Just about a year now we’ve been country folk (I’m a city/suburb girl, Chicago, Berkeley, San Francisco) and then here…in a warehouse 11 years. Still a bit of a lovely shock to see farms all around when I look.

Coming up on time to plant but its smart to wait until after last frost.
Old Farmer’s Almanac says last frost is Valentines Day, but Mother Earth News veggie planner says March 20…so when do you plant your tomatoes? Very different question from when we had zero garden space behind our warehouse Cave on Water St. Some rosemary in a wine barrel made it through the frost each year. Roses in half wine barrels barely.

Here? Wayne just started over 1,000 chamomile plants and I’m trying to track where all the veggies are in MotherEarthNews Vegetable Planner online (but may have to settle for graph paper). A MAP is definitely needed if I’m to help care for all these babies! Chickens now, goats soon.

So many daffodils and paper whites I’ll never even count them, garlics, I think I know where those all are, celery, cilantro, verbena, do you bury the cover crop fava beans as compost or should I pick those to feed the chickens their daily warm snack? Quite confusing without a map.

But this is about signs of spring. Bulbs springing up everywhere. I think that was the mockingbird that came back and pinion jays come often. Most birds though, will wait till there are some more blossoms on the trees. Trees – there’s another thing. We have 30 more trees I haven’t become acquainted with. I know we’ll have three redwoods in the corner near Cinnabar School. Three redwoods! And the Baker’s dozen willow cuttings Wayne stuck in the ground along Skillman Lane all have leaves!

A spectacular aspect of Spring is sunsets this year. See attached. We did luck out with a panoramic view on our hill that looks out on Sonoma Mountain with a bit of Mt. St. Helena in the background, horses all around where people don’t have sheep, Black Angus or peacocks.

Haven’t actually seen the peacocks, but they woke me the other night. Though don’t think that wake up call WAS peacocks. Coyotes was what I heard. Can’t prove it but will listen for them – and the raccoon that I suspect came into the kitchen the other night to attack the cat food bag.
Glad I walked in fast. Want to keep my cats!

Whole different life than downtown, our old haunt. But Jungle Vibes, Wayne’s store, will have a cafe in April – so I’ll be a country girl/city girl once again. See you downtown – or stop by the farm for eggs from the happiest chickens I’ve ever carried around.

Big Sky at sunset

New hoop house for baby veggies and flowers

Oasis Farm from Margy's plane