May 30, 2015. Temple of 10,000 Buddhas

Part 2 of May 30....

My blog site has been down for 3 days, so am now catching up.

After the farmers' market, we visited this monastery, right in Ukiah.

Buddhist monks sweep gardens, pray and meditate.  It is serene and beautiful.

George wanted to fit in.....

It is a monastery for the monks, and also has an elementary and middle school.

There really are 10,000 statues....

Beautiful peacocks strut around...

After the monastery, we hit a winery to top off the day.

May 30, 2015. Farmers' Market.

LOCATION:  Floodgate Farms in Redwood Valley, CA

WEATHER: Nice and sunny.  Hot down in the valley....85 degrees

We got up at 5:30 AM to prepare for the market.  This is too much like work......even used the same phone's alarm ring tone as I did before retirement.

We washed, spin-dried, and packed up the flower salad, placing it in a cooler with frozen water bottles.   We packed up the truck, and off we went to Ukiah.  We put the farmers' market sticker on the truck to look official.

We were the first ones there, and grabbed the spot the homeowner recommended.  Out came tables, tablecloths, umbrella with its heavy stand, baskets, tubs, and containers.  Here is Farmer George with our table....

Several customers commented on how colorful the salad mix was this week. (I had put in a lot of rose petals, pansies, mustard green flowers, and hollyhocks.)

Our table was next to the rabbit seller, and across from the goat cheese lady.  We bought goods from each. 

By 11:00, we sold out of salad mix and the popular kale chips George had made.  We sold all of the fava beans, onions, raspberries, kale, and gooseberries we had brought.  The only thing that didn't sell was the rosemary.  It is so common here, that most people grow it themselves.

We  dismantled at noon and I did the required paperwork.  Off we went to get a cold beer and lunch to celebrate!

Then we went to the Temple of 10,000 Buddhas in town. (See next blog for pictures).  It is a monastery and school.  

On our way home, we stopped at a winery for a tasting.  The wines are considered Mendocino Valley wines.  We are just north of Sonoma County, and northwest of famous Napa County.

DINNER:  Chicken, rice and fava beans in a garlic sauce.  We had a chilled Sauvignon Blanc to pair with it.  

We will sleep well tonight!  

May 29, 2015. Harvest day on the farm

LOCATION: Floodgate Farm in Redwood Valley, CA

WEATHER:  Sunny and warm. Highs in lower 70s

Fridays are the busiest day of the week, preparing for the Farmers' Market.  We got up early and while it was cool, started picking flowers. After about an hour, with one full bag, we came in for breakfast.  We went back again and picked all morning.

These tiny flowers and leaves don't weigh much, so it takes a long time to pick an ounce, let alone  10 pounds!  Compared to this penny, you can see their size.

We cooled off inside in the afternoon.  In the evening, we went back out again.  A few more flowers had bloomed during the day. We also dug some onions, and  picked fava beans, rosemary and kale.  We are adding a treat.....raspberries and African ground cherries.  We have about 8 pounds of flower salad mix, less than our goal.  

DINNER:  Spaghetti with tomato sauce using the last of the lamb sausage.  

May 28, 2015. Snakes alive!

LOCATION:  Floodgate Farm in Redwood Valley, CA

WEATHER:  Another really nice day. High around 70

After morning pet feeding, George did some weed-wacking.  Since it is an organic farm, the owners leave a lot of weeds alone, as their flowers attract bees and birds.  He mostly cleared around the guest cabin.

Later, he did some mowing in the garden, to clear paths for us to pick veg tomorrow.

We found out that we were selected for a house-sitting assignment in Portland in the fall, so now we can finalize our summer plans.  We will fly to Minnesota and Michigan in July.  We started making appointments at Mayo Clinic, and looked at travel options.  We are anxious to see our daughters and friends.

In the evening, we got started on the harvesting for Saturday's  market.  As I was bending down to pick some greens, a rattle snake slithered along under the mulch right next to me.    I was shocked!  Surprisingly, I didn't run away, but  kept picking.  I stomped my feet a lot, hoping that the vibration would scare others away.  Then, a bit later, George encountered another one, right in the middle of the path.  Unfortunately, it was going in George's direction, so he had to scoot away fast.  

