Summer 2012 (3)

  I stayed around Takilma and

Cave Junction for another week

The Big Meadow

or so.  It was so great to be near 

my Bro (Mark) and Sista's (Lisa and Beth)

that is was really hard to leave when

the time came.

It was only made possible by 

the fact that I knew I would 

return in a month or so. 

    This is the Big Meadow where 

they planted fruit trees 30 years or so

ago and Mark has been grafting and

the folks have been caring for them

so that now they are amzing!

Corn (of course there is more but I am not the farmer)

  Mark and I spent a bit of time
picking stuff for meals and
basically eating our way through
their beautiful garden.  Those guys
really have organic farming down!
My favorite part of the garden
is the Blueberry Patch!!!
I don't remember how old
Mark and Beth told me it
was but it is amazing!

Mark in the Garden heading for the Blueberries

It is covered with a loose netting
keep the birds out and
has an electric fence powered
by solar to keep the bears out
but there is nothing that keeps
people out at least those who
reside there and their guests,aka
ME!  Picking is "a
few for the bucket and a
a handful for your mouth"!

Double Mmmmmmmmm........

Mmmmmm..............

Beautiful

   Then I headed over to Lisa's.

The Magic Forest Farm. As the sign says "Celebrating 40 Years of Magic"!

It really is Magic being there 

where everyone and everything 

seems to co-exist in relative 

harmony. This is one of the first structures I think.  It holds tools,

rototillers, wheelbarrows, 

freezers and also the recycling.

About once a month someone (they take

turns) goes to the recycling plant and

delivers anything they can't reuse.

I for one am amazed and there are 

pictures of how it is separated

below. 

  

As I said they coexist in relative harmony. Even Rattlers.
This one was under the propane tank.

Our Dinner, fresh corn, raspberry dressing, fresh greens
and of course Wine!

The Main House as viewed from the path to Lisa's
The Garden is to the right.

3 guesses?

Mark came to the MFF (Magic Forest
Farm) for dinner. The Garden in  the
backfround.

The electric fence keeps the predators out!

Close up! No closer though.

Marko, Lisa and Crit

MFF Garden (part of it anywayt).

I really like the Chicken Coop. They are building a
new one behind the old one.

Recycling

All is clearly labeled and everyone is diligent about it!!!

Don't know it you can read it but it is CLEAR if you are
there.

  Well it was a wonderful visit but time to leave.  So I headed down the
state back to Alameda.  Headed for Colorado.  I shall return!!!

Summer 2012 (2)

 
     While still in Medford, OR.,
Diane and I went to one of my
favorite wineries.  It was a
Friday night and they had
music, food and of course,
wine.  Roxy Anne Winery
is very close to my house in
Medford. Besides having
some of the greatest Pino Gris
around, their location serves to provide
those of us with houses in the
area a beautiful view of hills
covered with grape vines
and pear trees!  So.....I love to
support them in any way I can!
for me that is buying and drinking
their wine!
  We met this couple who were
very nice. They came in a bit late
looking for chairs.  She had quite the
cane and was moving very slowly.
Diane and I were at a table with
extra seats so I got up and offered
them a seat at our table.  I couldn't

Diane, looking good!

bear to see them walk away because
they didn't have a place to sit.
She was quite the trooper. Dancing
with her honey even though she
could barely walk!  I was impressed.
She said she just
had to keep going and I admired
them both. Diane was the
designated driver and that
allowed me to have my fill of that
wonderful nectar of the Gods, wine.....

Visiting out by the Big Meadow Paula and Ron

Sad....but it was too late for him....

Lisa and Mark 

   Then it was off to visit Lisa and
Mark. The first gathering was
the outdoor kitchen at The Meadows.
My brother was on cooking detail
that evening and all the siblings
would be there.  Lisa and I
came early to help with the
preparations.  We were having
corn so a big pot of water was
started BUT we forgot to check
the pot and  the lid before so......
unfortunately there was one
fatality and yes we did start a a
new pot of water. Oops......
     I opened some wine and we
started to prep, drink and talk.
Someone had to be in the
kitchen area at all times
though for fire prevention
as well as food theft
prevention.   The deer are
ever present and they
aren't the least bit afraid
of anyone in The
Meadows.  They certainly do
have good taste though,I must say.



     Both Lisa's place and Mark and
Beth's place now boast a couple
of golf carts to get around with.
Actually they use their feet and
their bikes as well (as they
always have). But now they
have another option if it is late,
dark, wet or heavy.
I must say that it really has
been a boon to them and to
us visitors as well.  I hate to
admit it but I am getting older.

They do have good taste!

