After a long season of working 16-hour days in my family's thistle orchards, Pappy would finally let me and my 21 siblings take a day off, and we'd gather 'round a pan of Mama's corn pone and a pot of steaming thistle stew and enjoy each other's company without worrying which of us wouldn't survive the harsh Kansa-homa Winter.
The best parts of the harvest festival have been kept alive with Slide Ranch's annual Harvest Celebration. Sure, there's not as much dysentary, and you can milk goats instead of the traditional prairie marmot, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more authentic harvest celebration this side of Amish country.
On Saturday, October 10th from 10am to 4pm, come to Slide Ranch for:
Scarecrow making - Now in my day, we used witchcraft to transform disobedient children into statues, but I understand these will be made primarily from straw. (Sigh) Simpler times...
Wool spinning - In addition to spinning wool for clothes, we'd also spin sheep for entertainment. You'd get the sheep as dizzy as possible and then race them across the barn. Then you'd eat the loser. And the winner. We were hungry in those days.
Relaxing in the garden - A lot of people think that we didn't know the meaning of the word "relax," and that's not true. We just defined it differently: "the time between when your heart stops beating, and your body finishes decomposing."
Coastal hikes - If by hikes you mean back-breaking work, and by coastal you mean in the thistle orchard, then yes, we did go on coastal hikes.
Great live music - I was actually a classically trained jug-blower and washboard player back in the day. I had ambitions to go pro until a giant tumbleweed came and destroyed the local symphony.
Now, the bad news is that it does cost money: $20 a head in advance, or $25 at the gate. $75 for families of 4 or more.
But the good news is kids two and under get in for free, as opposed in my day, when kids under two would have to work the fields for 16 hours at a time. And if they complained? No thistle stew for them that night!
So come on down to the Slide Ranch Harvest Celebration. Marvel at nature's bounty, and be grateful you don't live in a era when you actually have to live with her as your cruel, cruel mistress.
Because of the positive response to the surfing post (read: I liked it) I've decided to do a post on surfing's "ginger-haired cousin," windsurfing.
Windsurfing is what you get when you take a yacht club and overrun it with beach bum hippies. After a long night of partying, a surfboard with a sail stuck on it might be the end result. And like all hybrids, windsurfing is something of an outcast. It's got one hand on a sail and one foot on a board and no one to eat with at lunchtime.
But untold wonders await you if you choose to pursue a relationship with this awkward sport.
This video features "loops, aerials, waveriding, spocks, flakas, and jibes." I figure if it's it's this amazing to watch, it must be even better to actually do it.
Now, I have some good news and bad news for you about windsurfing in West Marin. First, the bad news: you can't really do it there as a beginner. The conditions aren't too beginner-friendly (read: you will die) and as a result there aren't really any windsurfing shops in the area doing rentals and lessons.
But here's the good news: there's a really great place to do it that's pretty nearby and it's cheap. The Cal Sailing Club in Berkeley is a non-profit organization that gives windsurfing lessons every Saturday at 10:30am.
$69 buys you a three month membership, which covers all-you-can-eat rentals and lessons. Plus, if you're a student or a senior, it's only $65 and you can take your savings down to The Cheeseboard for one excellent slice of pizza.
Tangential gush: since you're already down in Berkeley, you might as well make a day of it and grab a bite to eat there, and the Cheeseboard is a good a place to do it as any. They only make one type of pizza a day and it's always thoughtfully composed, vegetarian, and really, really good. A past creation: "Fresh Bell Pepper and Onions, Feta and Mozzarella Cheeses, Kalamata Olive Tapenade and Italian Parsley." Do it. You deserve it after learning how to windsurf.
If you still want to get on the water but don't feel like forking over any money, the Cal Sailing Club also has a bunch of free sailing days where CSC volunteers introduce people to the joys of sailing.
I'm not saying you have to make sailing or windsurfing your new life mission (or more realistically, make getting water up your nose your new hobby), but there's something magical about learning to do something that you never thought you were capable of. All of a sudden your life floods with possibilities. You've transformed from the person who reads a real estate blog on the Internet into a person who can do this:
There's hardly any need for me to tell you about the upcoming hootenanny on September 26th. I know you're all such cool people that you knew about it weeks ago. Shucks, you practically invented the word.