I'm concerned that I haven't seen one of the cats, L.C., for a few days.  I know she likes to roam, just hoping she returns soon.

DINNER:  I found the fish I lost in the refrigerator!  It was in a jar labeled something else.  We finally got our fish tacos.  I used some of the farmers' market goat cheese on them.  I also added some spicy chipotles in adobe sauce.  Delicioso!  

May 27, 2015. Kale chip preparation

LOCATION: Floodgate Farm in a Redwood Valley, CA

WEATHER:  Very pleasant. High around 70

Our days start with feeding the dog and cats.  The cats came up to the porch, letting me know it is breakfast time.

While it was cool, George watered the baby tomato plants.  As he squirted water on one plant, out popped  a 4-foot long rattle snake!  Thank goodness, it went the other direction.  (Sorry, no photos).

It is a sunny day, so I did more laundry.

We did some housecleaning chores in the Airstream, like defrosting the refrigerator and setting out the mattress to soak up sun rays.

In the afternoon, when it cooled off again, I picked kale to start the kale chip process.  First, I washed and dried the kale pieces, removing hard stems.  Then, George made up the coating mix.  It is a secret recipe, but I can tell you that it involves massaging the leaves in extra virgin organic olive oil, and including brewers' yeast and sunflower seeds in the mix.

Then, George put them in the dehumidifier to crisp up.

 

After about 2 hours, they were ready to eat

Then, we packaged, weighed, and priced the finished product.

Hopefully, we will sell them all at the farmers' market on Saturday.

To reward ourselves for a hard day on the farm, we drove into Ukiah for happy hour.  We had some delicious appetizers and drinks.

DINNER:  I had planned to make fish tacos, but could not find my container of fish in the refrigerator!  After much searching, we decided the student intern must have inadvertently taken it with her, when she retrieved her food from the frig.  So, (don't laugh), we had tacos using leftover Spam.  Not too bad!

May 26, 2015. Day trip to the Pacific

LOCATION:  Floodgate Farm in Redwood Valley, CA

WEATHER:  Beautiful. Highs in 70s, at beach in 50s

We did a few chores around the farm.  George planted some more tomato plants.  Then, we took off for the day.

We drove north about 15 miles on Highway 101, which goes through the state, north to south.  Willets is the "Gateway to the Redwoods" and is famous for its sign.

Then, we drove about 30 miles west on a very windy road, through beautiful canopies of redwoods, to the coast.  We ended up in Fort Bragg.  We checked out two state parks where we might camp after this house-sitting assignment.

We had lunch, fish and chips made from local rock cod, in a seafood restaurant overlooking the town's working harbor.  We watched fishing boats come in and go out.  

This row boat passed by, full of tourists who had been out  seal-watching. We watched a seal swim by as we ate our lunch. 

We drove south through the darling town of Mendocino, then back through an even windier road back home.  

It was a fun day.  Kip, the dog, and two of the cats welcomed us home.  

DINNER:  Baked chicken with onions, garlic, sage and mushrooms.  Side was Swiss chard from the garden with Parmesan.   

May 25, 2015. Farmer George and Farm Wife Karmen

LOCATION: Floodgate Farm in Redwood, CA

WEATHER:  Another beautiful day. Highs around 70

The mornings and evenings are quite cool, while it warms up during the day.  So, our plan of attack is to do most chores while it is cool.

Today is very sunny, so it is a good day to do laundry.  Sunshine gives the washer plenty of solar electricity and it dries the clothes quickly.

Farmer George planted some tomatoes.  There are already some plants with green tomatoes growing, but we want to extend the season.  The Farmers' Market is held year-round.

Then, George decided to remove an old zip line from a tall branch.  I was certain he would fall, but all is well.

The summer intern got homesick and left, so we are on our own.  

In the evening, we picked these delicious berries that we will have for breakfast tomorrow.

There us not any TV here (which is ok).  We watched a DVD on the computer once it got dark, at about 9:00. 

DINNER:  Beans and rice with some lamb sausage I had bought at the Farmers' Market.  I jazzed it up with onion and a garlic scape from the garden. There was some leftover flower salad mix that we ate up.  

