Getting ready for our first.......

Little Bird Farm Christmas!

Our First Big Snow at Little Bird Farm

Within days of my return home from Hawaii and northern California to New Mexico, Little Bird Farm was fully festooned in winter snow!  I am exhilarated at this!  If there is any single thing that can put me in the mood for Christmas, it is falling snow.  This winter storm did not disappoint!  Snow fell all day long yesterday, a phenomenon I have never seen in my years living in New Mexico.  I saw this happen many times on winter days in northern Japan, but never in New Mexico!  It really was a lovely thing.  I had the pleasure of my brother's company in the afternoon and into the evening, as he installed a new door for us - a chore less well suited for such a cold, snowy day as it would have been for a sunny day!  Yet, he worked diligently and exactingly for many hours.  It was a difficult job, placing the new door in a wall of this old farm house.  And he had to go out and work in the cold many, many times, making the carefully measured cuts, planing and sanding!  He is a perfectionist!  I truly admire this quality, but I do not possess it.  He did a beautiful job and our new door looks beautiful and performs.....perfectly!   Thank you, Honorable Brother!      

North Hilo Coastal Area - breathtaking!

The Hawaiian Vanilla Orchid House

Seeing funny things!

We were sauntering down a little side road in Hilo yesterday; it's pretty much low season now and the pace of life for the folks here is pretty slow.  I was just sort of swingin' my little grocery bag (contents of bag: new Hello Kitty Pez with red Hibiscus hair deco, tiny kitchen tongs, and Island Santa cellophane bags to put homemade Christmas treats in for gifts - all essential items, you see) and Tim said, "oh, looky there!"  And this is what we saw!  These little fellas were so darling!!!  There is actually one more buddy hiding out - so a total of five little faces and tails in this truck cab!  Also, there were two big hounds sleeping in the bed of the truck!  Ha!  You just can't help but laugh at some of the things you see here!  Other things we are seeing? Rainbow Falls, The Boiling Pots (hot pools of water the locals dive and swim in), Lili'uokalani Gardens (Japanese inspired), many coffee plantations (the "vog" - fog and volcanic smoke - is really messing with the ripening of the coffee berries!! - Oh NO!), and breathtaking coastlines. It is all truly......lovely!

For today:  The Hawaiian Vanilla Company in Paauilo, 45 minutes north of Hilo (along the coast).  The vanilla bean comes from the planifolia orchid, which blooms only one day each year for four hours  We will also have a four-course lunch at this farm - "a vanilla experience luncheon".  Hmmmmm.

Volcano National Park, Hawaii

THIS was absolutely other-worldly!!  A little freaky!  

Day in Hilo & Kona

Flop-flops at the back door...to the hot and cold soak tubs!

We are in Hawaii!

Another great think about having good friends?  They invited us to be their guests in Hilo, Hawaii, as they take a break from their "real life" in England.  They rented an amazing home in the Hilo area - a take-your-breath-away spot - that we can hardly believe.  (The Falls at Reeds Island).  We were really looking forward to time with these friends we met when we all lived in Japan; we had no idea that the accommodations would be so fabulous!  I will post a few pix for now, and we are heading out to explore this TRUE paradise!  Aloha!

A Late Autumn Saturday Morning

A week ago today, we were enjoying the company and warmth of family, here at Little Bird Farm. The Commander was in town for several days, and we wanted be sure he had time to visit with as many of "our people" as possible in a short period of time.  One of the best things about being back in NM is the company of family!   We wish our own kids could be here too, when we all get together, but this is their time to be having adventures elsewhere, a notion I entirely respect.  So, back to our Saturday, last.  We cooked up all the ingredients for breakfast burritos, and everyone concocted their own.  Three breakfast meats, scrambled eggs, spicy potatoes, anasazi beans, cheese, and the absolutely requisite red chile and green chile.  Folks in our family tend toward a very high aesthetic when it comes to plating their food - and the creations this day were various and lovely! Amber and Tim took the breakfast burrito prize with their last touch being a quick zap in the microwave - melting the cheese on top.  Gary & Mel made beautiful oatmeal scones - most shaped like hearts, and one in the shape of a gingko leaf, or nearly, anyway.  Delicious with triple clotted Devonshire cream.   Two-year old Miles accomplished most of his aesthetic work with a bottle of sprinkles.  I am still finding the occasional green or blue sprinkle here & there in the house!

