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| Tiny patch of the b'jillion acre Mendocino Botanical Gardens |
It's been a relaxing week in Fort Bragg. didn't do as much local exploring as I expected. Jo, Barbara and I visited the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens - or to be more precise - the gift & garden shop at the gardens. Barb bought a few plants but I decided not to bring any home, where they'd only be fated for death in my Gulag Garden. Here are some fortunate plants I didn't buy.
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| Fancy Geranium |
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| And a few fishies whom were also spared my interest |
Most of the time we spent lolling around Jo's home. I mentioned her late husband Sean's artistic talents in my last blog post. I recall seeing his work at their previous home in Monterey County more than a decade ago. I went nuts over Sean's stuff back then and still feel the same draw to them now.
Here are some of Sean's hangings.
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| This hanging features Scarlet Macaw tail feathers |
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| This is AWESOME! |
Amusingly enough, Jo was never too thrilled with Sean's hangings. I never asked her, but I think she didn't appreciate the work's ability to gather dust, cobwebs and feature bones, odds and ends. As for myself though, I guess I've got enough boondock appreciation in me to think it's all pret-ty cool.
I spent a fair amount of time birding in the laziest possible manner - sitting near the picture windows in the livingroom, watching Ospreys and flocks of Violet-green & Cliff Swallows float by. A Great Blue Heron and Mallards used the pond.
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| A natural little pond just across from the house |
Most evenings a ghostly white Barn Owl swept through the meadow, hunting mice. I bet her bird 'yard list' is well over 100 species (comparatively, mine is around 40).
I did drag myself away from the window one afternoon, driving myself down to Mendocino.
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| View of the sea from the little village shops |
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| View along the shop fronts |
Had fun walking around window shopping. Didn't buy much, thank heavens, just a book,
California Foraging, which of course, I need like a hole in my head. Really, I already have lots of books on edible wild plants. But this one actually tells when to forage for each plant, what parts of plants are edible and how to prepare them, and even better, how to ensure a better yield for the wild plants in future seasons. Way cool.
Oh, and I bought this HUMONGOUS smoky quartz crystal, from Nepal. Coincidentally, later in the day I heard about the horrible earthquake in Nepal.
One other thing is Barbara and I visited Jo at her work place at KUNK FM Fort Bragg, a radio station. She got a job there a while back and really enjoys working there and learning all about how radio stations operate. Myself, of course, I just LOVE the station's name:
The Skunk FM. It was awesome visiting her there.
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| Jo learned the ropes at the Skunk FM |
By the way, The Skunk FM was instrumental in Jo getting her new doggie, Finn. He was featured at the station in their ongoing association with the local Humane Society.
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| Fynn, enjoying his new home |
Lovely, lovely visit with Jo. Wish we could stay and visit with Jo and Fynn all summer.
