a rope and stakes, we found a snake skin, shed overnight, in the center. The labyrinth lavender often distills twice as much oil per pound as the lavender nearby… Read more »
Lot Number Natalie 11 We named this lavender field after our first queen goat Natalie. Natalie was a tiny pygmy goat, very attached to me but reticent about meeting anyone she did not know. She kept order, giving a good butt if another goat (like Boris!) was out of line. She also was the mother… Read more »
Terroir and Lot Numbers: Sophia 11
Field “Sophia” In organic certification we are required to track product backward through its production to the field in which it grew through lot numbers. Lot numbers say a lot (no pun intended!) about the product. Each field of lavender has a name: Sophia, Toyon, Natalie, Goatsong, and Labyrinth. The first part of the “lot… Read more »
P.I. relaxing Cat Strike! What are your problem pests? the Organic System Plan, the many-page form we update yearly, asks. There is no category for “cat”, just “other animals”. As is often the case, P.I., who owns the cool, dark basement storage area, (ideal for storing essential oils… Read more »
© 2026 Patricia Damery.
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