But just in case someone stumbles across this blog who isn't as cool as you, here are the vitals:
KWMR, the best (only?) West Marin radio station is throwing its semi-annual Hootenanny on 9/26/09 from 12pm to 4pm. That means if you miss it, you'll have to wait another 6 months to find out what you actually missed.
Those of you in attendance can expect to find live music, a BBQ, and an open house. So you can listen to tunes while walking through the station and getting your grub on. Not too shabby.
Growing up I was a huge fan of eating, which naturally led to another passion: cooking. I once heard the essence of the culinary arts distilled as thus:
1. Start with great ingredients.
2. Don't mess it up.
Solid, solid advice. So if you're likewise gastronomically inclined, you're now wondering, where can I get the best ingredients? When in Marin, do as the Marinites do and check out a farmer's market. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, there's no better place to get the freshest most delicious produce you've ever had. You'll get the first crack at whatever's in season and that's the start of a great meal.
Paraphrasing Chef Tom Colicchio in his excellent book, Think Like A Chef, chefs get inspired to cook a meal based on the best available produce. The proteins don't really change from season to season, but the first crop of kale, or white nectarines, or summer squashes-- now that's something to get excited about.
With that in mind, you should really hit up the Point Reyes Farmers' Market next time you're free between 9am and 1pm on a Saturday. In fact, I can give you 6 reasons why you owe it to yourself to check it out.
1. They have free samples there. Free samples are usually enough of a reason to get me to go anywhere (especially Costco). Here you have the added bonus of learning by trial and error how to judge good produce. Your senses will be tuned to ninja-like levels of precision in touch, smell, taste, and sight. Hearing... will probably be unaffected, unless you're listening to the fruit hawker telling you "yes, this one is ripe," which is a good idea too.
2. Royalty have been there. In November 2005, Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall went to the market. Are you going to stand there and tell me that you're better than royalty? That you're too good to shop where the royals shop? Check for ripeness what the royals check for ripeness? Freely sample what the royals freely sample? I thought not.
3. The environment. There's a lot of talk about the impact our food has on the environment and how much better it is to eat local, organic, and seasonal. It's a very important issue, and I don't want to mince words here. If you buy anything at the farmers' market you will save the world. I don't mean this figuratively. Any purchase that you make at the farmers' market will single-handedly solve every environmental problem we are currently facing. Literally. So buy an organic nectarine so we can stop worrying about this global warming thing already.
4. Music. The live kind. Played by people, and or cyborgs that look like people. Either way it'll sound really good and you won't know the difference.
5. You can make the best meal that you've ever had. As delicious as the restaurants in West Marin are, a lot of taste is the experience that goes with it. Picking the best ingredients out with the help of its growers is a great start. Plus, if you're stumped for dish ideas, the growers will know some great ones. If you want to put your time and energy into making one great meal, you'll create a dish and an experience that you'll remember for a long time.
Cowgirl Creamery's signature cheese, Mt. Tam. Photo courtesy of Cowgirl Creamery. Drool courtesy of you.
If you haven't gotten enough cheese through simply buying and consuming it, you'll no doubt want to get the most out of your creamery experience and sign up for a tour. I can assure you that unlike watching a sausage being made, watching cheese being made only enhances your enjoyment of the food afterward. Book in advance here to ensure that the tour doesn't get sold out, lest you spend the rest of your days weeping, wondering what might've been.
Now, devoted readers of this blog are well-acquainted with the people who won't go anywhere unless there are oysters present. You know who you are. With that in mind, next on Levitt's list of greatest hits is Drakes Bay Oyster Farms. To put it mildy, yes, there are oysters there. Fresh, clean, delicious oysters. Buy a net-full from Kevin the owner, sit on the shore at the edge of the continent with the rest of California at your back, and get to shucking.
The last of Levitt's picks that I need to mention is the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. If you've ever thought to yourself, "I love working on farms and Zen meditation, but I can never seem to do both in the same location," then this place might be for you.
