March 24 2010
Annadel State Park Santa Rosa
I just returned from spending a wonderful weekend with my family back in Cleveland to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday. Thankfully the rain had vacated for a few days so Roby and I could enjoy our day off from work. You still have to let it warm up until noon before you can enjoy the day. The mornings still hover around 38 degrees. The forecast was 70 and sunny so we loaded up the mountain bikes and headed about 45 minutes south of Hopland to the "roaring" metropolis of Santa Rosa. Our friend Troy from Hawaii had lived in this area and recommended the Annadel State Park for some excellent mountain biking. We have been eying it for several weeks but we have had too much rain to even attempt it before now.
Once you hit town you venture a bit east and come upon the park. It is nice to have your days off during the week because we had the entire park to ourselves. Being so close to town and such a sweet spot this place is probably packed on the weekends. We unloaded the bikes and were anxious to check out the trail system. Our bikes were aching for some real dirt trails instead of the asphalt we have been riding. We went somewhat blind on the type of trail to ride but figured if any of it was too difficult we would just walk our bikes. Our designated route:
From the parking area we went up the Warren Richardson Trail and then up up up the bumpy Quarry Trail and then bombed down the South Burma Trail and looped back to the Richardson trail to the parking area. About two hours.
The views of the meadows encapsulated by the mountains with the wildflowers, mossy oak forests and green grassy hillsides is breathtaking. The elevation was a good climb. They forget to tell you about all the boulders and tree stumps you have to maneuver as you are trying to climb the hillside slope. Once you reach the crest you are rewarded with incredible views of the lakes and surrounding park.
It turned out to be a false summit for we had quite a distance to travel before the screaming downhill. But once we reached the top Roby was in heaven getting to jump off numerous perfectly placed boulders and logs and floating around downhill banked corners all while trying not to hit his brakes. Thankfully we have some decent suspensions! Thanks again Troy - that was an incredible day on the trail and we will definitely be going back to Annadel
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Grey Water Everywhere
After two weeks of the interns being on site the kitchen sink started backing up and not draining. We knew a problem existed in the grey water line but we hoped it would just fix itself. Unfortunately this did not come to fruition. With Sarah and her friend CJ, the four of us tackled the problem. First was needing to dig up the drainage area. Roby grabbed the shovel and found a wonderful surprise at the bottom of the pile. Several months worth of muck was built up preventing the water from draining appropriately. A good lesson in learning never throw food down a grey water system drain. Initially the smell was not too bad put once he dug up the wood chips which is used to help decompose the matter, the fumes came roaring out. Rotten eggs!!
Now that we had it dug up and cleaned out we needed to add lines to the system so we would not run into this situation again. CJ had to crawl under the yurt to release the old lines and Roby and I carried the pipe away-very carefully because they were full of crap and we did not want to have it spill all over us. Next step was to realign the drains, dig new trenches and attach the new line. While assessing the system Sarah accidently laid in the muck from the drain. Roby was a victim of some pressure released food sewage from one of the pipes. Thankfully I stayed clean.
Once Chris got back from his workshop we put him to work on attaching the new line under the yurt. He put on his work overalls and crawled underneath. All you could hear were moans of disgust to the smell of the line. At dark we pulled him out and re-established the lines to the sink so the interns could use the water.
After dinner we had a little lesson on how to use the grey water system so this fun activity never has to be repeated!
Now that we had it dug up and cleaned out we needed to add lines to the system so we would not run into this situation again. CJ had to crawl under the yurt to release the old lines and Roby and I carried the pipe away-very carefully because they were full of crap and we did not want to have it spill all over us. Next step was to realign the drains, dig new trenches and attach the new line. While assessing the system Sarah accidently laid in the muck from the drain. Roby was a victim of some pressure released food sewage from one of the pipes. Thankfully I stayed clean.
Once Chris got back from his workshop we put him to work on attaching the new line under the yurt. He put on his work overalls and crawled underneath. All you could hear were moans of disgust to the smell of the line. At dark we pulled him out and re-established the lines to the sink so the interns could use the water.