This Saturday morning, the day after the Commander's birthday, I am here by myself (and he is in Oakland by himself....seems we are always apart on his birthday, given his line of work).  I am not exactly by myself, really, as the sky is wild with families of sand-hill cranes heading south toward the Bosque del Apache; this week is the Sand-hill Crane Festival and they seem to know it!   Rather, they possess an age-old instinct to travel the sky above the Rio Grande to their winter home in the mild, fertile bosque, as "their people" have done for centuries.  Every few minutes, I hear the loud "honking" of these magnificent birds!  I race to a window or throw open a door, just to get a good look!  Now and then, I see that instead of cranes, the troop overhead is a large "V' of Canadian geese.  I can't yet tell the difference in their sound, but there is no mistaking the image; the cranes' long slender, grey bodies and long legs.....gorgeous!  The geese are pretty too, and fly in tighter formation, seems to me.  They often land in the field west of our place.  Must be good eats in that field!  

It is a joy to be living back in NM.  I am never alone, what, with the scraggly coyote, the occasional skunk, the sweet little birds, and the magnificent large birds of autumn!  Add to this, the frequent company of family who live here, and the knowledge that our boys and their little families are living their dreams in other locales, for now, and I am one contented "Little Bird" myself!  

Gotta run!  I hear honking!!!!

Full Moon Rising

At day's end, I stepped into the dining room to close the blinds.  THIS is what I saw!  It is amazing to see this Full Moon rising over the Sandia Mountains.  I hope you enjoy seeing this as much as I did!  Wonders never cease in this big, beautiful world.

Our Pergola is nearly completed.

Bee you tea full

Just take a glimpse of this beautiful day!

The Last Pear

We honor the Pumpkin!

The day after Halloween....and a fine one it was!  To have the pleasure of a child's company on Halloween Night, is a wonderful thing!  Last night I enjoyed a fun Halloween Supper with my family (sans my husband, unfortunately), including our 2-year old grand nephew - who is too cute for words.  For the first time, he said, "Trick or Treat", and "One more", and "Happy Halloween", while suspiciously eyeing plastic spiders and polyester cobwebs.  His mom & dad were gleaming with pride...and so was I.  Our Granny made delicious beef stew and stuffed, baked squash (this one, a perfect recipe I will have to remember to make for our vegetarian family and friends). And I made Pumpkin dinner rolls.  It was my first effort for this recipe, and they came out nicely. I'd like to get the texture a bit more like the Acme Bread pumpkin rolls - but this was a good start.  I ate too many Sweet Tarts and Tangy Taffies last night, which kept me wide-eyed way too late into the night, but what a FUN Halloween!

And now it is November.  Wow.  Everyone is saying it, so it must be true, that time is going faster these days.   Even my children are saying it!  November is the Commander's birthday month - and so, we begin the Holiday Season!   

PS  We turn the clocks back tonight!  Used to be that this would really "mess with" our kitties' internal clocks; but no more.  Our kitties have gone to the great beyond and we still miss them!  