May 24, 2015. On our own!

LOCATION:  Floodgate Farm in Redwood Valley, CA

WEATHER:  Very nice. Highs in upper 60s

We did odd jobs around the farm while the homeowners got ready for their trip.  

As in all of California, there is a water shortage here.  We really try to conserve.  We pour the leftover dish water into rain barrels.  

This is the end of fava bean season.  I am shelling these beans, as I  want to try some more fava recipes.

We drove the homeowners to an airport shuttle in Santa Rosa, about one hour away.  They fly from San Francisco to Boston on the red-eye tonight.

On our way home, we stopped in a cute town for dinner at this pub.  It used to be a brewery.  It had many good California craft beers on tap.

May 23, 2015. Selling our veg at the farmers' market

LOCATION: Floodgate Farm in Redwood Valley, CA

WEATHER:  Cool in AM. Sunny. Highs in 70s

We got up early to prepare for the farmers' market.  The biggest job was to wash and dry the 12 pounds of salad mix.  

We set up at the Ukiah Farmers' Market around 7:30. We were next to a vendor selling lamb, another selling organic strawberries, and one selling flowers and plants.  We quickly found coffee and some breakfast tacos.  

We arranged our table nicely.

The salad mix is the main draw.  

Then, we were open for business!  

The market ended at noon.  We sold out of salad mix and kale chips.  We had fava beans, herbs, leeks, and a few greens left.  George and I visited some of the other vendors and bought meat and a black pepper goat  cheese that looks yummy.  

Jay, the homeowner, returned to the farm, while we explored Ukiah.  We had a delicious lunch at a downtown bistro......a fish and shrimp patty burger.  Their fries were decadent......garlic with bits of herbed goat cheese.

Back at the farm, we relaxed and listened to Prairie Home Companion, our Saturday evening ritual, although it comes on here at 3:00.  

We shelled some of the leftover fava beans.  We planned a communal dinner tonight.

DINNER:  I made fava bean risotto.  Really good!  Jay made baked gigantic lingcod fish heads which a fisherman friend gave her today, in exchange for some salad mix.  

May 22, 2015. Harvest day on the farm

LOCATION: Floodgate Farms near Redwood Valley, CA

WEATHER:  very pleasant. Highs around 70

Today was harvest day, the busiest day of the week, preparing for tomorrow's farmers' market.  We spent the day picking veg and flowers alongside the homeowners to learn what to do.  We picked about 10 pounds of leaves, greens and flowers for the flower mix.

George learned about the veg to pick.  Right now, it is greens, leeks, and herbs.  They picked kale to make dried kale chips which we bag and sell.

Later in the day, we picked greens to put in bunches to sell.  

I had a little accident.  As I was picking a flower, I bent down and somehow hit my eye on a bamboo stick used to stake tomatoes.  I just missed my eyeball.  I now have a big, black eye.  I hope I don't scare the customers tomorrow.  

We spent all day picking, as it didn't get dark until about 8:30.  

DINNER:  I added hamburger to the chicken bulgher dish I had made for the pot luck last night. 

May 21, 2015. Farm livin'

LOCATION:  Floodgate Farm in Redwood Valley, CA

WEATHER:  Cool and pleasant.  Highs  in 60s

We spent time in the garden getting more orientation.  We have to learn which flowers and leaves to include in the salad mix.  George did some mowing and weed-wacking.   We took a hike with the dog up to one of their ponds.  It was high on the mountain, with beautiful views of rolling hills and vineyards below.

Their summer intern arrived from Colorado. 

We attended the monthly Grange meeting with our homeowners.  It is a farmers' union-type organization.  There are Granges throughout California supporting farmers' rights and supporting the community.  It was a potluck.  I made a bulgher pilaf with chicken and onions.  Most of the other dishes were vegetable dishes from their gardens.

May 20, 2015. Starting our 1st house-sitting assignment!

LOCATION: Near Redwood Valley and Ukiah, California in north central California

WEATHER: Very pleasant.  Highs in 60s.  Cloudy, but no rain (which people are hoping for)

We are taking a 2-week "detour" from RVing. 

