Aaaaaaaaah Awesome

The above picture was taken from Auntie T's lovely
Pt. Reyes Station home's outside sitting area.  
Since the tide is out the area is pretty much dry.
When we first visited many years ago, 
this area was grasslands filled with cattle grazing.  
We watched the returning of the water to this area
during the Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project.
When the last levee was breached,
the water previously held back returned.
It was a pretty impressive event which we felt fortunate to view.
Now when the tide is "in" the area is filled with
all kinds of birds, large and small, feeding.

The dead tree has been purposely left for the herons,
both kinds of egrets, and Bald Eagles to roost in. 
While sitting in the sunshine turkey vultures like to spred out their wings to dry.

The very first time Shasta visited she walked onto the pond.
She was surprised when she fell into water.
Needless to say, she, BEing the very smart dog she is,
has not repeated her experience. She presently is walking
about the pond sniffing all the delicious smells left
by the myriad of critters who visit.

A stunning white flowering area

Another impressive flowering area. 
This one in shades of pink to lavender.

Pink flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

The tiny blue flowering plants are Bluebells. 

Tanis is not a native plant fanatic as I am.

She use to be a "professional" gardener using plants

of all variation, choosing the right plant for the right spot

in each and every garden she planted and cared for. 

In her own garden she has followed that path.

So I do not know the names of all the plants 

in her garden nor of the ones photographed for this post.

The bottom of this walkway leads
to the brick area featured in the very first picture above.

Beyond the gate sits Tanis' new hybrid Camry. 

One of the many different California Wild Lilacs (Ceanothus).
This particular one was chosen for this spot because of its vibrant purple color.

 Both buildings of this home have a sod roof.  
There is a bedroom and bathroom in one building
and in the other is a kitchen, living room,
meditation room, computer space
and TV room with a Murphy bed
+ another bathroom with a sauna adjoined.
Many of the kittie cats that have lived here
love to sleep on the luxurious roofs for their naps.

The hot tub is on left in this picture 

with table and chairs for eating outside slightly to its right. 

Apple trees have been planted below the bricked area.

Looking beyond the apple trees is the tidal area towards the West.

Behind the far ridge covered with trees is the Pacific Ocean. 

The area is known as the Point Reyes National Seashore.

The entire time we were all together in this Aaaaaaaaah Awesome setting, we shared many a

Glorious Spring

Our arrival in Sonoma County was heralded by verdant green rolling hills, teeny tiny lambs gamboling together, cows and calves feasting on fields of lush green grass and fruit tree in glorious bloom.

Rosemary in full flower
near the Joe Rodota Trail

Wild plum tree in bloom along the Joe Rodota Trail
in Sebastopol. This trail was previously a railroad track . . .
now a wonderful biking, walking, running path
between Sebastopol and Santa Rosa.

Ahhhhhhhh . . . the very best is BEing at sea level where my heart is so happy because it does not have to work so hard and walking is pleasurably easy rather than a breath taking experience. Shasta is enjoying eating fresh green grass on our early morning stroll down the lane. She does miss her romps with Hobbs at Lopez Park however. 

The Spring or Vernal Equinox is March 20, 2021. It occurs when the Sun heading North in the sky crosses the equator line. This tilting more towards the Sun results in increasing daylight hours and warming temperatures here in the Northern Hemisphere. This shift brings about all the glorious signs of Spring that are so uplifting after Winter. 

We have recently come from the high mountainous desert of Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it was Winter when we departed. Thus we are especially joyful to BE experiencing the vibrancy of Spring here in Sonoma County. Rain has been falling a number of days we have been here. The rain feels so nourishing and many tell us that it is so needed. Auntie T in Point Reyes Station, California, tells us she has measured only 1/2 of her typical rainfall in her rain gauge.

Wild turkeys with the males strutting their stuff by fanning
out their tails and puffing up their feather to attract the females.

Mustard blooming in the foreground
Valley Oaks in the back ground.

This whole year plus of "lock down" has taken a toll on all of us. At this time of Spring when we see renewal all about us, may we feel the vitality of springtime and the regenerative energy. Ahold of the season's energy may we dig deep to tap into our own resilience for each day going forward during these trying times.

