Garden of Dreams: May 2009

Cows and flowers

...The cows that are currently grazing our land were moved right next to the flower field. Also a couple of pix of the flower field, from afar and above and across Yale Creek...I'm further along now than when these pix were taken. You'll be able to see squiggly paths melding into a circle in the center, like the sun with it's rays shining everywhere....

Finished Cupola

You gotta click on this first one to blow it up to size....Well, the motors still need to go up there to control the opening of the windows, but otherwise here's the cupola, painted and finished. Enjoy....

Some present-day interior shots

This just happened today. Our friends Jaime and his wife (first pic) worked to tape the walls and clean the floors of the dining room, bathroom and kitchen downstairs, in preparation for the staining of the floor, which will happen on Sunday, I believe. The rest of the pix show the rest of the downstairs dining room and solarium, which is mostly painted.

First coat of lime plaster on the outside of the Common Building, part I

Some up-close shots. The first pic shows the wall below the redwood deck, which has two coats of earthen plaster beneath it; the second pic shows some detail on that wall. The third shot is of the plastering process. The fourth shows the plaster going on top of the tar paper/wire mesh stapled to the mill room/oven room/utility room. The last pic shows the plastering crew stapling the tar paper and chicken wire mesh onto the plywood walls

First coat of lime plaster on the outside of the Common Building, part II

...Some broader perspectives on the lime plaster coat, the first of two....

Farm Day at Boone's Farm

Every May the Siskiyou Cooperative CSA has a day at Boone's Farm, to raise awareness about sustainable farming practices and attract members. Three Full Bloom businesses participate in the CSA -- our farm, our bakery, and my flower-growing biz. It was a beautiful day. I took a tour of the goat dairy and learned a ton about goat husbandry and cheese-making. There were samples of lots of local products that're part of the CSA -- "Wake Up Coffee," a local roasting company run by friends of ours, among others -- as well as live music, tours, and generally hanging out.

The first shot is of the baby goats; second is the milking parlor; third is Melissa Mathewson (right), who works at the OSU farm extension office as well as running Barking Moon Farm, a local organic farm and egg producer, along with her husband Josh Cohen (fourth picture), who's also in the men's group I go to on Tuesday nights. The last picture is of Kimberly, who along with Don Tipping runs Seven Seeds farm, a wonderful organic farm in Williams that grows for the CSA, as well as growing seed contracts and running their own seed company, all permaculture-style. Kimberly's pictured here with their son, whose name I can't remember, petting some baby goats.

Gate below the redwood deck

...John Mehta built and installed this gate....

Framing the Reefer/Packing Shed, Part II

Shots of the frame with the rafters on it. Next step? I'm guessing the roof, then the siding. Not sure when the reefer goes in, or the plumbing for the packing shed, tables, etc.

Painting the library/meeting room upstairs

K.C. Welch, our good friend from Williams, agreed to paint the common building, and spent most of last week here. The color of the office is "Autumn Russet." He started by putting up sample colors, which you can see in the first pictures, and we chose the russet. Then he painted in all the edges. Then the broad strokes. Next week he'll touch everything up a bit. It's been great having him around.

First three pix: using some kind of machine to create this beautiful fanning pattern on the dining room floor, which will be stained next week. Last two pix: brushing out the concrete for the patio.