We drove from Clear Lake to Redwood Valley via the "scenic "route". Highway signs said vehicles longer than 39 feet were not allowed.  We are 38 feet combined, so George wanted to do it.  It was very curvy, going up and down a mountain.  It was another trip with my eyes closed.

Our "detour" is a 2-week house-sitting assignment.  We will watch their property, keep things tidy, and care for their 4 rescue pets, a dog and 3 cats.  We also volunteered to help with their garden, so we will be picking vegetables and taking them to the  farmers' market for them.  They have some loyal customers who would be disappointed if they could not buy their products.  It will be fun!

Once we arrived in Redwood Valley, we contacted the homeowners about getting to their farm.  Luckily a neighbor happened by, and we followed him, up and up a mountain road.  We are at the top of Heart Mountain.  There is a beautiful view of the valley below.

The homeowners are very welcoming.  They have 109 acres with a 2-acre organic farm.  They gave us a tour, and we sampled lots of delicious greens.  They specialize in flower-like salad mixes.  The homeowner picked these salad "flowers" for one of their CSA customers.

We befriended the dog and one cat, but the other 2 cats are hiding.  

We will spend the next few days learning more about the gardening from the homeowners, then we will be on our own.  Check out their website at www.floodgatefarm.com for more pictures.

DINNER:  We had some of the "flower salad" that we picked this PM.  So beautiful!  

I made some spaghetti with leftover grilled hamburger, garlic scapes from the garden, onions, and mushrooms.  We are planning to stock  up at the farmers' market on Saturday. 

May 19, 2015. Wine-tasting in the valley.

CAMPGROUND: Second night at Clear Lake State Park

LOCATION: Near Kelseyville in north central California

WEATHER:  Perfect. Highs in low 70s

I'm babying a pot of herbs.... basil and thyme.  Everyday I put the pot on the picnic table for sun.  As we drive, it is nestled between boxes in the back seat.  I have had to bring it in at night, due to cold temperatures.  At this park, I have to bring it in at night due to the hungry deer!  We took a bike ride around the park this morning.  Just as we returned, I spotted a deer heading for the herbs! I saved it just in time!

This is a very pretty state park.  I think it gets busy in the summer, with its beach and marina, but at this time of year, we pretty much have it to ourselves (with the deer, squirrels and birds).

We tasted wine at 2 wineries near here.  Unlike Napa Valley, they are not crowded.  One did not charge, but sold expensive wines.  The other one charged, but the wines were less expensive.  This one had a beautiful tasting room and landscaping....

We had a portabello sandwich lunch at one of the cute towns that surround Clear Lake. It is really a nice area.  Then, we stopped at a brewpub in nearby Kelseyville.  George said it was like the old TV show "Cheers".  Everyone knows everyone.  There was a mix of old guys with grey ponytails and beards, young bikers, and a group of lady quilters.  The quilters told me that many of the buildings in the towns around the lake are decorated with quilt-like pictures like this one at our park...

She said an artist from the Midwest got this started.  It reminded us of the barn paintings we have seen in Iowa and Minnesota.

Back at the campground, George made a fire, and we cooked dinner over it....

 DINNER:  Using  the leftover chicken/artichoke heart/olive dish, I added some additional vegetables, then served it over pasta.  Side dish was cucumber slices.  

May 18, 2015. Russian River Valley beauty

CAMPGROUND: Clear Lake State Park. No hook-ups. Dump station. Spacious sites with picnic tables and grills.  Decent bathrooms. Coin showers. Our site has view of the lake. $28/night with senior discount. 3 stars

LOCATION:  On Clear Lake, outside of Kelseyville, in north central California

WEATHER:  Perfect!  Highs around 70

We left Yuba City and drove through miles of fruit trees and vegetable farms.  We stopped at a roadside stand and bought freshly picked mandarin oranges and apricots.  We only had a 75 mile drive today.

After a bit, we hit the rolling hills of wine country.  Vineyards everywhere, new and old vines.  Several tasting rooms, but we didn't stop, since we were pulling the trailer and they tend to have small parking lots. Planning to go vineyard-hopping tomorrow.

