Reports from the Homestead

Perseids

2010-08-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

We spent some time in our meadow last night pursuing the Perseid meteor showers after the moon and Venus set. Got lucky. Great good fortune to live in a setting with no light pollution.

Almost famous

2010-05-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Our town got mentioned on NPR. Not the kind of attention locals celebrate, however.

"Plummeting Marijuana Prices Create A Panic In Calif."
"As recently as last December, things were still pretty upbeat. At Area 101, an events and healing center near Laytonville, local growers gathered to celebrate the Emerald Cup, an annual competition for the season's best pot buds."

Wet & fecund

2010-04-22T17:49:00.001-07:00

It's rained a lot this year. In fact, fir trees have begun sprouting in the bed of the pick-up. We used to check ourselves for ticks; now it's for fungus.

8/10/09 Cloud viewing bench

2009-08-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

Cloud viewing is somewhat
compromised by our trees
(boo hoo), so I built a cloud-
viewing bench on the hill, out
in the open. No clouds
have yet appeared.

11/18/08 Threatening improvements

2008-11-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

We moved to Venice and then, due to gentrification, had to leave.

We moved to New York, and then, due to yuppification, bailed.

We moved to Laytonville. Safe there, huh? Check the pics: new highway, new sidewalks, new roadside trees, new crosswalks and even--sure sign of things to come--new designer street lights. Even Albert's is all cleaned up.

Wadda' we do now?

10/29/08 bear rampage

2008-11-23T15:47:00.000-08:00

Well, OK, maybe not that dramatic. About 2:00 AM the neighbors shot their gun 4 or 5 times. We've learned the code: it's scare-off-the-bear time. Minutes later the driveway light went on. I saw nothing thru the bedroom window. A couple of minutes later the outside bedroom light illuminated. I looked out: bear! It sauntered into the shadows, followed by a single crashing sound. Victimized. Photo attached. This same thing occurred about 3 weeks ago, and I'm out of pipe.

10/24/08 Fall

2008-11-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Weather everywhere has been decidedly odd, though here at least we are having a touch of Autumn, tho' without much rain so far. Hope you are all getting some seasonal color. In northern California a car trip is often blinding. Wish you could all stop by!

9/17/08 Fall fog

2008-11-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

The first fall day, high of 63, wind blowing fog over the hills. I cleaned the gutters, wind blowing fir needles and dirt into my face and eyes. Chance of rain tomorrow night, increasing on Friday. We hope. It'll distract from presidential politics and--choke!--the economy.

7/9/08 smoky sunsets

2008-07-09T18:12:00.001-07:00

On 7/7 air temp hit 106 degrees. The photo is near sunset, pall of
smoke in the distance and the CalFire base camp in the valley at lower
left.

On 7/8 we went to the beach. It was cooler but air quality not much
improved. That white blur right of- and just below center is the sun.

A new road sign near town. Yes, we know...

6/30/06 fire, music

2008-06-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Cal Fire, a state agency, has taken over fire administration. The flats below has turned into a vast encampment (the photo shows a small part) where dozens of bulldozers, water trucks, fire pumpers and other equipment is staged. All around are campers, trailers, and small tents for the fire fighters, with very large tents for administration, cafeteria, etc. This is what parts of Iraq must look like. Smoke has cleared considerably; we can see stars at night, and the hills across the valley. There's is still a threat of new lightning storms and it's cloudy now.

We buried our anxiety in the Kate Wolf Festival with our great kids and their friends. Exhausting but fun: got there at 2:00 yesterday afternoon, left at midnight after a long Ani diFranco set. This was the third such day in a row. We're in recovery. More photos at www.flickr.com/photos/lao_ren100/.

6/27/08 fires

2008-06-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is the "island" in front of us. 6/27/08, 3:50PM

6/23/08 fires

2008-06-27T16:06:00.001-07:00

Maybe you've heard we have fires nearby. True, about 100 in this
county alone and 100's more in surrounding counties. On 6/20 and 6/21
we had thunderstorms and lightning lit the forests. No blazes in our
immediate neighborhood, but we have friends who've had to evacuate,
and others are prepared to. The cloud photo is of some of the storm;
the shot down the valley taken an hour ago. The hills have disappeared
into the smoke. A chopper, loaded with retardant, is passing as I
type. We're OK, cough, choke...

6/21/08

2008-06-27T16:05:00.001-07:00

Lightning. Thunder. Seriously dramatic clouds. Choppers and planes
looking for lightning-strike fires. I got the roof on my shop while
all this was happening. No rain.

6/8/08 rodeo

2008-06-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the rodeo. Sorry we didn't see you there.

5/25/08 smoking table

2008-06-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Let's see...

kitchen chairs
kitchen table
beds
couch
dressers
shelves
books
...

yes!!!

5/15/08 Toxicodendron diversilobum

2008-05-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

Poison oak (and ivy and sumac) causes an allergic skin rash on contact. It grows as a dense shrub in open sunlight, or as a climbing vine in shaded areas. It appears everywhere in the west. The toxin is called urushiol; the name comes from the Japanese word urushi, which denotes a lacquer produced from the sap of kiurushi trees (Lacquer Tree). 1/4 ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a rash in every person on earth.

We have it. It's seasonally beautiful, always toxic and we try to remove as much as possible. The big limbs are from a particularly huge growth. That's me in full protective gear carrying the base of a three-stemmed vine of it, and the chipper with poison oak (only) chips around it.

5/7/08 I forgot! (to partners)

2008-05-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

About 20 years ago Steve and I were clearing brush on the road near the water tanks. I had the land tape measure with me. It fell into the slash pile and was lost.

I found it! I know how relieved you all are.

5/6/08 dead trees (to partners)

2008-05-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

THINNING WOODS. The woods are thinning themselves and views now stretch right thru areas which were visually blocked recently. Except at our house I haven't removed a live tree of any kind, but just taking out the dead manzanitta and madrone opens the view shockingly.