GGFZC (clearly not named with its acronym in mind) puts on a slew of programs as diverse as the basics of bread making and the basics of composting, though presumably not at the same time.
There's a cool meditation/lecture/lunch program every Sunday that seems like a good deal for its suggested donation of $13. Side note: I'm pretty sure monks study kung fu so their suggestions of donations can hold a little more weight. As a rule, I usually listen to the suggestion of most people who can kill me five ways with two fingers.
So, tea ceremonies, cheese tours, and bivalves. And I didn't even cover half of Levitt's highlights. There's a great big world out there. Better start sharpening your oyster knife.
A while ago we mentioned some renovations going on in 106 Seadrift Road. The improvements are all done and it looks great.
On the left, the original kitchen. On the right, the finished product, looking very snazzy. (click to enlarge snazziness)
The attentive observer will notice a new and improved stove, oven, as well as redone cabinets and hardwood floors. It looks like the trash bin also got a makeover to boot. Feel free to amuse yourself for hours playing the "what's different" game, as I'm sure I've missed something.
I won't go so far as to say this'll suddenly make you a better chef if you cook in here, but it certainly won't hurt. It's hard not to feel a bit more confident about your meal when you have such a beautiful kitchen backing you up.
There's so much good stuff here, only an FAQ will be able to handle it all.
Q.What is it?
A. A massive music festival.
Q. Why?
A. Because music festivals are awesome. Also to raise money for KWMR and Love Field. Unless you hate love, fields, and local radio stations you have no business avoiding this festival.
A. Yes. This is a very cool and very eclectic line-up. It has hip-hop, indie, afrobeat, country and more. If you have ears, you'll find something you like. Even if you don't have ears, there'll be food. If you have no mouth, I really don't know what to tell you.
Q. I now understand life will be pointless if I don't go to this concert. When is it?
A. Saturday, July 25th, 2009. It starts at 11am and goes until it's over. Tickets for adults are $25 in advance, and $30 at the door. It's only $10 if you're 21 or under. Buy 'em here and start counting down the days until awesomeness.
Q. I refuse to go to concerts unless there are oysters. Will there be oysters?
Q. I hate oysters but enjoy eating local food. Will there be local food?
A. Also yes. And to preempt any other questions, there'll also be craft vendors, a pickin' porch (whatever that is), and "circus acts"... although I don't know which ones. Maybe an elephant on a tightrope, maybe just a flaming hoop. Maybe both. Come see for yourself.
With the NBA finals now over, another event must step up and fill the need for exciting competition.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the paddle race!
For the second year in a row, there will be the Shore-to-Shore Paddle Board race from Bolinas to Stinson and it promises gripping drama, intense athleticism, and moving across several miles of ocean in floating watercrafts.
Come to the finish line at Stinson Beach Federal Park to watch the exciting conclusion! The race will start at 9:00 AM on June 20th and proceeds will go to the venerable Stinson Beach Junior Lifeguard program and the Surfrider Foundation.
If that wasn't incentive enough, there will also be a beach clean up and picnic following the race, all as part of the International Surfing Day.
And if you haven't gotten enough surf culture, there's one more thing worth checking out. From 3-5 PM, there will be an art opening and reception at the Bolinas Museum. Internationally-known photographer Brown Cannon
III will be attending to show off his exhibit Surface, which features "dramatic images of the oceans mounted on surfboards."
You might fall in love with one and want to buy it, which raises the question, can you put a price on art?
The answer is yes. $6,500. Fall in love carefully.
But what happens when you're all set to sunbathe at the beach only to find that it's overcast, windy, and a hair above freezing?
I found myself in the same situation just last week, and rather than bemoan the fact that Muir Beach wasn't Waikiki (or after our teeth were chattering too much to bemoan effectively), my friends and I hunkered down and created a memorable experience for ourselves. Here's how to make the most of your cloudy beach day:
1. There's no such thing as bad weather... ...only bad clothing. Bring layers. And layers. And a few more layers on top of that. Wrapping yourself in towels and blankets only adds to the sense of adventure, especially if you and your friends/family look slightly ridiculous. Being prepared for the coldest that Mother Nature has to offer goes a long way to making the trip a happy memory instead of a traumatic one.
