Settling In

The second week was spent working on the "tiny house". We are up against a time deadline to try and get the majority of it completed because the interns will be arriving March 1st and taking over our room. Roby and I are going to have to be dragged kicking and screaming from our new abode. Based on how things are progressing the likelihood of the "tiny house" being finished is not great, but hopefully it will be habitable.

Initially we collaborated with Sarah and Kieren to design the interior space to locate our shelving, storage, furniture placement, etc. This took all of 10 minutes, but a day and a half to measure and draw in autocad. It was then time for our "weekend". The weather had improved a bit. Although still a cool 58 degrees the rain had subsided and we headed to the Coast for the afternoon. We took Orr Springs Road past the Hot Springs and stopped to do a hike in Montgomery RedWoods before reaching the town of Mendocino. This road puts Waimea Canyon to shame. For 25 miles we endured the windiest obstacle course. Roby tried driving fast and staying center to try and help alleviate my motion sickness. (Later I was told by our new friend Jini that smoking some "herb" before riding the road would help my motion sickness). Thankfully we were in the truck so the elevated suspension helped reduce the pain.

Part way through the ride we stopped at Montgomery Woods and did a two hour hike through the redwoods. The fresh air was a relief and the quietness of the forest was incredible. No one else was around so we had the Woods to ourselves and when we reached the "stage" area we encountered an entire grove of massive redwoods towering over us with the sound of a small stream flowing in the background. Felt just like John Muir.

Onward to Mendocino. Unfortunately we got a late start so when we arrived it was close to sunset and many of the shops were closed. Nevertheless, we walked around town and took a stroll down the seaside trail. The town has a very "Maine" feel to it architecturally and the wildness of the ocean beaches. Although I was not looking forward to the ride home, we were expected at Jini's house for dinner in Redwood Valley about thirty minutes north of Hopland. We decided to try Highway 20 a more traveled road hoping it would not be so windy. No such luck. I think it is going to be awhile before I see the coast again.

Our new friend Kieren is staying with Jini at her farm while she works at the SLI so she invited us to dinner on Wednesday. Another previous intern Frost was going to be in town so Jini had a little party for him. Jini is the anointed "Mom" to all the interns and she hosts several parties throughout the year for them. Many have returned to the area and stay with her. Jini's house is quite like Grand Central Station. People are always coming and going whether it be interns or neighbors stopping by on their way home or old friends just passing through. As we entered you immediately had the feeling you were in a grandma's house. From the canned fruit on the shelves near the doorway, to the musical instruments in the family room, to the countless books and the cluttered kitchen. Jini's house sits on several acres with 3 barns, goats, chickens and the organic garden. She is an amazing person who has been involved in every aspect of life. She has been a professional saxaphonist, an ayurveda medicine person, a professional winemaker at Fetzer, and spiritual teacher who has traveled with Depok Chopra and is heavily involved in local charities. We have only scratched the surface but know if you want anything in Mendo you go to Jini. She has offered to show us the ropes and take us anywhere we want. She has all the connections to the wineries in Redwood Valley so she said just give her the word and she will arrange wine tastings for us. In addition to being fascinated by Jini we met Frost, Stanley, Peter and Charlie. Another great evening of food and entertainment. We are batting two for two on perfect parties. We will definitely be spending quite a bit of time with this group.

The balance of the week/weekend we pushed forward on the "tiny house". I got my first lesson on how to use a chop saw and a table saw. Sarah is my idol-nothing better than a girl who can use power tools!! With our new found skills, Roby and I installed the pecan/hickory wood floor in the loft. This required quite a bit of ingenuity and some unique yoga style positions. Due to the wood being a bit warped the tongue and groove did not fit perfectly so we had to pound them together. This led to a dilemma when we got to the end of the floor because we did not have enough room to slide the hammer. McGyver to the rescue. We pooled our construction knowledge and found a grinder and dremeled out the groove to allow the tong to slid in without any force. Amazing it worked. Mission accomplished.

On the weekends we are required to give tours to any visitors wanting a viewing of the site. Not having practiced or much guidance, Roby and I worked as a team and gave two tours. You would have thought we were old pros and full of knowledge. I guess all my legal training on being a "mouthpiece" has paid off. The guests seemed to enjoy the tour and they believed what we had to say. We even sold one of our guidebooks.

Saturday we took off early and headed to the Wine and Chocolate Tastings in Redwood Valley. Amazingly the sun came out and 70 degrees greeted us this fine afternoon. I think Cupid was blessing us for Valentine's Day. We were meeting up at Jini's house so she would be our guide. Along with the original gang, we met Kimber and Eric, along with Seth. Kimber and Eric live further north and they have a house off the grid. We may go up and help build some eco-buildings on their property later this spring. We are family now so we don't need to knock on Jini's door. "Mom" was ordering everyone to make a sandwich to take with him for the trip because only chocolate was going to be served. Jini led the way and our first stop was at her favorite winery-Lolomis. Being our first winery we paid our $15 dollars and received our "touring" wine glass. They were free pouring the wine serving a "ladybug" red and white which are blends, fume blanc, chardonnay, and several different ports. The winery was located along the river with a big grassy yard to meander through while sipping your wine. Next was the Oster Winery. They are a small boutique winery with only Cabernet Sauvignon. Being a smaller company than Lolomis and a more expensive wine about $45 a bottle, the portions were just enough to wet your lips. They did have exceptional chocolate though. Not only was the 2004 vintage fantastic but the grounds and setting for their winery was ideal. They had their grapes and facility nestled in the woods with family picnic tables set up for all to enjoy the surroundings. You could have easily spent the entire afternoon there but we had a few more stops to make and the event was going to end at 5:00 pm. Jini hustled us off to Frey Winery which has more economical wines and many of them are sold in the local stores. Not bad for an everday wine. We have been told this winery does a lot with the SLI and we will have several events at their facility. Again, another prefect setting. These wineries are so much nicer than going to a tasting center in the middle of town. You have all the charm and spirit at the farms. Jini saved the best for last, the Germain Robin Distillery. The table was lined with some of the best Vodkas, Cognacs, Brandys, flavored liqueurs and Abstinthe you will find. They are voted by the top judges as being the finest made. A perfect night cap.

Although Roby and I did not have our traditional lobster dinner for Valentine's Day, the Wine and Chocolate Tasting with our new friends was a great substitute.