CREEKBED; We've sporadically forayed into the creek bed near the cabin to reduce the hazard of it's becoming a chimney in the event of fire. We've removed a lot deadwood (nothing alive). Yesterday we took out 14 trees in a band no more than 25' wide above the creek crossing (now with a footbridge, which can be removed if there are objections--see pic), six of them still standing. There are at least 6 more in that area, plus a large dead fir which I don't want to fell alone. The hillsides are very steep; my current policy is not to look up.

NEIGHBORS. Many and close, their dogs, noise, houses and stuff. 40 acres doesn't seem so large anymore. Fewer gunshots though.

EMERGENCIES. Libbe is a principal in Laytonville's efforts to formulate an emergency response plan, coming along nicely thanks to much volunteer effort. An interesting bit of info from the LVFD is that we are not considered likely to have a devastating wildfire as neither the topography nor weather is as conducive to that in S. Calif. Danger from an earthquake might be more likely or--interestingly--victims of some kind of horror in the Bay Area (terrorism, disease) fleeing north to safety. In any case, Laytonville's biggest problem is the single ingress/egress route along Hwy 101. My preparation: stock up on wine.

SPENDING YOUR MONEY. Not a dime. I'll try harder.

4/14/08 Pacific Northwest

2008-04-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

We're back from 10 days in the Pacific Northwest. About half the travel distance parallels a highly active seismic zone, all along the Cascade range, including the temporarily dormant volcanoes of Mt. Hood (Portland), Mt. St. Helens (between Portland and Seattle) and Mt. Rainier, overlooking Seattle or, as I like to think of it, Pompei on Puget Sound. There were many compensations for our dangerous journey, not least the trees coming to life, especially the incredible cherry trees throughout Oregon and Washington. More on my flickr stream: www.flickr.com/photos/19787789@N04/.

3/29/08 turkey

2008-03-29T12:55:00.001-07:00

Just when you think you've got 'em beat, along comes--of all things--a smart turkey!

3/13/08 fun (to partners)

2008-03-13T17:26:00.001-07:00

I just can't imagine how you sophisticated city folks have any fun. As for us, we're up to HERE with it.

3/8/08 bulletin boards

2008-03-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

The community has telephones, internet, HDTV and radio, but old forms of communication persist. On bulletin boards in town you can find a used car, get a puppy, look for a lost friend, seek work and even find a date.

2/24/08 burn day again

2008-02-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

We waited for you, then we burned.

580KB; 25 secs; sound

2/19/08 rain coming, dusk

2008-02-29T18:18:00.000-08:00

An approaching storm, the first in a few weeks.
324KB; 25 secs; silent

2/12/08 slash!

2008-02-29T18:09:00.001-08:00

Our neighbor and friend Larry, mentioned in the video, with his mom’s horse Ralph in our driveway.

2.6MB; 1’48”; sound

2/4/08 clear day

2008-02-29T16:20:00.001-08:00

A welcome clear day with snow on the peaks, and on the vineyards, across the valley from us,

1/29/08 snow

2008-02-29T16:17:00.000-08:00

Snowed last night, the night before, predicted for tonight. Thereafter there's precipitation as far out as the US Weather Svc can see. Solar? Ha!

1/15/08 bath room

2008-02-29T16:14:00.000-08:00

Also forgot to notify about the new bath room. We wanted an outside bathhouse usable in rough weather. We built a pavilion with removable sides and roof. The footed tub was scrounged years ago. If you want one now they cost about $1300(!). We have not yet soaked as we're very short on water. It makes a good greenhouse too.

1/10/08 shedroom

2008-02-29T16:03:00.000-08:00

Oops! Forgot. In the fall we built a detached bedroom, bringing our total square footage to 1000 (including front porch). Yes, we have to walk thru the rain to get there, but it's not much trouble, and we love waking to the view down the valley. In the summer (or late fall) we sleep outside, of course.

1/5/08 storm waterfall

2008-02-29T14:20:00.000-08:00

Well, thanks for asking Steve. High winds yesterday morning, fir branches all over, broken manzanitta and the tops of pines flung onto our road. Some road erosion which Libbe and I worked on. Rain, snow, rain, sleet, rain, hail, rain, and thunder and lightning. Most alarming: I was looking out the kitchen door when the barbecue scooted across right in front of me. I mean, windy!

We cranked up the generator to top the batteries, so are doing fine. Here's the NOAA forecast...

SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: MUCH COLDER AIR IS EXPECTED ON SUNDAY...AND SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER DOWN TO 1500 FEET. COOL AND UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.

All the rain fueled our waterfall, video attached.

560KB; 27 secs; silent

12/30/07 New Year

2008-02-29T13:48:00.001-08:00

Robert Lowell spoke of “the monotony of the sublime” and Guillaume Apollinaire said that "without artists, men would soon weary of nature's monotony."

Naaaahhhh! Happy New Year!

Loren and Libbe

12/21/07 NY & VT

2008-02-29T11:36:00.001-08:00

Back from NYC and VT. Tired and up to here in mail and bills---the normal. Walked to the bank in Johnson, VT on Monday where they have a time/temp sign: 5 degrees. Thought you might like to see some real snow.

11/14/07 burn day

2008-02-29T11:27:00.000-08:00

The rainy season has started so we can now safely burn. I attach a 20 second video of a recent event. Sorry you missed it.

We suspect that this activity severely compromises the modesty of our carbon footprint.

290KB; 24 secs; silent

8/28/07 eclipse

2008-02-29T11:24:00.001-08:00

During their last visit our friends and partners Kelly & Jolynn dropped off a 12" reflecting telescope, and last night was a full lunar eclipse. I held my Canon pocket digital to the eyepiece and got these pics. As the moon dimmed the camera exposure lengthened, so the later pics are blurry. The colors are more or less accurate--very orange. If you ever get the chance, sleep outdoors during a lunar eclipse. Even with the naked eye it was spectacular.