Firewood

A cord of firewood was delivered today.  And just in the nick of time!  We had a freeze last night, and I have to say, it has gotten chilly at Little Bird Farm!  The leaves on the giant, old Cottonwood trees have turned golden nearly overnight, and are falling fast.  After I stacked the firewood (not quite in the precisions stacking manner the Commander would have done), I raked many leaves and wheel-barrowed them to our compost heap.  I am reminded as I rake leaves, of the leaf raking we did when we lived in North Carolina!  This is nothing like that!!! (Go get em', Josh and Paige, Debbi & Tommy!)  Raking leaves is one of life's joys - the fragrance of it, watching a little mound grow into an enormous pile.  In North Carolina, Tim learned that if you run the lawnmower over a stack of leaves several times, you can get a LOT more leaves in a lawn bag!  Otherwise, you are filling 50-60 lawn bags!!  This is not our problem here in New Mexico.  There are just enough leaves to fill the compost pile, and maybe two fillings of the trash bin.  Sheer pleasure!  I love every moment of it.  

I have friends who want me to go to the gym with them.  When I can garden, rake leaves, stack firewood, and generally, keep up with all the work that needs doing at Little Bird Farm, I can not begin to entertain the notion of going to a gym!  That would be a waste of perfectly good energy!  And if I used my energy in a gym, we would not be able to fully live out this crazy dream we have of our Little Bird Farm.   

 

October, Wedding Anniversary Month

So it is October - nearly a week in.  This is our favorite month.  It's a strange time of year to actually leave New Mexico, especially at Balloon Fiesta time!  The air all over New Mexico is wafting that indescribably inspiring aroma of green chiles roasting, and the brilliant red ristras hang at street corners and vegetable markets all over town.  Nevertheless, I boarded a plane and headed to Oakland, to visit the Commander, spend two lovely weeks together, and celebrate our 14th anniversary.  The Bay area has so many farmer's markets and in the course of 3 days, we have visited one each day.  They are fantastic!  And it is pumpkin time.  Something about pumpkins, especially multiple pumpkins, causes me to smile.  We have been smiling together all over Oakland and San Francisco.  

And we have been smiling in Wine Country - Sonoma and Napa.  As lovely as New Mexico is in October, I must say that Northern California's Wine Country is equally lovely.  Maybe not as enigmatically so, however.  We went to a wonderful Harvest Festival at Cline Cellars in Sonoma, an event we have eagerly anticipated for several months.  It was a blast - music, wine, delicious food, and friendly people.  This little family-owned winery sits in a picture-perfect spot in Sonoma.  It's one of our favorites, and we return there again and again.  Also a favorite of ours in Sonoma, is the Oak Hill Farm, where we feel right at home!  Little Bird Farm will be a better place because of our stops at Oak Hill Farm.  The spirit and flavor of this place is just right!  We drove on into Napa also, and had a bite to eat at Taylor's Refresher in St Helena. The bacon-blue cheese burger and Coffee Bean shake we shared there tasted fantastic, especially because we consumed it while sitting at a big picnic table under a shade tree out back.  

Pumpkins, harvest festivals, delicious meals at picnic tables.....sounds like October to me!   

The First Day of Autumn

We have spent the past several days laying out our garden.  This includes an attempt to give "bones" to a space that, for many, many years, has served as a riding circle for horses.  That is to say, the ground is hard-packed by horse hooves, and riddled with weed seeds from their leavings! It is a veritable challenge.  Our first efforts have been geared toward development of a pleasing layout for the beds and paths, and the creation of a pergola under which the gardener may retreat from a harsh NM sun.   The small vertical vigas are now in place, and we have only (only!!) to bolt and lash the horizontals to these 4" vigas, and then lay the smaller latillas on top. We will plant grapes as soon as we can locate the varieties that will thrive in the alkaline NM soil - and we will hope these vines and fruit will create shade! 

A Tree for "Baby Bird"

When Nate & Sara announced that they were having a new baby in the spring, I knew we had to celebrate with something special.  So Nate & I went together to Plants of the Southwest and selected a beautiful Arizona walnut tree to plant at Little Bird Farm.  We will tell our first little grandbaby that this special tree was chosen by his or her Daddy and Grandmama Gigi on a very special day.  The Arizona Walnut is indigenous to New Mexico and should be very much at home here at LBF.  Happy and healthy, just like the new grand!  

