This event is to help this wonderful local food operation stay in business while they are being persecuted by uber-environmental groups such as the West Marin Environmental Action Committee (one of the Tea Party type environmental groups — well financed, politically connected, and heads up their ass), and misrepresented with blatantly false scientific reports by the National Park Service.
I heard that a petition with some 50,000 signatures was obtained in favor of closing the operation down. I’ll bet 95% of these were city dwellers and 98% of these people had never been to the farm. My first-hand and native Californian assessment is that is a triple-win food production system, and it will be a tragedy if it is closed own by what the Italians call the talibano dell’ ecologia .
From sananselmofairfax.patch.com: “…If they lose, the Lunnys will be forced to demolish buildings, remove and destroy an estimated $4.5 million worth of oysters, and put 30 people currently employed at the farm out of work.…With thirty full-time workers, many of whom live on the property, the farm is currently the second largest employer in the Point Reyes National Seashore. Oysters harvested from Drakes Bay make up nearly 40% of California’s yearly shellfish production, some 500,000 pounds of oyster meat annually, marketed exclusively in the Bay Area. The farm is also the last operating oyster cannery in the state.…”
Other stuff I’ve written about this in the past here.
“Hi. My name is Anne Smith, aka Marguerite Turnley. I am a writer and an artist. I thought you might like to use these pictures on your website or to encourage drawing. They are from an old book called Inquire Within, which I have inherited.…These pictures are from old homes in many countries at the turn of the century. The pictures have been scanned from the old books and I thought you might find them useful..… Regards, Anne Smith”
From Mike Litchfield:
“Just came across a site that you might find interesting, that makes high-quality sliding door hardware–aka barn door hardware. Of course, sliding doors require less room to operate than hinged doors in space-starved houses, especially if it is an oversized door. Problem is that most barn door glides aren’t precise and can jam. These guys feature a lot of stainless tracks and all the wheels have ball bearings. Looks like cool stuff.”
Click here.
Thursday night, Louie, Titsch and I went out for drinks and food at St. Orres, an upscale restaurant near Gualala. Louie had heard that they had a new bar menu (dinners are in the $40 range), so off we went. We had a great time. Wild boar tacos $2.50 each. Big seafood quesadilla $10.00. Good! We each got a drink, then a bottle of red wine (there goes our low-cost night out).
It’s a great building. Redwood, lots of light, some unique doors sheathed in copper. Attention to detail. They rent little cabins in the garden for around $150.
Titsch is a Welshman, last name Jones. My mom’s maiden name was Virginia Jones, so we’re distant cousins. (I once heard that there were 350,000 Jones’s in Wales, as well as a separate Jones phone book.)
For the toast to our first drink, Titsch said, “yaccudda” — pronounced “yakki da.” (On Google it comes out as “yachydda.”)
We started talking about the Welsh language and Titsch said the longest place name in Europe was a Welsh town, which he recited, much to our delight: “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch:”
He said the name meant something like “St. Mary’s church at the foot of the hill beside a willow tree next to whirling brook and a red cave.”
Wikipedia details here.
Can we talk music? Rolling north on Wednesday, I got to Jenner where the road climbs so you see a big expanse of ocean. Sunny on the road, with a bank of fog just offshore. Nice light. When things are right, on the road, and the music’s good, I pretend I’m a camera, filming the landscape with songs a la serendipity.
Here’s what the Garage station on Sirius played:
-On the album Elvis Live in Memphis, “Trying To Get To You,” a lovely version, Elvis strong in voice, the band great, the crowd screaming. I suspect this is a great album.
-The Ramones, “It’s Gonna Be All Right.” Remind you what rock n roll is all about.
-Arthur Conley, “Sweet Soul Music.” Written by Arthur and Otis Redding, I always thought this was Otis singing. This led me today to Same and Dave, James Brown, and Gladiators (reggae) versions of this great song.
-Herman’s Hermits doing “Jezebel.”
Really.
In Louie’s shop, this old carpenter’s bench from a high school woodshop. There’s another vice kitty corner on the other side. It’s made to be utilized by two students. There’s a swing-out stool on each side; you can just see the hinge on the right leg here. I’d love to find something like this, but can’t locate anything either on eBay or craigslist.
I brought up my wood carving tools (shown here laid out on Louie’s workbench) and we spent some time carving out a spoon from some (halfway seasoned) plum wood. Here are a few photos: Louie’s strap for carrying cases of wine, made out of upholstery strap and drilled-out branch handle; his band saw (a powerful tool); Louie using a “slick,” a large chisel used by ship builders — the blade is slightly curved, it’s a pleasure to use it.
Will try to put up more photos from trip if I get the time.
After doing the symposium at the Art Institute (Wednesday, 3/13), I took off for points north. I haven’t been up to my pal Louie’s for some time, but now with shouder recovered (partly) and new Honda Fit, I headed up Hwy. 101, then cut across to the Russian River, to Jenner, and up the coast. This vehicle is a wonder. Drives like a dream; nimble. Even good on country roads. And it’s like a clown car; you can get amazing amount of stuff in it. (You’re just going to have to bear with me when I rave about this car.)
Now the next part of this story is for country people, OK?
Read More …
“…It’s a move from mass-consumption. When you live in a small space, it forces you to think what you need and don’t need.
Noel Higgins will raise a glass to his tiny, wooden house-on-wheels on Mar 17 to mark the first year of a radical lifestyle change.
Read More …
Hi Lloyd,
Love your blog. This guy has been living in the Five Cities area on the Central Coast of California for the last year or so in this setup. Often parks at the beach. Here he is yesterday cruising across the border of Arroyo Grande and Grover “City” Beach at Grand and Oak Park Blvd. Really well built structure atop
1980s volvo. Haven’t seen smoke from that chimney yet but…if its black we’ve got ourselves a new Pope, if white not? I dunno.
Best to you,
Matthew Eames
This event is to help this wonderful local food operation stay in business while they are being persecuted by uber-environmental groups such as the West Marin Environmental Action Committee (one of the Tea Party type environmental groups — well financed, politically connected, and heads up their ass), and misrepresented with blatantly false scientific reports by the National Park Service.