8/25/07 (to partners)

2008-02-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

For those of you who were frightened and/or injured on the new cabin deck/bed deal, we made a fix, a rail which should keep you on the deck even in the wee hours.

The rope swing was visibly fraying, so we pulled Nora up on using the ATV, replaced the old rope, and attached a separate line to remove it when it too frays. The branch had grown completely around the old rope.

Larry and I removed 8-9 dead trees including the fir near the cabin. Behind the cabin a large oak fell into another one, the whole thing hanging over the path. They're gone. The pics show the cause.

The TELESCOPE! After two frustrating nights we got it to work and woo-hoo! Stars still like spots but the moon is really cool. All three eyepieces work as does the 2.5x multiplying lens. The 1st pic is via our 8x Nikon camera; the next two made by holding the Canon digital to the eyepiece. The real view was far clearer and infinitely more detailed. With the tight eyepiece we had to pan across the moon to see all the features. We're out again tonight with a plan to locate planets when the moon wanes a bit. The large filter K&J sent is for viewing the sun (but not solar flares).

8/1/07 rattlesnake

2008-02-29T11:11:00.001-08:00

Two guys came from WillitsOnline today to install our new internet service (itgoesreallyfastnow!). During the install Libbe called us over to see a pretty snake. Yup, rattler, about 12" long. I coaxed it into a 2 gallon paint bucket with a broom. We left it to photograph later. When we returned, it was gone. A leaping rattlesnake! Watch your feet.

7/10/07 dead animals

2008-02-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

We haven't seen a rattlesnake in 7 or 8 years. Yesterday Libbe called me to see one just sliding under the floor framing. Reluctantly I got a shovel and waited. Even 100 feet from the house I would have let it go, but once the snakes find the house, which is also home to many rodents, they've found an endless food supply and stick around. The snake came out and got chopped.

The same day a Western tanager got caught in the deer netting around our garden. A beautiful bird; we were sorry to see it die.

3/19/07 squirrels

2008-02-28T11:25:00.000-08:00

OK, the squirrels didn’t give up so easily. See videos.

3/15/07 birdfeeder

2008-02-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

Our birdfeeder attracts many and various avians. Pic #1 shows a scrub jay, and #2 a Stellar’s jay and a woodpecker facing-off over the seeds. However, the feeder was appropriated by imperialistic squirrels (pic 3) who aggressively asserted their hegemony.

I designed and field-tested a squirrel-proof feeder. Pics 4 show the results.

Ah, the satisfaction of triumphing over a small rodent!

2/21/07 culvert

2008-02-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

$265 in rock. $millions in labor!

12/4/06 Mt. Nebo

2008-02-28T10:58:00.001-08:00

We're back from two weeks in the middle east. For now I include a photo taken from Mt. Nebo (now Jordan; then Moab) from which, traditionally, Moses and the Israelites got their first view of the promised land after 40 years in the desert. Moses didn't make it across the valley of the Jordan River. Happily, we did. Other views to come after my bro-in-law sends CDs of my downloaded photos. If interested, you can see a log of the tour on davka

11/6/06 Fall

2008-02-28T10:54:00.001-08:00

We have seasons here. Who knew? This Fall was especially colorful, and all around us, still. Hope all is well.

9/28/06 Spyrock pot bust

2008-02-27T19:07:00.001-08:00

It's soon after the bear incident, but this is too good.

In Mendocino County, if you can demonstrate a medical need, you can be certified to grow marijuana for personal use (oh, my back!). Two days ago a theft in progress was called in to the cops in: outsiders were stealing pot from from someone's legal patch. Sheriff's deputies and Calif Hwy Patrol went up in force, sirens off so as not to alarm the perps. They caught the guys in flagrante delicto, returned the harvested dope to the proper owners, and left.

A friend in the area reports:

Yeah, it was a big deal. Five gang-types from the bay area, with 4 cars and a camper, which they had filled with pot. The 'Duhhh" factor was that they filmed themselves pulling out the pot and waving guns around. .... I think every sheriff and CHP in the county was up Spyrock on Saturday. Apparently someone with a scanner heard the helicopter pilot asking a sheriff which pot garden to look for, because he could see hundreds. The sheriff replied, "The one without any pot in it!"

9/23/06 bear

2008-02-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

Last night as we went to sleep out on the porch, we heard noises
'round the side of the house. Libbe said, A racoon in the garbage? Got
up, opened the door to the moondeck and saw the biggest dog I've ever
seen with its head in the garbage, about 4' away from me. He looked up
and was--oh shit--a bear!--the first we've seen here in 36 years. Our
dog was barking, the lights were on, and the bear just stuck its head
back into the can for the next half-hour. We moved indoors for the
night.

Sorry, no photos.

8/10/06 CERT

2008-02-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

Libbe is CERTified!

We are proud and delighted to announce that Libbe is a recent graduate of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training. She is now thoroughly prepared to respond to, aid victims of, and direct emergencies services for, any kind of calamity, civil or natural. Fires? Sure. Earthquakes? You bet. Even terrorism? No problem!! Triage a specialty.

Our gratitude to the helpers.

7/5/06 anniversary

2008-02-27T17:42:00.000-08:00

June 30 was--in addition to our 38th wedding anniversary--the one year anniversary of the sale of our loft in NY. July 1 was the date we left New York. And today, July 5, is the date we arrived here to begin building the house. Or, as we tried to explain it to ourselves the other day: a year ago we were packing boxes; now we're sitting on our deck overlooking Long Valley and the vineyards directly across the way.

As they say in these parts: what a long strange trip it's been. But we are well housed, with all the amenities, and are warm in winter and comfortable in the summer. We are generally delighted--if occasionally a bit lonely--and still in love. There are many items yet to finish, but completion was never really the goal.

Thanks for sharing it with us, and keeping us company. We'll try to keep you updated, but I'm getting sleepy and the hammocks are beckoning...