How strange and wonderful our home, our earth,
With its swirling vaporous atmosphere,
Its flowing and frozen climbing creatures,
The croaking things with wings that hang on rocks
And soar through fog, the furry grass, the scaly seas
How utterly rich and wild . . .
Yet some among us have the nerve,
The insolence, the brass, the gall to whine
About the limitations of our earthbound fate
And yearn for some more perfect world beyond the sky
We are none of us good enough
For the world we have.
         Edward Abbey

As we celebrate Spring in all her glory may we each have a joyful belly

Climate Catastrophe

 

Photograph taken by Rosa Arroyo
near Villanueva, New Mexico:
two of her dogs romping in the snow.

We awakened to still more snow and it continued snowing for several hours after we were preparing breakfast. I am so aware this "unseasonal weather" here and across much of the United States is another reminder that the climate catastrophe is upon us. Our inadequate, and in some areas nonexistent, preparation for such events is bringing to "front and center" that altering these ways of going about our lives will determine our future. 

I receive regular posts from Susan Wittig Albert who lives in the Hill Country of Texas. In her recent one she wrote of their preparations on their property and about what she is learning. Included in this post were "comments" and in one of these the below appeared: 

Prayer for Texas

God, they are boiling water

and it is simply to drink,

except in places

where they is no power for boiling.

They are lighting candles

when the lights have gone out,

and there are fires.

They face frozen pipelines

and frost-bitten fingers,

icy highways,

desperate nursing homes,

hospitals, and dialysis centers,

waiting lines for propane,

blankets, shelter and food,

new guidelines

for using melted snow.

Mostly, there is this new fear

among the hurricane-wise,

drought-savvy, tornado-ready,

even, thanks to Harvey,

flood-trained,

who are so blizzard-innocent.

As winds, snow, deep cold

endanger lives

across all the country,

and we grieve losses,

encourage those who restore power,

enable vaccine lines,

support those who offer shelter

with as much

pandemic-protection as possible,

we pray especially for those

across southern states,

who learn quickly,

but find themselves saying,

like folks in an old church hall –

“we’ve never done it this way.”

Amen.

                              MAREN TIRABASSI, a New England pastor

Also early this morning during sitting I read an "Earth Prayer" that seems fitting for these catastrophic events many of us are experiencing now or have experienced during this year passed.

Let there be peace, welfare and righteousness

in every part of the world.

Let confidence and friendship prevail

for the good of the east and west

for the good of the needy south

for the good of all humanity.

Let the people inspire their leaders

helping them to seek peace by peaceful means

helping them and urging them

to build a better world

a world with a home for everybody

a world with food and work for everybody

a world with spiritual freedom 

for everybody.

Let those who have the power of money

be motivated by selfless compassion.

Let money become a tool

for the good of humankind.

Let those who have power

deal respectfully with resources of the planet.

Let them respect and maintain

the purity of the air, water, land and subsoil.

Let them co-operate to restore

the ecological soundness of Mother Earth.

Photograph taken by Rob Bartlett,
Santa Rosa, California:
California Pipevine in bloom,
February 18, 2021.

Let trees grow up by the billons

around the world.

Let green life invade the deserts.

Let industry serve humanity

and produce waste that serves nature.

Let technology respect 

the holiness of Mother Earth.

Let those who control the mass media

contribute to create mutual understanding

contribute to create optimism and confidence.

Let ordinary people

meet by the millions across the borders.

Let them create a universal network

of love and friendship.

Let billons of human beings

co-operate to create a good future

for their children and grandchildren.

Let us survive

in peace and harmony with Mother Earth.

                                         HAGEN HASSELBALCH

As we all experience the climate catastrophe, whether during wildfires or hurricanes or prolonged frigid weather, may we consider altering how we live our daily lives and 

3 year, 4 month Vacation

As most of you have now read, or heard from me directly, we are leaving Santa Fe, New Mexico, to return "home", as Shasta says, "and none too soon! Let's 'shake a leg' and do it . . . now!" Of course, we are not going back to MuRefuge, rather we are looking to buy a small house, i.e., bungalow, in Petaluma. I trust just the "perfect" one will have just posted for sale as we arrive at our short term rental in Sebastopol.