A Series of Big Events!

Houseguests with big NEWS, the 1st annual LBF Labor Day Wine Fest in the Orchard, and Papa's birthday party!  Late August, early September has been busy and FUN.  Hurricanes Gustav and Ike have kept The Commander away from Little Bird Farm, but the activity in his absence has been robust, to say the least.  Most notable: Come April there will be a new grandbaby in our life! Our first!  BIG news indeed!  We are thrilled!  Thank you, Nate & Sara.  Won't it be such a JOY?  Springtime is a perfect time for a new baby.

Also of note:  Our family, friends, and neighbors (our new friends) joined us in the orchard for a Labor Day grill-out and wine festival.  It was low-key, being the "first annual", but we will get better at this.  Seems to me if we wait until Little Bird Farm is actually party-ready, we will miss out on a lot of fun, meanwhile.  So, the partying continued...with Papa's 78th birthday bash; a sit-down dinner on the front porch.  We set up two long banquet tables, seating for 16 of us.  Papa's requested menu:  Steaks on the grill (we still use charcoal and a Weber), baked potatoes with all the trimmings, salad (Aunt Connie brought an Asian salad), and deviled eggs (Granny and Aunt Margie made these for us).  Gary and Mel brought two fabulous French wines from their cellar, which were perfect with the beef tenderloins.  Sara and I made Papa a Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream frosting and sugared lemon curls.   We served it with Granny's homemade vanilla ice cream and an Imperial Kir that Nate provided - excellent!  

Maybe the partying is over for awhile.  The houseguests are gone, the dust is settling from all the fun, and now the work of taming the acre continues.  It was good to have the break from the overwhelming work of moving in, unpacking and fixing-up.  But Little Bird Farm is ready for more parties any time!  Say the word!  I think a party will be in order with the return of The Commander!  A "welcome home" soire, for example!  Soon?

Dilly Bean Day

It was a perfect day to make Dilly Beans.  I bought 2 pounds of perfect young green beans, fresh dill, and vinegar.  I had Kerr pint canning jars leftover from when we used them as candle holders, hanging in the trees at our very first Little Bird Farm party.  I even found the big canner and all the necessary accessories when I unpacked more boxes this week.  I settled easily into the rhythm of this new kitchen - new to me, that is.  I enjoyed the feel of the kitchen, catching a glimpse from the kitchen sink of neighbors walking their dogs on the ditch-bank road.  A black and white kitty visited our kitchen door, looking at me in a confused way, wondering who lives here now, I suppose.  All the while, I enjoyed the process of packing the jars, adding the red pepper, garlic, and dill to each jar, and then the vinegar mixture.  What a lovely feeling it is to place the jars into the canner, allow them to boil ten  minutes, and gently lift them out - beautiful.  Within minutes - "pop-pop-pop".  Each lid seals perfectly.    

Time out for a little...nature.

My days are so filled with painting, unpacking, cleaning, weeding, and general organizing, that I have not even attended to the blog.  One must attend, after all, to that which yells the loudest!  And the blog sits patiently by, while these other things are in my face!  But just for a moment, every now & then, the beauties of nature face me head on, and I gratefully and reverently take time to breathe and honor her.  Please join me for a moment of precious nature at Little Bird Farm.

Refinished Wood Floors & Hot Air Balloons!

There is nothing quite like the sound of a hot air balloon rising, particularly when it is doing so right outside your bedroom window as you wake in the morning!  It rousts you right out of bed - eager to join in the colorful morning celebration!  At least that was my reaction upon hearing the unique sound this morning.  I grabbed my camera, a cup of coffee, and hurried outdoors, to take it in.  I had to wipe off the front porch furniture because we had yet another big storm last evening - a big beautiful rain and electrical storm such as I have seen only in New Mexico.  It was fabulous! And we have enjoyed such storms nearly every night this week.  What a treat.