6/14/06 (to partners)

2008-02-27T17:26:00.001-08:00

Nothin much...

We got a washer. Woo-hoo. See Libbe smile. See the Chief feel betrayed and abandoned.

Our new cabin toilet. Looks a lot like the old toilet, but sits and flushes differently.

We built a new bed for the cabin, and shortened the existing one so that both fit into the corner. A bit crowded-seeming, but functional. One has the hard (real) mattress, the other the two foam pads. Nothing writ in stone here but should be useful this weekend when Anne brings up untold numbers of friends for the Kate Wolf Music Festival. We'll also set up the Mombasa and the pool. Temps now hitting the low 90's.

The new water tank is waiting at the building supply. Will pay for soon.

Our home-made skylight goes in today (only Pella makes one small enough to fit between our ceiling beams, but Pella lights are not code complaint for Calif so can't be sold here). Nothing like purposely making a hole in your metal roof I always say.

Hope all is well...

6/13/06 the coast

2008-02-27T17:21:00.000-08:00

It got hot the other day (it's still hot) so we went to the coast, about 25 miles away.

First stop was Glass Beach, for decades a seaside dump which now has endless bits of colored glass, washed smooth by the waves, mixed in the sand. We carted away a small pocketful.

Next, the Mendocino Botanical Gardens, where I especially liked by the varieties of heather.

The gardens extend on a point into the Pacific. We allowed ourselves to be mesmerized. We brought some back for you.

6/12/06 rodeo

2008-02-27T17:04:00.000-08:00

We got steer wrestling, bulldogging, calf roping, bronc riding, hide racing (a cowhide is dragged behind a horse and a cowboy--or kid--jumps on for the ride back), bull riding, barrel racing and the very popular wild cow milking wherein two cowboys rope a wild cow, hold her still, milk her and get the milk to a judge before they get trampled. And we got pretty cowgirls.

Barbecue chicken and beer, too. Well, hell, ya just shoulda been here.

6/11/06 work under the house

2008-02-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

The summerbed/moondeck pictures have led to some misapprehensions.

To clarify: we're having an idyll. But even idylls take work. Here are 3 pics of todays activities, taking place underneath the moondeck. Sore knees, hips, back and THEN relax in the deck chairs. Aaaaahhh....

We do something like this every day. Sorry to those who are disillusioned.

6/10/06 moondeck&bedroom

2008-02-27T16:54:00.001-08:00

Our moondeck, with view of moon during the day. Also, our (temporary) bedroom on the front porch.

5/26/06 playing with fire

2008-02-27T14:21:00.000-08:00

Life is not all maxilla and mandible. Summer is beginning and, with it, the burn season is ending. We decided to fire off our slashpiles before the forestry dept puts and end to it. Exciting, scary and exhausting entertainment. Flames 30' high. Wooo....

Have a great Memorial Day weekend. See you in the summer?

5/21/06 tooth pan

2008-02-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

I just can't help smiling when I think of....

I am embarked on, if not my most important then at least my most intimately personal, sculptural project. With the aid of assistants in two towns, several teeth are being extracted to be replaced by cunningly designed prosthetic devices. Twenty-five years in development, the first tooth exited my oral cavity on its own; the next five (red) were removed in early May. Over the course of the summer first the yellow and then the blue will cede position to mechanical replacements.

In the case of the two yellow teeth, bone will be grafted from a cadaver. Someone else will be implanted in my mouth to grow and to live again. When I whisper in your ear it could echo the tones of one recently passed.

I'll keep you posted. Someone will....

5/8/06 flowers (to partners)

2008-02-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

Just a communal hello. Libbe and I were tracking wildflowers yesterday (after I spent my second morning ravaging poison oak with Roundup, or vice-versa). Took a shot looking back at the house from the cabin. With all that dead manzanitta gone it seems very close. Libbe is encouraging some reluctant potted rhododendren to plant in the woods between the places as a screen. We'll see... The insurance companies just hate brush. They are oblivious to the trees tho. Odd.

The wild lily is growing on the cabin steps, down by the shower and... all over. The meadow foam is in the lower meadow. Flowers everywhere, and new ones every day

5/2/06 new studio

2008-02-27T14:08:00.001-08:00

I traded a sub-basement in Soho for THIS? What was I thinking? And why didn't you stop me?

4/21/06 airplane/road

2008-02-27T14:04:00.001-08:00

We got real tired of working all the time so, when the sun finally came out (scary) I grabbed my radio controlled airplane and took it to the big meadow. Two pics are attached: 1. Me proudly if doubtfully holding the Megatech Cosmic Flyer and, 2. Said Flyer hanging in a fir tree with Libbe pointing to it. Got it down with a broken propeller.
Feeling very cautious about installing my one and only spare prop and trying again.

Pic 3 is of Libbe and I cutting brush back from the road down near the bridge. Yes, while you guys lounge contentedly in your magnificent urban residences, your rural partners are sweating to keep access open to your stunning and highly desireable vacation retreat. No, no, we don't don't need any gratitude. Labor is its own reward.

3/19/06 chipper

2008-02-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

thanks you guys....

3/11/06 storm #2

2008-02-27T11:53:00.000-08:00

and the solar panels aren't working too well either...

3/11/06 (partner’s bonus)

2008-02-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

Some shots of particular interest to you guys. The swing is especially for Nora.

It snowed much of the day yesterday and then was crystal clear at night. Stars and the moon bouncing light off the snow on the decks and the meadows. Very beautiful. We awoke this morning to a driving snowstorm and 6" already on the ground. That'll teach us to close our eyes. During our walk it suddenly cleared, hence the blue sky over the cabin. Since then it's been brilliant sunshine quickly alternating with sudden snowfalls, sometimes both at the same time. Everything, including the Long Valley Clinic, is closed; not that we could actually drive down the hill anyway. Several of our (smaller) trees and (larger) manzanittas have fallen over due to the weight of snow. Snow is supposed to continue into tomorrow evening.