After dinner we had a little lesson on how to use the grey water system so this fun activity never has to be repeated!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Riding in the Rain
We had such a wonderful week with sunshine and blue skies but of course when our days off came around the clouds rolled in and we were socked in with rain and 50 degree weather for two days. Fortunately we had a few hours reprieve and did a drive up Cow Mountain in Ukiah to scope out the potential mountain bike/hiking trails. Although we discovered great views of the city and Clear Lake, no real trails were found. A bit disappointing but it was nice to get out and enjoy the quiet fresh air. Needless to say not having to wear our rubber boots and slickers.
Friday was another day of continuous downpour. I sure hope the grapevines are enjoying all this rain. I continue to take my Vitamin D and pray to the Sun God! At about 3:00 pm the rain let up and after being cooped up all day Roby and I braved it. We decided to go for a quick bike ride to get the blood flowing. We did prepare ourselves and wore our rain gear. Once we exited the driveway which is about 1/4 mile from our village and started down the 101 it started drizzling. Hoping it would let up we continued for our destination. However after about 200 yards the big black cloud opened up again and let out gallons of water right on us. Making an instant U-turn we pedaled as fast as we could back to the site for cover. The ride lasted all of 2 minutes with our pants soaking wet and our backs and faces covered in mud from the tires kicking up road grim as we pedaled.
The best part-running into the tiny house ripping off our clothes warming up next to the heater and climbing up to the cocoon wrapping ourselves in our down comforter for a mid-afternoon "nap" serenaded by the rain.
Friday was another day of continuous downpour. I sure hope the grapevines are enjoying all this rain. I continue to take my Vitamin D and pray to the Sun God! At about 3:00 pm the rain let up and after being cooped up all day Roby and I braved it. We decided to go for a quick bike ride to get the blood flowing. We did prepare ourselves and wore our rain gear. Once we exited the driveway which is about 1/4 mile from our village and started down the 101 it started drizzling. Hoping it would let up we continued for our destination. However after about 200 yards the big black cloud opened up again and let out gallons of water right on us. Making an instant U-turn we pedaled as fast as we could back to the site for cover. The ride lasted all of 2 minutes with our pants soaking wet and our backs and faces covered in mud from the tires kicking up road grim as we pedaled.
The best part-running into the tiny house ripping off our clothes warming up next to the heater and climbing up to the cocoon wrapping ourselves in our down comforter for a mid-afternoon "nap" serenaded by the rain.
The Gnarly Tick
Saturday Night was set for the perfect evening. The group of us planned to meet others up at the 19th annual variety show in Boonville. The drive is up along mountain house road through beautiful green valleys, moss covered oaks and redwoods. We stopped at Sarah's house which is perfectly situated at the top of mountain house road looking toward the sunset over an incredibly picturesque valley. While at her house Roby and Andy played with Jalepena (the dog) out in the yard and Sarah warned everyone to check themselves because it was tick season. I specifically walked on the sidewalk and told everyone I was not going to go out in the yard and come in contact with any ticks. Little did I know. We drove to the variety show and enjoyed the local entertainment. During intermission Roby and I headed out to the car to relax and get off our feet. We were standing the entire time and at our age after two hours we could not take it anymore. Unfortunately we needed to pee so we figured it was safe to go outside next to the truck. It was dark and protected from anyone's view. The thought of ticks never entered my mind when I went to squat in the long wet grass. Stupid!! The problem was I had no clue I had been bitten. My radar being off I went back into the variety show. Partly through the second act, my abdomen started hurting. I just figured it was the result of my run earlier. It felt like muscle soreness. Still clueless. Came home still feeling it but took off my clothes and put on my pj's and went to bed. The next morning I thought "wow that run was pretty good". For some reason after we pulled our clothes off the clothesline I decided to check. I pulled up my shirt and under my right boob was a big red swollen spot with this black object with hairy legs sticking out of me. I screamed and it finally came to me I had a tick sucking my blood and it had a full belly. God knows how long he had been there. First thing I thought was lyme disease and