2. Food, glorious food. The only thing worse than being cold is being cold and hungry. Go into survival mode by packing an assortment of delicious snacks, treats, and drinks. Sandwiches? Check. Bag of cookies? Double check. Thermos of hot, life-sustaining coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Check plus. Food = energy = you keeping your body heat up and not freezing to death. And it's delicious. So eat something, you're all skin and bones.
3. Capture the moment. Cloudy days offer some of the greatest photo opportunities because you don't have to deal with the hassle of shadows. Set the white balance on your camera to cloudy (a picture of a cloud) and start walking the beach, bundled up in blankets, well-fed, and looking for adventure.
4. Fire good! [Disclaimer: the only beach that I know you can have fires at is Muir Beach, and only in the designated fire rings. All other beaches follow a strict "fire bad" policy, just like Frankenstein's monster.]
Our cro-magnon ancestors had it right: fire good. In fact, fire very good. So bring a bundle of logs to a fire pit and bask in the loving glow of its warmth. Roast marshmallows, char processed meat on sticks, and be grateful for having a roof over your head whenever you want one.
5. Wind good!
Instead of being whipped around by the wind's cold chill, harness its awesome power for your own entertainment! Take the old kite for a spin and rejoice in the child-like wonder that ensues.
It's very nice to spend a day at the beach relaxing under the summer sun, tanning and burning ourselves to our hearts' content. But ask yourself: how many different times can you actually remember spending a perfect day at the beach? If you're like me, all those cloudless, sunny days have started to blur together, and while pleasurable, adding one more to the mix isn't necessarily going to stand out in your memories.
But a day under the clouds, watching the cold waves lap at the shore while you sip hot chocolate around a fire you built, huddled with friends and family, wrapped in an assortment of blankets and towels-- now that's a day worth remembering for years to come.
If you're in West Marin, you may hear whisperings of a mythic town that time forgot. A town that really enjoys its unique and insular character. A town that revels in its own eccentricities and tears down the signs that would direct a tourist there. Bolinas is not for everyone (and possibly not for you), but that's a large part of the allure. Who wouldn't want to be part of a club that doesn't want to have you for a member? Playing hard to get is a powerful thing, and the more Bolinas says, "betcha can't find me," the more I'm drawn to it.
Since Bolinas's pull is undeniable, and locals are not known for their love of outsiders, the best I can do is to give you a few tips that might help you make the most of your trip without ruffling any feathers.
1. Try passing for a local. Naturally, this is a risky move, as with a population of 2,500, any real locals would spot you for the outsider that you are and shake their heads. That being said, if you're willing to take the risk, I recommend tie-dye, facial hair, and essential oils. Bolinas is a town that celebrates oddballs, so the more conspicuous you look, the better you could blend in. Confidence could go a long way. Try velvet purple pants and an invisible dog on a leash.
2. Don't go to Bolinas. This is a pretty safe bet. Upsides include knowing that you'll survive your trip to West Marin without feeling like an outsider. Downsides include not getting to enjoy a plate of mahi-mahi fish and chips, Marin Sun Burgers, and fresh oysters at the Coast Cafe.
3. Avoid everyone who's been there longer than you. I like to think of Bolinas residents as bears: they're probably more afraid of you than you are of them. Give 'em a wide birth and you'll be alright. Grab a loaf of fresh bread, a hunk of artisan cheese and some bottles of organic juice from the Bolinas People's Store and hit the Palomarin trailhead. The gorgeous Alamere Falls awaits you. Just make sure to pack out your trash.
4. Be respectful. Bolinas is a privilege, not a right. Just because you found the town despite the residents' best efforts doesn't automatically mean you deserve to enjoy its beach, food, and atmosphere. You have to show that you're not the kind of Abercombie wearin', iPhone usin', uncouth out-of-towners that they've tried to protect themselves against. Just pick up a copy of "The Bolinas Hearsay News," and enjoy the area the way you'd want tourists to enjoy your quirky, picturesque hometown.
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