We've been alternating our time between enclosing the underpart of the house for storage, including beefing up the diagonal bracing with 4x4's; trying to decode health plans as we must switch from Libbe's to our own soon (any advice will be welcome); and getting our taxes ready. All in all, I'd rather do the storage. Hell, I'd rather dig ditches.

3/3/06 snow

2008-02-27T11:22:00.000-08:00

I know it snows where you are, but seldom here. Consider this a late winter greeting.

2/9/06 tree/wind

2008-02-27T11:14:00.001-08:00

After rains which have matched, to date, the annual average of 66" (that's 5' 6" for you non-painters) the sun finally came out in a big way. Clear skies and 60+ temps (70+ yesterday and today). We used the break to do some brush clearing, but primarily we stand on the deck marveling at trees swaying against a deep blue.

2/1/06 stuff (Safeway)

2008-02-27T11:11:00.001-08:00

We're still here, just doing a lot of boring stuff. More to follow, eventually... Meanwhile, a photo of the sky over the Safeway parking lot a few days ago.

1/24/06 (to partners)

2008-02-27T11:09:00.001-08:00

Just a pic taken this AM. It's been sunny and warm for three days (!) now. 70 yesterday. Of course, we paid for it in advance. Rain coming this weekend. Hope you're all fine.

1/16/06 kitchen

2008-02-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

before...

after...

1/3/06 final inspection

2008-02-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

As of about 1pm today we passed our final inspection. God, whadda' we do now? Never mind, there's plenty...

1/1/06 creek & bridge

2008-02-26T19:24:00.000-08:00

...more rain...

12/29/05 rain (to partners)

2008-02-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

It's been raining. A lot. We have a clear day (ie, merely foggy) today, to be followed starting tomorrow with a sequence of severe Pacific storms. Oh, boy!

12/14/05 brush chipper

2008-02-26T19:11:00.001-08:00

We've been clearing around the house in order to meet forest service fire regs. The work is hard, and seemingly endless. We became sore in back, knees, elbows, hips. We became discouraged. We called Gene who, in an ad in the local paper, inquired whether we had brush we wanted to be rid of. We did. He came.

As god is my witness, I will never attempt large-scale clearing by hand again. See attached.

12/5/05 slash (to partners)

2008-02-26T19:08:00.001-08:00

while we were loading up the slash piles...

11/30/05 slash

2008-02-26T19:02:00.001-08:00

The rainy season has started and, alas, our satellite internet only works when the sun shines. However...

Our friends and partners Kelly, Jolynn and Kazanna came up for Thanksgiving, and we spent 3 days burning slash piles. It is very hot, scary work. The fire wants to spread and will start the grass aflame. So you constantly circle the pile(s), stamping out the grass fires and encouraging the slash to burn. This means walking on coals: one of my laces fused to the metal hook on my boot. Everyone looses hair on arms, head, eyes. Good fun. Of course, the bushes and trees are growing faster than you can burn them.

11/20/05 Reverend Les

2008-02-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

This happened about 1/2 mile from our house. A detective from the Sheriff's Dept drove up to interview us for leads. And you guys were concerned about our being bored.

11/19/05
Laytonville marijuana guru shot to death
2 others beaten in home; no suspects, but officials believe killing related to pot growing

By Glenda Anderson
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
A Laytonville pot guru who founded two Mendocino County medicinal cannabis dispensaries was shot to death during an apparent robbery in his home early Friday morning.

Les Crane, who called his pot dispensaries churches and referred to himself as a reverend, said he was in the business to help ailing people, not to make money. He had said he had nearly 1,000 patients.

He was killed at about 2:30 a.m. Friday in his home, which is about a mile from the center of Laytonville, a town of about 1,300 with a few stores along Highway 101.

Two other people in Crane's home at the time of the shooting were beaten. Their names were unavailable Friday.
...

"I am totally surprised we haven't had more robberies and violent crimes associated with these things because of the amount of money involved and the value of the product," Sheriff Tony Craver said.

Crane's Ukiah cannabis dispensary, Hemp Plus, offered exotic varieties of pot that sell for as much as $350 an ounce. He also had a dispensary in Laytonville.

11/20/05
Pot activist likely knew killers
Police believe gunmen who robbed Laytonville man familiar with home

By GLENDA ANDERSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Medical marijuana activist Les Crane probably knew the masked gunmen who kicked in the door to his secluded Laytonville home in the middle of the night, raided his safe of pot and cash and beat two other people with bats before shooting Crane multiple times, killing him, authorities said Saturday.

"From all indications, they were familiar with the interior of the residence," said Mendocino County Sheriff's Lt. D.J. Miller.

Crane, 39, suffered as many as five bullet wounds when he was gunned down in his bedroom about 2:30 a.m. Friday.

Crane's girlfriend, Jennifer Drewry, was sleeping in a separate bedroom and suffered a broken arm when she was attacked. A friend, Sean Dirlam, was in a third bedroom and suffered facial injuries as the three, possibly four assailants cleaned out the large safe, Miller said.

Authorities said they have identified possible suspects, but no arrests have been made.

The violent and bloody altercation shook the tiny northern Mendocino County community along Highway 101 where cattle graze in fields bordered by oak and conifer forests and marijuana is a backcountry way of life for some.

"The vibe here is contaminated," said Matt Bridges, a close friend of Crane's..

11/10/05 chez Madsen

2008-02-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

We're not quite "in." The refrigerator is in Denmark; the cork flooring is in China. (It's hard to be against globalization--I'm not--and build a house these days.) But we're almost there.

11/5/05 cabin (to partners)

2008-02-26T18:12:00.001-08:00

Cabin solar:
I dunno'. Summer sun is good for solar, but the cabin is tucked and looses the sun in the Fall. We can't place the cells in the meadow as the run from cells to batteries is too long. Our rig--110 feet from panels to batteries--needed 2/0 wire (about 1/2 thick) in order not to loose too much juice. Solar for summer and hydro for winter? Maybe, but hydro costs about $1200. That would make the system good for summer, winter and spring, but not for Fall.