AND I am considering the wonderful time we have all spent in Santa Fe as an extended vacation of 3 years and 4 months. We have experienced the Pueblo native culture and visited stunningly beautiful sites that only New Mexico has. The entertainment before the pandemic was world class and only a few minutes drive from our home. The neighborhood in which we live is the very best that the city has to offer. And as Dwight says, "this is one of the top two homes I have ever lived in." We will sorely miss our Stamm home which will go on the market March 06, 2021.

And as my friend Rob said upon receiving the picture of our Prius under 7 1/2 inches of snow: "this is your farewell from Mother Nature."

The climate catastrophe has an Arctic Air Mass hovering over most of the Central United States including New Mexico. Record snow levels along with way below freezing temperatures is causing much distress . . . and has now for more than a week in some areas. There were 10 inches in the Seattle area, enough for Dwight's daughter to snowshoe out her front door over the weekend past.

The view from our front door at about 7 a.m. 
on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

And the view from the sliding glass doors into the backyard.

Snow is continuing to fall on and off all day with again frigid temperatures predicted overnight. 

As we are essentially house bound let us all have a frequent, good belly

Upgrades

View of a stunning sunset
from the back yard.

Upgrades to 1832 San Felipe Circle

prior to our January, 2018 purchase

•  Major electrical upgrade with a new panel, grounded outlets, and recessed lighting 
•  Wifi (in hall closet)
•  Dual pane windows throughout, 
•  New on demand hot water heater, 
•  Remodeled kitchen with a utility room addition,
•  Refinished hardwood floors with matching hardwood floors in the kitchen and utility room,
•  Original fireplace redone as Kiva style fireplace,
•  Small bathroom with shower immediately adjacent to master bedroom,
•  Updated master bathroom,
•  A single car finished, insulated garage with new garage door and storage shelving, 
•  New elastomeric stucco on the entire outside of the house,
•  And a new torch down roof which still has a full year left on its warranty. This warranty is transferrable and can be extended for $300/year

Upgrades to 1832 San Felipe Circle

after January, 2018

•  Incandescent custom light fixtures throughout house,
•  Whole house water filtration system (eliminates chlorine & fluoride) and includes outside watering as well,
•  Spark arrestor installed atop chimney,
•  Hunter Douglas honeycomb insulating window coverings throughout whole house,
•  Two (2) 515 gallon water catchment tanks to collect roof water,
•  Retractable clothes line,
•  Shower outlet was lower 6 inches and hand held shower head installed in small bathroom off the master bedroom, 
•  Landscaping: $16,000+ of organic fruit trees and native plants that use little to no additional water now that they are established. The native trees as they mature will provide shade to the West side of the house,

Evolution of the backyard:
The long raised bed on the left
and the shorter one against the
far adobe wall are covered.

•  3 raised beds (two with plastic covering which functions better than shade cloth to create “hoop” houses) for vegetable growing,
•  “Zen” curtains hung outside of the front windows to eliminate bird collisions and ensuing death,
•  Entire inside of house repainted with Benjamin Moore low VOC paint,
•  And new Trane high efficiency, very quiet furnace and air conditioning and better than HEPA whole house air filtration to reduce allergens and pollutants; all with extended warranties and  SMART thermostat.
•  Immediately after installation of the above, all of the air vents in the house were thoroughly cleaned and new matching screws applied to all vent covers.

This entire property (grounds or home) has had no synthetic chemicals applied to or used in since January, 2018, thus is suitable for chemically sensitive individuals or those with autoimmune disorders that are triggered by toxic chemicals.

Groundhog Day

Frida, the latest addition to our
neighborhood, is Rocio and Tyler's
recently adopted Chihuahua.
Frida is celebrating the 
beginning of her new life
of safety and harmony.

Groundhog Day is a cross quarter day which is half way between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. In other words, this cross quarter day marks the midway point between Winter and Spring. 

In the Celtic calendar this cross quarter day heralds the beginning of Spring and was called Imbolc for lambs' milk as this was the beginning of lambing season. The name Candlemas was the English name for this day which was the day that candles were lit in churches to celebrate "the presentation of the Christ Child" in the Jerusalem temple. It was also called Brigantia "for the Celtic female deity of light" which highlighting the Sun's halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.