yelled to Roby we needed to get this thing off of me. We ran into the yurt and both being complete novices got on the internet to find out what to do. I could not concentrate and all I could read was to pull it out straight and make sure you get the head. We rummaged through the sparsely equipped first aid kit and luckily there was a tweezer in it. Roby set up his surgical table and put the tweezer to it. He grabbed the bugger and pulled gently. It would not let go and kept digging his head in deeper. I am trying to remain calm but freaking out on the inside. After three tries he snapped off the body but left the head. According to the internet it said to see a doctor if you did not get the head. It being Sunday and no local medical help, we ran into Ukiah to the hospital. I am half laying in the car because it was difficult to sit up due to its positioning on my body and the pain was a bit excrutiating. It just kept getting redder and more swollen. Thankfully when we arrived it was not busy and I was seen immediately. The physician assistant came into the room, took a look at it and said we won't go and dig around in there. Just let the head come out on its own. I felt like an idiot making such a big deal out of it after he told me tick bites are as common as mosquito bites in Mendocino County. He gets them everytime he goes camping. He said to put some antibiotic cream on it and watch it to make sure a ring does not develop on it because that would be the sign of lyme disease. Based upon the time period he thought the chances were limited I would contract it. The only useful knowledge I got from the visit was a technique on how to remove it if I got another one. With my tail between my legs I got dressed and asked him if he would give me a pass and not charge me since I was clueless and didn't need to come to the hospital. No such luck-the great American medical system. I checked out and had at a minimum my $150 deductible for a 60 second consultation. He did not even put on any antibiotic cream. Where is that health care legislation when you need it!!
All is good-No Ring.
All is good-No Ring.
Yurt Life
The Real World is underway. We all spend a lot of time in the kitchen/hangout yurt-good meals, deep conversations and good fun had by all. The first weekend with the interns led to an impromptu night of charades. Many bottles of wine and good brownies have been consumed. Good stories and deep dark secrets are starting to be revealed. Lots of "bar room privilege" conversations. Many of the interns (Cuatro, Chris and Gilly) are musicians and play in bands. After the intern welcome party we were fortunate not to have rain so we decided to start a fire in the outside pit and had an impromptu jam session. A friend of the SLI-Alex had brought his guitar and led Cuatro and Chris through many good classic songs. After a bit of coaxing, Gilly grabbed the guitar and sang a song she had written. She had yet to reveal she was in a band but you could tell she had a great voice. The next night after a few glasses of wine she let slide the name of her band. Secretly we went to google it and found the website and nonchalantly turned on our computer speakers and started playing her album. She was found out.
Chris had the first catastrophic event. He had the perfect day planned to kayak the local Russian River. He drove to the takeout spot and parked his car and hitchhiked back to the start. He had the perfect run and as he exited the river and climbed the hill to the road his car was gone. Immediately he thought it had been stolen. He did not have a phone with him and he kept trying to flag down a car for help but it took quite awhile for someone to stop and at least let him use her phone. Unfortunately when he called the police to try and track down his car, he found out it had not been stolen but towed. He was legally parked but his car had an expired out of state tags and the police thought the car had been abandoned on the side of the road. He ran back to the SLI and told us his predicament so we drove him to pick up his boat. Being Sunday he could not get his car out of impound because he needed to get a valid registration before they would release it. Each day kept ticking off $50. Things got worse when he went to the MVD on Monday and the computers were down and they had no idea of when they would be back in service. Boom-another $50. Got to love the California system. Thankfully on Tuesday the system was operational so I drove him into town to pick up the registration and his car. He tried his best to talk the towing company into reducing the fee but no luck. I think we both knew when we walked into the dingy office and the person behind the desk resembled "the beer drinking, cigarette smoking, trailer trash woman" things were not going to go our way. The beautiful tranquil day on the river cost $600. We suggested getting a ride next time!