So that means that my sibs
are too. Sorry sibs....and as
much as exercise is good
for us all there are times that
hauling six bags of cement
in a wheelbarrow is not my idea
of fun. Or for that matter something
that I could even do.  Mark, Beth
and Lisa can if they need to but do
they really have to or want to?
 Now with a golf cart they don't need to!!!  Any way it is amazing how
much a golf cart holds!!!

Lurking for opportunity

We walked

But we didn't have to carry anything!!Yeah!!

 Dinner was served and boy
was it good! A lovely evening and
visit in a splendid place!
   JASDIP!!

Summer of 2012

     Well...my summer away from
Jasdip began with a flight to
Portland, ME  and a drive to Green
Lake to visit nieces, nephews and
grand nieces.  It was fun driving
along through all those small
New England Towns.  We had a
great gathering with lots of food
and drink, visiting neighbors, meeting
new people and lots of Lobster!!!
Nora and Matt's house in Maine is
a wonderful place to host lots of
folks and we all were very relaxed
after a week. Then it was time to
move on.

    For me it was a flight back to
Alameda, CA and a visit to my old
neighborhood in Martinez and two of  my dearest friends Mark and Joyce.
Got to meet the new kitties (Stormy
and Cloudy) and see the house before
the massive remodel.

Kitties to the Vet for shots

   There, of course, was much eating,
drinking and the requisite reading
Mr Mark would give me each
morning.  That man reads constantly.
I gratefully used their place as a base
and also spent time with Cati on

Cocktail hour at M & J's!

Timeless. I keep trying to get Cati and David to come to La Paz and visit but they are a very busy pair. I also did my annual refinishing of M & J's teak table on the deck but didn't have time for the chairs.  I already have my marching orders for next summer.  Chairs  WILL  be refinished!!! You all know me and I really like to varnish something it
always makes me feel useful and
good! LOL.

My Old house in the "Hood".

   Well four months seems like a
long time but it really went so
fast.  I headed to Richmond to
check  in with Jeff and Anne
(cruising friends from La Paz). They
were house sitting a nice place right
on San Francisco Bay and we sat outside on the patio and watched the
ships and sailboats go by.  We headed over to  the Richmond Yacht club
to check it out and Jeff got us in.
Can't remember what Club he used
but it worked.  We had wine and
an endless "red solo cup of Goldfish"! What's not to like!
    Just as I arrived at Jeff and

Nice digs!

Anne's I saw something floating
in the Bay.  At closer inspection
it turned out to be a black
Taylor Made fender.  It was
actually coming right to their back
yard and I just went down to the
beach and picked it up.  It is now
Hanging on the side of Jasdip in
MX. Those suckers have a lifetime
warranty! What luck!  There was wine and beer involved and I think that
is why Anne couldn't decide
which way her sunglasses were
supposed to go.  Cruising has that
effect on us all!






       Then I headed north to Oregon.
I stopped in Medford to check on my house and to visit my sis and her

The Crew

husband.  We had a great visit. went
to the usual haunts (wineries) and
they also took me on two river
trips.  The first I think was the
Klamath ( upper).  There are no
pictures of that one.  I wasn't on the
river for more than 15 minutes and
the first rapid came up. Well........
there went my camera and anything
else that happened to be in the
kayak including me.  Well I kept trying

It was beautiful

but I just didn't get it.  I really felt
hopeless.  Guess it had just been too
long and I forgot everything that I
might have known in the past.  Upon the
Group's insistence I gave up my kayak and was relegated to the raft.  As it
turned out I had a good bit of fun in
the raft because I was far more familiar
with rafting rivers than kayaking them
and it all came back to me very
quickly. Never the less I was a bit

My sis Paula

demoralized by the first 30 minutes of
the day. These particular pictures
are of the second time we went
on the river and I had a much better idea of what to do.  The rapids were
easier and my brother-in-law, Ron,
gave me great pointers that served
me well.  What a good guy!

Some small rapids

Diane, who by the way has visited me in MX!

Diane, Paula and Ron

Kayak-er Extraordinaire!

    While I was visiting Diane gave me
the name of a Deep tissue masseuse.
Toru Suziki.  I went to see him and he
breathed life into my shoulder's.  He
gave me more range of motion than
I have had in 10 years.  While I was in
the Medford area I went to see him a
total of 5 times over a month or two.
He had a great grounding effect on
me mentally and physically and I am
continuing the exercises he suggested

Toru

still today. Things are getting better.
as evidenced by my being able to
sit at a computer to continue my blog!
I was and still am so excited about
the progress I am making every day but
it's inception was there in Rogue Valley with Toru!