Shasta and Hobbs celebrate every morning
that they meet up at Lopez Park.

I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me. For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return. Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold -- all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

                                                 Doreen Valiente

As we celebrate this turning, may we all also enjoy a

Inside

To access pictures of "before the rehab" check out Sotheby. Viewing these before pictures one can fully understand our neighbor's comment that this house "has had a hard life". I love having the original Stamm home closets with built in drawers beneath. There is a feel of authenticity however I know others think they are "old fashioned" and have them removed. 

When we were looking for a Stamm home to purchase in Santa Fe, energy efficiency was important to us. As I shared in the previous blog my (our) caring for Mother Earth is paramount in how we live our daily lives. So we were drawn to 1832 San Felipe Circle since it was rehabbed. The three individuals who completed the rehab. included the following that were to our liking: 

• major electrical upgrade with a new panel, grounded outlets,  and recessed lighting 
• dual pane windows, 
• on demand hot water heater, 
• remodeled kitchen with a pantry/utility room addition,
• refinished hardwood floors with matching hardwood floors in the kitchen and the pantry/utility,
• a single car, finished, insulated garage with new garage door and storage shelving, 
• and a new torch down roof which now still has a full year left on its warranty. 

The beauty of the whole house with new elastomeric stucco was augmented by a new front portal boasting a stunning mailbox. All of this visually very ascetically pleasing to "the eye".

View out the living room window.
"Zen curtains" were hung on the
outside of the 3 windows to
prevent bird collisions and deaths.

When we were moving into 1832 San Felipe Circle, we were greeted as we unpacked by two of the neighbors living in two different houses across the street. They were both very warm and welcoming. As one of them says, "this is the best neighborhood in Santa Fe." She is living in the house she grew up in so she does have a valuable perspective. We have been most impressed with the neighbors, their friendliness and willingness to chat when we see them . . . when meeting up on walks or just outside in the gardens when they walk past. San Felipe Circle is a cul de sac so there is minimal traffic on the street.

After spending almost 3 months in two different rentals, I was immediately confronted with the EMF's from the LED lights inside and out our entire, new to us home. Both Shasta and I are extremely sensitive to electromagnetic fields of these "new" lights that produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs so it is understandable why people are installing them. When we consulted an electrician, we were told the entire house's light fixtures would have to be replaced since specific wiring was done to allow for them. And he went on further stating that there was a federal mandate/law that when an old house is rehabbed and new lighting is installed, LED lights must be used. EEK! So after a home consult with a lighting expert no longer in business here in Santa Fe, we went off to her lighting store to purchase all new fixtures to be delivered directly to our house. Back came the electrician to install and take them away. 

Simultaneously Dwight investigated the best whole house water filter system. He identified one that removes both the fluoride and chlorine that is added to the Santa Fe water. Then came a plumber to provide a water line and install the system in the garage. Dwight built a "box" in which to enclose the system along with heating to insure in the Winter no freezing of the pipes through which the water flowed for filtration.

Window coverings were no where in the house windows. So since we had had such stellar experience with Hunter-Douglas wood blinds at MuRefuge, we had an excursion to Coronado Paint and Decorating on Cerrillos Road. We asked about the most energy efficient window coverings and went with their suggestion: Hunter Douglas honeycombed insulating blinds. It took several weeks before the installation occurred but we were glad to finally have some "privacy" inside the house. 

The faux Kiva fireplace was done by Sotelo, JM Construction and the color and texture is lovely to look at. Now the chimney sports a spark arrestor chimney cap we had installed when a chimney specialist came to evaluate the fireplace. The lovely color of the fireplace was the exception to the stark white throughout the rest of the house. This bright white offered no soothing of the soul. Oh my gosh: many, many, many trips to Coronado Paint and Decorating to secure first paper samples of color then pint containers of possible colors to paint various rooms; and then a return to buy enough paint for the entire house. This happened in May so we helped with moving furniture then made ourselves scarce during an entire week+ of painting. One day we had an outing to Georgia O'Keefe's Ghost Ranch which has a stunning landscape that often appears in her paintings.

