Frosted Mushrooms

Maru's son Willie found these on a walk we took down the road with our dog Lily. I was overwhelmed with awe....Blow these up and blow your mind.

Halloween weekend 2009

Above: view of the common building and the mountains beyond from the new home I now share with Maru (the strawbale cottage that Ryan and Eden built; it's unclear if they will want it back or will be building a new home on the land). Below: Maru's puppy Lily, who's about six months old. She's half lab, a quarter mastiff and a quarter American bulldog, and she's very sweet, frisky, loyal and quiet.

Above and below: Right to Left -- Maru and her daughter Lanxin, who came to visit on a break from college in Eugene.

A visit to the Rosenbergs, Part I

My parents and I paid a visit to Marvin and Lilli Ann Rosenberg, neighbors of ours who are established mosaic artists, having done murals and sculptures all over the place. They're in their eighties, and have lived in the Applegate for about 20 years, in a house that was originally built by Richard Bach, author of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". It's in constant flux, with new art and additions being created and added to it all the time. I'd been there once before and knew that my mom would like this place, so I arranged a visit while my folks were in town. ABOVE: I love this tree, with the treehouse. BELOW: A view of the Little Applegate valley from their garden

Above: Marvin Rosenberg, my parents Susan and Andy and Jeremy (on the floor), a ceramicist and carpenter who has become the Rosenberg's partner in art as well as doing carpentry and landscaping projects all over their land.
Above: Jeremy & Marvin in the kitchen; Below: I don't know why, but this is my favorite art piece in their place, the airplane made of junk. There's something so fun and whimsical about it.

A visit to the Rosenbergs, Part II

Above: Lilli Ann with one of her creations.


Above: the pool which they still swim in every day. Below: shower stall.

A visit to the Rosenbergs, Part III

Above: Lilli Ann Rosenberg. Below: Some of the materials they use to make the mosaics.

Below: A garden with their indoor pool in the background.

Variety show at Boone's Farm, October 2009, Part I

Five local farms gathered at Boone's Farm, otherwise known as the Siskiyou Crest Goat Dairy, to blow off steam after a long season and enjoy each other's company. Originally to be a "Battle of the Bands," it evolved into a less competitive version, with each farm covering three songs. Full Bloom led off the show with songs from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," complete with drag costumes and electric guitar, with an impromptu guest drummer to round out the title song, and rocked the house. Boone's Farm, Wolf Gulch Farm, Wilding and House Alive all performed fantastic numbers. Above: Wolf Gulch Farm, who did some beautiful folk/bluegrass tunes. Below: Tom and Maud Powell from Wolf Gulch.

Above: Maru; below: Jo (photo by Maru's six-year old son William).
Below: Silas, Usnia and Mookie of Boone's Farm.

Variety show at Boone's Farm, October 2009, Part II

Above: Some of the residents of Boone's Farm after performing their set; Below: Drew Mebane

Above: Usnia; Below: Maru & me
Below: Ocean

Variety show at Boone's Farm, October 2009, Part III

Above, Boone, namesake of Boone's farm; Below: L-R -- Ocean, Malynn and Khaliqa.

Above: My girlfriend Maru's son William; below: Jo warming up for the show....

Sheet mulching a flower garden bed

When Bria was here in September, she helped me begin sheet mulching the flower field. Sheet mulch is cardboard laid on soil and weighted down with organic matter -- straw, compost, etc. The mulch prevents weeds from growing (being deprived of sunlight), and adds organic matter to the beds. This project involved cardboard followed by straw. Next spring I will poke holes in the partially decomposed cardboard and plant the starts I've grown in the greenhouse. Eventually all the straw and cardboard will turn into soil.

Cob Studio Shots, Late August/September VIII

Bria Bonet, who was up for all of September, helped us out in so many ways, including finishing up the plastering.
Below: Cob bench w/cubbies; Above: Cob bench w/cubbies, after being plastered.

Above: a praying mantis Bria found as she was plastering. I moved it down to the flower garden, where it will hopefully eat a lot of cucumber beetles.
Above: cob bench and walls, finished.

Cob Studio Shots, Late August VII

Above: Working on the finish interior plaster. Below: Bria, our September intern, putting cob in the cracks on under the roof.


Above and below: Maru and Ryan putting finish plaster on one of the cob benches.