Chris had the first catastrophic event. He had the perfect day planned to kayak the local Russian River. He drove to the takeout spot and parked his car and hitchhiked back to the start. He had the perfect run and as he exited the river and climbed the hill to the road his car was gone. Immediately he thought it had been stolen. He did not have a phone with him and he kept trying to flag down a car for help but it took quite awhile for someone to stop and at least let him use her phone. Unfortunately when he called the police to try and track down his car, he found out it had not been stolen but towed. He was legally parked but his car had an expired out of state tags and the police thought the car had been abandoned on the side of the road. He ran back to the SLI and told us his predicament so we drove him to pick up his boat. Being Sunday he could not get his car out of impound because he needed to get a valid registration before they would release it. Each day kept ticking off $50. Things got worse when he went to the MVD on Monday and the computers were down and they had no idea of when they would be back in service. Boom-another $50. Got to love the California system. Thankfully on Tuesday the system was operational so I drove him into town to pick up the registration and his car. He tried his best to talk the towing company into reducing the fee but no luck. I think we both knew when we walked into the dingy office and the person behind the desk resembled "the beer drinking, cigarette smoking, trailer trash woman" things were not going to go our way. The beautiful tranquil day on the river cost $600. We suggested getting a ride next time!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Visitors
Several of our friends from Phoenix planned a trip to the wine country for the "barrel tasting" festival in Guerneville which is 45 minutes south of us. Roby and I had Thursday off so we headed down for a visit. Thankfully the rain had stopped and they had a great weekend. Their rental house was perched out on a ledge overlooking the Russian River. Kind of nice to hang out in luxury for a few hours. Actually a treat to have indoor plumbing! We spent the day wandering around the coast in Sonoma County. Our friend Jim who had lived in San Francisco in the 70's knew some excellent little dive restaurants in the tiny coastal towns. We have dubbed him our "Guy Fieri". He needs to start his own Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Show. Nick's Cove in Marshall CA was a post and pier building on the bay serving great bloody mary's and their famous "BBQ" oysters. Too Die For!! A little further down the street and we hit the Marshall Country Store and ate some more Hogs Bay oysters and clam chowder. On our way back to town we stopped off at a winery and sampled 99 point wines. Roby and I decided to stay for dinner and a moonlight adventure through an old cemetery across from their house. A perfect way to spend our day off!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Rush Week
A month passed surprisingly quickly at the SLI. Roby and I settled into the tiny house loft awaiting the arrival of the interns. A group of us were hanging out in the yurt preparing dinner when a stranger walked in unexpectedly. He looked a bit disheveled from the road. Our first "freshman rushee" Paul had arrived:
Paul-27 years old, from a small town outside of Washington DC in Maryland. He grew up on a farm and our resident "mushroom" expert. Currently living in Adams Morgan. He is a computer information systems "geek" looking for a new adventure and home, maybe Portland. This is all we were able to get out of him before he gave us the look that he needed to wander off to his warm bed and pillow.
The interns were going to wander in sporadically the balance of the week. Two more were expected on Monday but only Chris arrived. Emily who was to fly in from Toronto but got denied at customs at the airport.
2nd Rushee- Chris-33 years old from Pittsburgh but has been wandering around the country for the past 14 years living in Colorado, Washington, and Northern California. He actually arrived at the SLI after a 3 month river kayaking trip to Chile. His latest stint was 2 years living in a tent working on an organic farm in Arcadia California. His goal is to move to Salida Colorado to kayak and start a "green" hostel.
Tuesday late afternoon Gilly was dropped off at the SLI after a 26 hour flight from Geneva Switzerland.
3rd Rushee- Gilly-25 years old from Geneva. She was coming to the SLI after a year of traveling around the world experiencing different types of intentional villages in India, Southeast Asia, Egypt and Israel. Her goal to start an intentional village in Switzerland.
After Gilly arrived, Roby and I took the interns into town to grocery shop. On the way we needed to pick up our 4th intern at the bus station. Sarah gave us directions for the Greyhound Bus Station so we put them into the GPS which led us to no man's land. We wondered around looking for a marked bus station but finally realized in a small town a bus stop along the main road is considered a bus station. All we knew to look for was a guy carrying a pillow. After several people disembarked a 6'5" guy with a small pillow stepped off the bus.