Propane:
Earl wants us to convert from 100 lb. tanks (we're the last people to get delivery of these) to a regular 150 gallon tank (100 lb tank = 24 gallons). Laytonville Gas will set the tank at the lower parking and bury a line from there to the house. We pay for tank rental and gas. I think we have to do it.

Firewood:
Libbe and I got a log splitter for the new house. It's a foot or hand drive 5 ton hydraulic jack which drives the log into a maul-like blade. It's kinda' slow, but it really works. With little effort you can reduce a large log into little bits which make a fine bed of coals for the nights fire. I recommend one highly for the cabin. We paid $180, shipping free. I can't find the website, but they advertise in Mother Jones.

Toilet:
We got a 1.6 gallon/flush toilet. I want to be delicate... The outlet hole on this thing is about 2". I gave it a, uh, thorough test and--viola!--it went right down on the first flush. We need one of these for the cabin. Kohler, $100-$150. Worth every penny, especially in the summer when water is precious.

Connections:
Oh yeah! We're connected. Two satellite dishes and the solar panels. We have a nice hourly rate, too. Of course, the internet connection is funky in the rain, when it works at all.

11/5/05 first flush

2008-02-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

We're down to the final items. Libbe, clearly delighted, is making the first flush of our new 1.6 gallons/flush, one-piece toilet. Another of her setting up a new cabinet and yet another of her painting the wall near the ceiling peak, 12' up. We're stashing stuff under the house in preparation for the big move.

I got a new axe. And a new rainhat. And a new attitude...

11/2/05 trailer (to partners)

2008-02-26T16:03:00.000-08:00

OK, I don't want any fights over this... Here's your equivalent, in
the trailer world, of a 1956 Chevy Bel-Aire. It turned up yesterday on
the triangular property which fronts 307 and 101. For sale, clearly.
I'd be proud to have this on the land. Airstreams are cool, but hey!

We're hunkering down for our first real storm: 6-10 inches of snow
above 3500 feet. It's already pretty chilly. Also, waiting for the
satellite TV guy. Hoo-ha!

10/31/05 barbecue

2008-02-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

There's an Edward Hopper quality to this picture which accurately reflects the mood tonight. Daylight-savings time ended and the sun set before 5:00 PM. The barbecue is illuminated by a single 100 watt bulb in a reflector clipped to a chair on the deck. Libbe and I have not had outside visitors for over a month. It's Sunday night. If we had television we could commune with the rest of America by watching Desperate Housewives. After eating we sit on the couch, in the quiet, reading the Sunday Times.

10/28/05 dangers

2008-02-26T15:57:00.001-08:00

Many are under the impression that we are living a pastoral idyl. It sometimes seems that way to us. But the situation is unexpectedly fraught, and peril imminent. We are surrounded by equipment which can maim irreversibly. Here are some of warnings of lurking dangers..

10/25/05 541 signs

2008-02-26T15:43:00.001-08:00

Our address is 541 Woodman Creek Rd. Lest you become lost--or, more specifically, lest environmental health, building or CDF inspectors become lost--we've installed some signs.

Went past the Chevron in Willits yesterday, the last (known) source of kerosene in the north county. It's closed, we know not for what. All the old ways are dying!! It can't be the last source because so many people around here have kerosene heaters.

10/23/05 pot outlaws

2008-02-26T15:31:00.001-08:00

Outdoor growing in the city of Willits is now illegal. Indoor growing is still OK, as is the sale of medical marijuana. Laura McBride, arguing for the ban on outdoor growing, cited her "migraine headaches from pot-related air pollution during harvest season." Contrariwise, Pebbles Triphead (in this area you do not have to make this stuff up) said that most people "lack the necessary expertise (for indoor growing) and can't afford the grow lights and other necessary equipment."

Creeping fascism? You decide.

10/19/05 rain

2008-02-26T15:24:00.001-08:00

Last Friday it rained for the 1st time in 3 1/2 months, a welcome change from absolute weatherly perfection. Here are a few pics from the next morning. It cleared thereafter and was in the low 80's until today, when it's dramatically cloudy again. A fire tonight. That's a banana slug in the last pic, the mascot at UC Santa Cruz where Nora is a student.

10/15/05 refrigerator (to partners)

2008-02-26T15:14:00.000-08:00

Kiss the old Servel goodbye. Hug the new Consul. It's made in Canada and, as with all things Canadian, is only 7/8 scale, rather like Disneyland. But it's also very efficient and should cut gas use by about 75%. It's so narrow that we moved kitchen items around but leave final design and disposition to you folks. Among the Consul's many attractive features is a built-in, off-the-grid, piezo electric starter. No more scary start-ups and explosions. The Servel will be parked near the cars, awaiting some big strong guy to come along and take it away in his pickup.

Big progress on our house yesterday: electrical completed; plumbing & drains completed; gas lines, furnace and water heater installed. Also, since we stained the house it's virtually invisible from our road (the pipe in the foreground does nothing and will be stored), tho' the solar panels, in their winter position, are more so.

Clouds blowing in; it's gonna' rain. Yesterday was 82 and sunny. Lord, what a beautiful spot!

10/12/05 wine country

2008-02-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

Yes. it's been a little while. We've been busy, as evidenced by the flattering picture of Libbe installing 3" rigid foam insulation underneath the house.

We did, however, manage to break away for a couple of days to assay some wine in the Russian River and Dry Creek Canyon areas about 2 hours south of here. We joined old friends Howard and Astrid in a radical gastronomic quest for the perfect $5 bottle. There is no such thing (tho' the $6.50 Husch Chardonnay is pretty nice) but we had a fine time confirming that. Sonoma County in the Fall is very beautiful. Check out the view over the fields of the Raymond Burr Winery (yes, *that* Raymond Burr--his gilded prop wheelchair is in the tasting room). I don't remember the wine, but the 20+ framed TV Guide covers are vivid in my mind.