Our destination was Clear Lake, California's largest inland lake.  It is beautiful.  We followed the lake road around coves full of beautiful homes overlooking the lake.  We settled in the state park that is right on the lake.  

We took a 2-hour hike up a mountain for beautiful lake views.  Then, we drove into Kelseyville.  Not much happening there.  

We are not too far from our first house-sitting assignment. See shaded area in upper left of map....

As we were standing around the campfire, 2 bold deer came up to us.  It is very natural here.  There are lots of birds making unusual noises.  Squirrels everywhere.

DINNER:  Turkey soba.  Over the fire, I sautéed slices of turkey thighs with green onions in sesame oil.  Inside, I cooked soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles).  I mixed it together and added a bit of soy sauce. Nice, Asian dinner.  Afterwards, I made turkey broth using the bones and some rosemary, over the campfire.  We will use the broth for grits tomorrow morning.  

May 17, 2015. Stats from our trip...

We left Rochester, MN on August 7, 2013.  We have covered a lot of ground.  I posted this on Facebook....

Number of miles driven:  54,000

Number of national parks visited: 47 out of 58

Number of US states visited: 44

Number of Canadian provinces/territories visited: 9

Number of Mexican states visited: 2

Number of days posted blog: 630

Number of great people met along the way: hundreds

.........

Number of brewpubs imbibed in: countless!

May 17, 2015. To California's Central Valley

CAMPGROUND: Travel Home Park. Conveniently located near downtown.  Like many commercial RV parks, full  hook-ups, nice bathrooms, cement slab.  Nice trees.  Not too crowded. $31/night. 4 stars.  Strange that it is less than state park withno amenities. 

LOCATION:  Yuba City, in north central California, about 50 miles from Sacramento

WEATHER:  Cool mountains, then warm in the valley. Highs in 70s

We left the Lake Tahoe area, passing by lots of ski areas, still with some snow.  The scenery is so  different from the high desert we've been in....big pine trees, and foothills, not mountains.  We drove about 100 miles, all downhill.  The temperature gauge kept climbing as we descended from 40 to 70.  

Then, the landscape changed to farmland.  We passed lots of flooded rice fields and fruit stands. Later we heard that this is the country's largest rice-growing area.

We settled into the RV park, and walked to Yuba's downtown business area.  It is a cute town.  We passed houses with lots of flowers....oleander, pansies, roses, and even palm trees.

We had a fabulous bowl of cioppini for lunch at the local brewpub.  It is an Italian stew with mussels, shrimp, and crab claws.  

We are taking it easy before our house-sitting assignment starts later this week.  We aren't too far away.  It is just perfect weather.  

DINNER:  Chili over a baked potato. ..using leftovers including black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, and chipotles in adobo sauce.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get George to eat it all, so we have more leftovers   :-(

May 16, 2015. Loneliest road in America

CAMPGROUND: Donner Memorial State Park. Woodsy sites. Good bathrooms. Coin showers. No hook-ups. 3 stars. $33/night.  Too expensive, but this is California

LOCATION:  Truckee, Californua, in eastern Cslifornia, outside of Lake Tahoe 

WEATHER:  cloudy. High about 50

We left the Great Basin Natoonal a park in Eastern Utah, and drove 400+ miles across Utah.  The road was the old Pony Express Trail and stagecoach routes.  It is also called the Loneliest Road in America.

  We saw about one other car each hour.  

Our destination was Lake Tahoe where we planned to stay a few days.  However, the state parks along the lake were not open yet.  We didn't see any commercial RV parks.  The lake is pretty, set high in the mountains.

We drove through touristy areas, and gorgeous vacation homes.  We kept driving until we found this state park.  It is named after the Donner pioneers who froze to death here trying to cross the mountains, and were infamous as they ate other human bodies.  

We hiked a bit around the campground which is on a pretty river.  We have a few days before our house-sitting assignment, so we will take it easy.  

DINNER:  I made another recipe from my brother....orzo salad.  After cooking the orzo, I combined it with kalamata olives, feta cheese, diced cucumbers, and green onions.  I then added a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, oregano and dill.  I also sautéed slices of turkey  thighs that George had grilled previously.