4th Rushee-Cuatro-25 years old from Durango, Colorado. He had the most enduring trip trying to get to the SLI. He left Durango and after 3 hours of driving his transmission blew in his car. His parents had to drive to Moab to pick up him and his belongings and drive back to Durango. From there he got on a Greyhound for a fun filled 44 hour bus ride. Cuatro owned a glass-blowing business but wants to become more involved in the solar field. He is also a musician and has played in several bands.
We heard from Emily and she was going to drive to the border and cross in Buffalo, NY hoping this guard would be more reasonable. After some persuasion and batting of her eyes, they let her through. She picked up a plane in Buffalo and arrived on Thursday.
5th Rushee-Emily-27 years old from Toronto Canada. She is taking a leave of absence from her position with the Canadian Ministry where she was responsible for sustainability and solar initiatives. She is not sure if she wants to return to the position but it is there if she wants.
Our other two interns are from Kenya but we are unsure if they are going to make it because of visa issues and the SLI having to be approved by Homeland Security.
Life at the SLI is feeling more and more like MTV's The Real World!!
Paul-27 years old, from a small town outside of Washington DC in Maryland. He grew up on a farm and our resident "mushroom" expert. Currently living in Adams Morgan. He is a computer information systems "geek" looking for a new adventure and home, maybe Portland. This is all we were able to get out of him before he gave us the look that he needed to wander off to his warm bed and pillow.
The interns were going to wander in sporadically the balance of the week. Two more were expected on Monday but only Chris arrived. Emily who was to fly in from Toronto but got denied at customs at the airport.
2nd Rushee- Chris-33 years old from Pittsburgh but has been wandering around the country for the past 14 years living in Colorado, Washington, and Northern California. He actually arrived at the SLI after a 3 month river kayaking trip to Chile. His latest stint was 2 years living in a tent working on an organic farm in Arcadia California. His goal is to move to Salida Colorado to kayak and start a "green" hostel.
Tuesday late afternoon Gilly was dropped off at the SLI after a 26 hour flight from Geneva Switzerland.
3rd Rushee- Gilly-25 years old from Geneva. She was coming to the SLI after a year of traveling around the world experiencing different types of intentional villages in India, Southeast Asia, Egypt and Israel. Her goal to start an intentional village in Switzerland.
After Gilly arrived, Roby and I took the interns into town to grocery shop. On the way we needed to pick up our 4th intern at the bus station. Sarah gave us directions for the Greyhound Bus Station so we put them into the GPS which led us to no man's land. We wondered around looking for a marked bus station but finally realized in a small town a bus stop along the main road is considered a bus station. All we knew to look for was a guy carrying a pillow. After several people disembarked a 6'5" guy with a small pillow stepped off the bus.
4th Rushee-Cuatro-25 years old from Durango, Colorado. He had the most enduring trip trying to get to the SLI. He left Durango and after 3 hours of driving his transmission blew in his car. His parents had to drive to Moab to pick up him and his belongings and drive back to Durango. From there he got on a Greyhound for a fun filled 44 hour bus ride. Cuatro owned a glass-blowing business but wants to become more involved in the solar field. He is also a musician and has played in several bands.
We heard from Emily and she was going to drive to the border and cross in Buffalo, NY hoping this guard would be more reasonable. After some persuasion and batting of her eyes, they let her through. She picked up a plane in Buffalo and arrived on Thursday.
5th Rushee-Emily-27 years old from Toronto Canada. She is taking a leave of absence from her position with the Canadian Ministry where she was responsible for sustainability and solar initiatives. She is not sure if she wants to return to the position but it is there if she wants.
Our other two interns are from Kenya but we are unsure if they are going to make it because of visa issues and the SLI having to be approved by Homeland Security.
Life at the SLI is feeling more and more like MTV's The Real World!!
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