The climate and landscapes are diverse. Cattails and olive trees grow side by side; willows and redwoods, etcetera and so on.

We visited about a dozen wineries (Howard just wouldn't drive faster) but none matched Ferrari Carano for sheer ostentation and egregious bad taste. The view over the fountain is on the grounds, and isn't even the highlight. The palazzo (no pic) is built on an artificial hill mounded over the vaults for the aging barrels. Having said that, I *did* buy a case of the 2004 Fume Blanc (Robert Parker 92 for those of you keeping score).

Lastly, a photo of Astrid, Howard and Libbe tasting in Roshambo, a deliriously over-designed winery owned by a 20-something with punkish tastes and employees to match. It was here that we coincided with the 'crush,' the first squeezing of the grapes which were being trucked in from the surrounding vineyards. I must say... The grower whose grapes were being crushed filled several cups with the fresh-mashed grapes and juice and passed them to us. This was your dream of grape juice: sweet, warm, absolutely delicious.

If only, like Andrea Zittel, I had thought of a way to make all this an artwork, and hence tax deductible.

9/27/05 stain

2008-02-24T16:28:00.001-08:00

Just a couple of photos. The house was looking bright and brassy in the woods. We toned it down with stain to make it blend. We're happy, and exhausted.

Annie doing the turkey trot in the cabin's front yard. Yup, real turkeys.

9/27/05 solar (to partners)

2008-02-24T16:18:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pics in which only you guys might have an interest. All the electronic components of the solar system--DC in (from the solar panels), inverter (DC to AC), charge controller, AC out--are in the upper half of the solar shed. In the lower half are 8 batteries, each 12" wide, 14" high and weighing 117 pounds(!). For you tech-heads, we're getting a steady 30+ amps of power from the solar cells in midday sun. Under clouds we're still getting 10 amps. The house-wiring isn't finished, but we have an extension cord, thus the pic of "first light" in the new place.

The extension cord we rigged from the solar system to the cabin is actually 350, not 250, feet. But it works fine. Our solar electrician, Jono, said What's the worst that can happen, dim light! Great for cooking especially, and for nighttime reading, which removes the need to keep the Aladdins finely tuned. Otherwise we use the kerosene lamps. For dinner we kill the electric and just use kerosene.

The weather has been exquisite: very cool mornings shading to 80 degree highs. Comfortable evenings. It's showered a couple of times, but just briefly. Too fucking perfect.

The spring is still running. It's cool enough that we all shower indoors (we removed the old shower liner and put in a good one) and, after four showers, there's still plenty of water. Thank god.

Got some interesting info on the local, uh, farming activities. Quite wide-spread and evidently quite accepted. The authorities are only looking for big time operations and leave the small-timers alone. Many of them have health-related licenses to grow in any case. A steady, reliable and remunerative source of income is what we're hearing.

We're getting close to completion. That means that instead of many big jobs to do, there are endless numbers of small ones. We loose focus sometimes, and have to take a nap.

9/21/05 Earthdance!

2008-02-24T16:14:00.001-08:00

Having complained about EarthDance, we went. Anne was working in the performer commissary and the headman, Garnish (former resident of 69 Crosby St.), comped us into the backstage area for the final performance, Zap Moma. It was so awesome!!!

Beside the main stage there was a trancedome, with video projections all around and constant, heavy drumming. Also many, many booths sellling, uh, products like the one with round rugs using logos and mystical symbols as patterns. I didn't have time pick up a new hemp shirt tho.

The main stage had no formal seating, so the whole area was basically a mosh pit with attendees, including ourselves, boggying to the sounds of ZapMoma (of Zambia and France). We were dancing right next to Julia Butterfly, big-time local celeb who you may know as the woman (and pro fashion model, BTW) who spent two years in a redwood tree to protest its cutting, successfully. Anyway, we rocked! The act included a fire dancer and--dig this--my personal favorite, a really tall guy who danced about the stage with very long grasses, flowers and branches which--while the music was playing--he made into an intricate floral arrangement which he then pararded around! Man! Next to the stage, with its own lighting, was a platform on which two people were making oil paintings whilst being inspired by the music and mellow vibes of the crowd.

The smells! incense, maryjane, piss, cigarettes, skunk. I'm still high. It was outta' sight. And we did have a very good time.

9/17/05 solar

2008-02-24T15:47:00.001-08:00

Big day! This missive is being transmitted from the Madsen estate using solar generated electricity. Free electricity! OK, OK... If you calculate that an average electricity bill is, say, $100 per month, that's $1,200 per year. So, after 10 years we will have covered the cost of the solar system and THEN it will be free. But that will not prevent me from gloating.

Yesterday was the opening of EarthDance, a combination (sort of) of Burning Man and a Grateful Dead concert. It's 5 miles north of us on the Hog farm, an old style commune with really old hippies. Even over that distance we could hear the acts quite clearly, booming, banging, rapping and raggae-ing late into the night. I mean, shit, listening to 20-somethings-with-nothing-better-to-do party outside or doors is partly why we left Soho. Complaint is pointless--we're outnumbered so we're just letting our freak flags fly.

I have not been photographing the boring parts. I mean, do you really want to see pics of insulation being installed? However, I did shoot a panorama of the view from our new front porch. Thru the trees are small glimpses of the distant highway--the world passing by

9/12/05 mobile home

2008-02-24T13:35:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile, mostly because I had the flu and we delivered Nora to UC Santa Cruz. We are, therfore, officially, empty nesters. Woo-hoo, sort of. Nahhhhh, I miss having the kid(s) around.

