The Drought is Here

"We join together as many and diverse expressions

of one loving mystery: for the healing of the

earth and the renewal of all life."

                           U.N. ENVIRONMENTAL SABBATH PROGRAM

A goldfinch landed
on the nyger seed feeder
just to my left as I was watering
the recently planted flower seeds.

 Don't Spray It Sweep It

Break out that broom

anytime you need an

outdoor cleanup rather 

than spraying with water.

Santa Rosa Water

"To ensure adequate water supplies 

are available for current 

and future water demands 

under varying water supply conditions, 

Santa Rosa Water has an 

aggressive water conservation program

and provides recycled water for urban 

and agricultural irrigation 

to reduce demands on 

our precious drinking water.”

The view of the mulching from our
sliding back door onto the slate patio.
Please note the heart rock that
Dwight gleaned from the banks
of the Santa Fe River as a
birthday present to me while we
lived in Santa Fe.

Water is a precious commodity not only here in the West but throughout the world. The population continues to grow well beyond Mother's Earth capacity to safely harbor all of her inhabitants. Wildlife, forests, expansive plains are all struggling to survive amidst the burgeoning number of humans.

"The Drought is Here" signs have popped up in many yards throughout our small burg. One has a sign in her front yard while her neighbor to her left and two across the street water their lawns every day . . . every day???? What are those humans thinking? In my opinion they are "not thinking" nor taking action to conserve water. I ask, "what is the purpose of a green lawn?"

Fortunately the City of Cotati is still giving "lawn rebates" which we are in the process of receiving. The yard will be fully sheet mulched first, plants chosen and purchased then in early November all the plants will be planted into the ground. A full list of plants as well as cost of the mulch will be considered in the amount of the rebate. Of course, we will not submit any cost for the latter since we are using "wood chips".

The completely mulched backyard:
8" to 10" in woodchips were
laid over natural fiber clothing
and/or cardboard.

I was quite amazed that the city's recommendation is for 2" of mulch. From my experience that minimal amount really does not provide any benefit of either weed suppression nor feeding the soil so microbes thrive making for more vibrant, healthy soil. While removing all of the vegetation here, I found the soil dead ... it feels dead, it looks dead and for sure it is dead. The state of the soil was masked with huge amounts of redwood fluffy shavings. Oh my gosh, I am so glad all of that was taken away by Cookie earlier this Summer just passed.

I can barely wait until the planting can begin.
Bare root apples (x3) and 1 Blenheim apricot tree 
have just been ordered from Trees of Antiquity. 

The present idea is to plant the apple trees to the left of the Santa Rosa plum, the trunk of which is in the middle of the picture above. The write up on Trees of Antiquity's website says that the Cox Orange Pippen is on of the best fruit trees to espalier. Since we have limited space which is the primary reason fruit trees are espaliered, I am going to try my hand at this technique. Right now I am undecided whether to do this along the fence pictured above or the fence along the West side of the house. Stay tuned.

It is a mystery to me why the pictures above look "cloudy" in appearance. That is not how they appear in iPhoto???? To let this go I'll have a hardy belly

Turning of the Seasons

Here in Northern California Indian Summer is in full swing, with day time temperatures soring into the 90's right along the coast and the absence of foggy mornings. Inland, of course, the temperatures are in the 100's with no breeze. As one can imagine the air quality is not very good especially with all the wild fires raging throughout Northern California. Margaret, of Mostly Natives Nursery, in Tomales, California, said Sunday past, "It's scarry," as we were discussing the drought and heat affecting this October, the month that is historically the planting time for natives here in our region. Climate change is making its indelable mark as those of you in the Southwest are experiencing with the repeating deluges of rain, the remnants of the numerous hurricanes affecting Baja this season. 

lament:

Sunday San Francisco Chronicle’s "Earthweek: a diary of the planet"

for the week ending Friday, October 3, 2014:

Five independent studies found that decades of burning fossil fuels made heat waves far more likely. 

Finally research, for the first time, has connected human behavior and extreme weather. Well duh!

Human exploitation of the environment is 50% greater than nature can withstand: between 1970 and 2010

more than half of the world’s wildlife population has been killed off.

We as humans cringe when we see a hawk taking out one of our favorite birds

or a bobcat eating one of our backyard chickens or a deer decimating our prize

rose bush, forgetting that all BEings in the food chain must eat to survive.  It seems

to me the human species is the sole planet Earth inhabitant that indulges him/herself

relentlessly. Which reminds me: “those who buy what they want often cannot buy what they need.” 

--Stephen B. Howard (my late wise stepfather). 

“ . . . it has been unfortunate that basically good ideas

 (of institutions and organizations with noble ideology) have been defeated by 

man’s inherent self-interest.” --Dali Lama. As the Chevron with Techron TV ad 

says "Humans are weird.”

In spite of full awareness of the changing climate, Indian Summer/Fall restoration activites are unfolding here at MuRefuge as in past years. Over the week past a plethora of Todd planters has been filled with potting soil and scattered with native seeds gathered right here at MuRefuge: both Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis) and Red fescue (Festuca rubra), Blue wildrye grass (Elymus glaucus), June grass (Koeleria cristata) as well as native perennial flowers:  Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa), Beach aster (Erigeron glaucus), Red flowering buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens), Coast lotus (Lotus formosissimus) and Shaggy alumroot (Heuchera pilosissima). Purchased seed from Larner Seeds in Bolinas of the perennial Northern California Coastal poppy (Eschscholzia californica var. californica) was also scattered on one Todd planter.

These Todd planters are my favorite seed propagation containers. Althorough the material, styroform, is not to my
liking, it is long lasting with many of these 20+ years old. Each cell has slanted sides and a hole in
the bottom for easy perforation with a large nail head of the start. With the root pretty much intact
the start, once ejected and planted out, suffers very little transplant shock. 

The two Roger Red grape vines produced the most grapes since taking up their home here at MuRefuge. The ripe and now wizened grapes are being scarfed up by the mockingbirds, my late Aunt Donna's favorite bird, and flickers. 

The visiting flicker(s?) are also tidying up the patio from fallen and/or trampled grapes which is very helpful in keeping Shasta's paws from bringing them into the house. And speaking of birds and the turning of seasons, my very favorite LBB has arrived: the fox sparrow, one of the few LBBs I easily identify. Recently a retired ornithologist, a La Jolla, California high school friend of Dwight's, visited. With his trained eye id-ing our Fall/Winter LBB residents is easier and rather more fun, too!

MuRefuge's late apples are now available for plucking from the trees. My all time favorite eating right off the tree apple is the heirloom Spitzenberg.

The Spitzenberg apple was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple, so the legend goes.

A quick and easy light evening meal enjoyed here at MuRefuge is just picked heirloom Gold Medal tomato diced,

just picked finely chopped Peron pepper (a perennial) which is hot but with delish flavor

and tossed together with herb flavored organic olive oil (from McEvoy Ranch and herbs infused from MuRefuge) and finely chopped fresh chives and cilanto. This tasty, juicy mixture can then be scooped up with organic blue corn chips (Garden of Eatin') . . . m-m-m-m-m-m!

Notice the denuded large white seeds of the Island or Catalina cherry (Prunus lyonii). 

This "cherry"is not relished by humans but is a favorite with 

the fruit/berry eating birds that frequent MuRefuge in search of food.

Another perennial native shrub much loved by MuRefuge's vistors is the Coyote bush. Soon this spectacular flowering bush will be covered by a mass of chipping bushtits.

This is the low growing or prostrate form of  Coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis).

As the turning of the seasons continues may each of you