At the same time the inside of the house was painted, so was the shed, pictured above, after it was mouse proofed. Some of the side panels, which contained huge rusted out holes, had to be replaced before the painting could be done.

Also, simultaneously the wooden door from the small room addition (pantry) that leads to the outside back yard was sanded and revarnished. During the Winter it was evident the door was not sealed properly to be an outside door. Unfortunately, the sanding was only done with a mechanical sander and not finished by hand so the door is not pristine by a long shot. It has been sealed however and continues to withstand rain and snow.

Both bathrooms fixtures were upgraded with matching ones. In the small bathroom off the master bedroom the shower head was lowered to allow the average person to enjoy an adequate showering experience. Then a handheld shower head with three functions was installed for the ease of bathing Shasta, our four legged member of the family, monthly.

With the heat of this Summer past that had no respite since monsoon rains did not occur, we decided to install air conditioning and while we at it a furnace and whole house air filtration system as well as a state of the art thermostat. All of these are by the company Trane. Some while before our relocation to Santa Fe we had a new Trane furnace installed at MuRefuge and were quite please. We decided to stick with what we had experienced. Tru Air Systems, LLC installers completed the project in a week. They were unrelently diligent. The inspector was a dog lover (well, all of the men were dog lovers) and he returned when we had questions about the functioning of the air conditioning which was so appreciated with the unrelenting high temperatures. We have been quite satisfied with the furnace this Winter. Both the air conditioner which is located on the ground outside of the Master Bedroom and the furnace which is in a hall closet, typical of a Stamm home, are quiet. A bonus for me is the tiny bathroom off the master bedroom which is "mine" has been warm throughout this present cold Winter. The previous Winters it was too cold to take a shower in the evenings.

Air Conditioner Condenser
Model# 4TTV8024A
Serial# 201235D1IF
The coil is inside above the furnace.
Model# 4PX*BU30BS3
Serial# 203216EN5G

The Trane furnace: Model #S9V2B060U3,
Serial# 20265TL13G
and on the very bottom of the picture
is the Electronic Air Cleaner
Model# TFD175CLFROOOF
Serial# 18285UR5

State of the art thermostat
that can be accessed from 
a SMART phone.
Model# TCONT850AC52UB
Note the lovely color of paint 
in the background: a soothing warm yellow/gold.

We were pleased to note when we were considering purchasing the house that it had an on demand hot water heater. We replaced a defunct hot water at MuRefuge with an on demand hot water heater and heralded the efficiency reflected in the drop in our monthly PNM bill. Here we keep buckets everywhere to catch the cold water as the hot water kicks in and delivers hot water. All this water we save from going down the sewer is carried out to water the fruit trees. These young trees are so grateful to get any water we supply! I am quite surprised how quickly the fruit trees are growing. Water in this arid high mountainous desert is in scarce supply so our focus since arriving has been to use the least amount possible.

Another strong plus, in my opinion, is the entire house has hardwood oak floors. The slats are thin in the Stamm tradition. In the kitchen we found these instead of the old linoleum pictured in the before of the latest renovation.

The new cabinets in both the kitchen and the additional room are beautiful. I have so enjoyed using them especially the pull out drawers for pots and pans as well as the drawer for spices, etc. 

When we moved in all of the appliances were new LG ones. I, as many of you who read my blog know am not an "image" person but a "body" based one. These LG appliances seem to be very popular but not to my taste. So all the appliances were found a different home except the stove which remains. A Zephr stove hood fan with a charcoal air filter replaced the microwave. From my sensitive body's assessment EMFs are emitted from microwaves no matter how well insulated. The food cooked in a microwave is turned into an isomer thus the human body cannot extract the nutrients. The dishwasher was replaced with a Miele one. I love Miele products because their "build quality of all Miele appliances is amazing – every single part in a Miele appliance is made at the Miele factory in Germany where they test them to last for 20 years."  The Miele dishwasher is nothing short of amazing! And of course, it will remain in the house for the new owners. The refrigerator is an energy efficient GE which is small but meets our needs extremely well since we have a chest freezer which will return to California with us.

We love our Stamm home which we have "made our own" since moving in. When life threw us a curveball (just as devastating as Barry Zito's curveball) that moving to sea level was necessary for my health, we continue daily to