So, here we are busting our butts to finish the house and, voila!, we go into town and find a rustic mobile home parked by the side of the road. Porch, French windows, complete kitchen and bath--I mean stove, frig, sinks, toilet, even tiles--living room and sleeping loft. We checked on the web: $32k.

We have wild turkeys who visit us in two groups, one clutch of mom and four biggish chicks and another of mom, dad and 15 kids. We're thinking Thanksgiving here...

Weather suddenly turned chilly. The high temp hasn't hit 70 degrees in over a week, so we've temporarily abandoned the outdoor shower for the indoor, which has hot water and protection from the breezes. However (check the pic) it still has a pretty fine view of the outside from one end.

Ah, country lifel

9/2/05 two month report

2008-02-24T13:23:00.001-08:00

It's been exactly two months since we've begun life on the frontier. I'd like say that it's all steak and potatoes, gold and whiskey. In fact it's been lot of work, every day since we've arrived and frequently right to sunset which, praise the lord, is now around 7:30 rather than the 8:15 it was when we got here. We've accumulated fatigue and are looking forward to letting down a bit.

However, there are compensations. When we first built here in 1971 we slept in the dirt, had no water--no showers--and no artificial light. Cooking was all done outside and for chairs we had two benches, or rocks. Now at the end of the day we have a cabin to go to. We also have water for drinking, cooking, bathing. There's a stove and refrigerator. In addition to the shower inside the cabin there's an even better one outside, with solar-heated water. If, as is often the case, it's too late or too tired for that, we just plunk in the small pool in front of the cabin. We sleep on an outside deck (on a mattress!) under a mosquito net, and wake to sun over the hills touched by the first sun. In the evening, even the kitchen table is bathed in screened light.

8/28/05 house

2008-02-24T13:18:00.001-08:00

The truth is that we're doing the boring parts: insulation, roof, varnishing the ceiling, etc. They go on forever with little evidence of progress. Today we're getting out of the house and installing the solar panels. Woo-ha!

8/20/05 update

2008-02-24T13:06:00.000-08:00

Our crew was gone this week. We took naps. Thank you god...

We did get our rack for the solar panels constructed (you remember the 3 foot deep hole in solid rock. No? I do, and will for some time), pic attached. The six panels are glass and weigh 100 lbs+ each, so we're waiting for help on that front.

Here's a pic of Libbe at dinner, with the setting sun lighting her and the inside of the cabin.

Finally, as if a pickup truck weren't country enough, I felt that a missing tooth would complete the country look. No sacrifice too great!!!

8/13/05 work

2008-02-24T13:03:00.001-08:00

You move to paradise and just get exhausted. My crew has me working 10 hour days and then making runs for new showers, cabinets and the like. I need a vacation. The good news is that this is the 1st email from inside the new house, where we've set up the wi-fi. It doesn't yet bring in trash TV, of which I could use a bit. Pic attached of Libbe caulking along the north wall, heading towards the porch. Hope you all are well.

8/7/05 truck

2008-02-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Yes! A 2005 Toyota Tacoma. 6 speed manual, V6, 4x4, extended cab, AC, power everything, AM/FM/CD. NEW! OK, nothing to you worldly guys but this is just the 3rd car I've bought in my life. That's why I feel the need to return it to a rental agency after filling the tank. The truth is that you can spit in any direction around here and hit a white pickup; half the time it'll be a Toyota. We tried to find a used one, but nobody lets these 4x4's go. They run forever.

That's Nora in the hole we dug into solid rock, 3 feet deep, to plant the mast which will hold the solar cell array.

Not in Kansas anymore.

8/5/05 (to the partners)

2008-02-24T12:53:00.001-08:00

Finally got to check waterflow today. We're getting 60 gallons per hour right now. Both creeks have dried but the water table is still high. Very nice. It was coming down so hard for awhile that the overflow couldn't handle the amount of water and it would siphon the excess from the lower tank--that is, the water was higher than the overflow pipe.

The new 12 volt DC pump put 1200 gallons into the new tank before it either airlocked or otherwise choked. As water to the job was needed we blew down to Ukiah and got a little Honda gas powered pump (our expense). At 30 gallons per minute it filled the tank real quick. And, as the locals informed us, it'll be useful in the Fall when the rain starts but the springs haven't: we can pump from the creek.

Nora and her friend Margaret got disgusted at the food selection and did a cleanout. They tossed much of the foodstuffs whose shelf life had passed. As a consequence, K&J, your vintage 1990 clam chowder is gone, along with a bunch of other1990's items. I have of course replenished any disposed of Denison's chili and Dinty Moore beef stew. Some things are essential.

The front yard is restored. The pic of the backhoe, however, should be sufficiently horrifying.

8/5/05 Satellite internet

2008-02-24T12:51:00.001-08:00

Soon to be beaming a near-continuous stream of unwanted info...

7/10/05 1st Report from the New World

2008-02-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

7/1/05, left NYC; stayed in Oakland with our friend Saint Lauren (she puts up with incredible chaos) and made the northwoods on 7/5. A surprising abundance of water: flowing in the creeks.

Tom Lendvai and his friend Zora showed up with our worldly goods in a 20' truck. Unloaded same into rented storage.

Without fanfare our dirt-moving crew showed up and cleared the building site before I woke up one morning. By the next day the septic was in, and the following day we had the inspection. I mean, things are moving quickly.

It was during the dirt-moving that the house showed up on a semi. The dirt crew, god bless them, unloaded the truck by attaching forks to their backhoe, thus saving us the worst job of the summer, hand unloading the house, section by section.

Lest there be any confusion on the issue, there is art in NorCal. See chainsaw-carved bear, attached. And for those of you who know and care about such things we have yet to receive, tho' we have bought, the chipper. There will definitely be pictures of same once it's initiated.

Throw a bit of brush clearing to accommodate the solar power cells, 8 hour days with our great house-crew (who start at 7AM), shopping for cabinets, etc, and it gets busy quick around here.

And you New Yorkers wonder what the hell we're going to do out here…