This Saturday morning, I will forego the Farmer's Market down the road, in favor of lollying around home - with hot air balloons, newly finished red-oak floors, and a slowly dwindling supply of moving boxes that need to be unpacked.  And a huge and growing pile of broken-down moving boxes and packing paper, which I really must learn where and how I can get recycled and OUT of here!  It really IS......a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  

More Road Trip Pix

Road Trip Pix

Joshua Trees of Arizona

What a wild TRIP?!

Fifteen hours in our station wagon....a lemon tree branch tickling my neck, the noren hanger box landing now and again on the Commander's head, and thank heaven - a fully functional air conditioner!  Not one more thing could possibly be crammed into that wagon!  

One week ago, we set out from our "urban luxury loft" in the East Bay, for the old hometown of Albuquerque.  Our last night before the trip was spent at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, watching James Taylor under the stars  - in the freezing cold!  Then taking BART back to our apartment at 11 pm.  Given that, we didn't get off and away until the reasonable hour of 8 am.  As we traveled we watched gas prices go up and then down.  We watched the outside temperature go up and up and then up yet again....and then finally, down.  Our meals consisted of gorgeous Farmer's Market selections from the previous day - cucumbers, French Breakfast radishes, carrots, perfect peaches, blueberries, and juicy strawberries.  At mid-day, we ate pastrami sandwiches on organic jalapeno-cheese bread.  It was beautiful to see the roadside view go from farmland to extreme desert, mountains (on the outskirts of the Grand Canyon), and then the mesas and valleys of New Mexico.  Truly beautiful.

We arrived at Little Bird Farm at midnight, greeted by millions of stars in the dark sky!  And our bed.  And nothing - nobody else.  It was a sweet and spiritual moment of arrival.  Only the Lemon Tree and herb pot were unpacked.  And we slept in peace and quiet - until the 6 am Rooster Call!  We live in the country now!     

Final Day at Work

It is such a big deal, I can't neglect to write about it, at least briefly.  After working closely with the same 14 people 4 days a week for 2 years and 4 months, the leaving can't be entirely easy, even when one is super eager to get OUT of there!  And so it was - not easy.  The send-off party was precious, with lovely sentiments, sweet gifts and cards, and comments from my boss that brought tears to my eyes.  She truly is a gem.  And we had pizza - the best kind from Zachary's Pizza! Nearly everyone took a moment to tell me how happy they are for me, that I can move back to my home of origin and enjoy time again with my family.  Seems people really appreciate that - FAMILY.  I realize how very blessed I am to have family; not everyone does.  And folks I worked with seem to think my family is lucky to have me.  Isn't that nice?  Not one person begrudged me the leaving.  

I recognize that each person I have worked with the past 2 years plus, has changed me some.  And I think maybe I have changed them too.  It feels pretty good.  I know I will meet up with just a few of them for coffee or lunch now & then when I come back to this area.  It will be sweet.

It is a tradition where I have worked, to hold an annual Rubber Duck Derby as a fund-raising event.  I have posted a picture of the little guys I collected in my time here.  They kept me company at my desk, and will join us at Little Bird Farm!  Also in this picture is a great green hat, given to me by one of my sweet coworkers.  She has me pegged, what, with the green and the notion of sun protection while gardening!  

 

Road Ready!

Packed for the road....that's what we did today.  Our friendly Volvo is packed to the gills with stuff!  We can't figure out exactly why we kept so many items here in California, rather than sending them on with the enormous moving van.  What were we thinking??  Or were we?  But here we are - with the darnedest things, shoved into every nook & cranny of the wagon.  Yay, for wagons!  The Commander saved just enough space to ease in the lemon tree, the herb pot, and our two bonsai the morning we head out.  The enourmous Cereus will just have to stay in California for awhile, I'm afraid.  No room!  I may bring one slip along, and plant it when we get to Little Bird Farm.  Seems the thing to do.  

We have one more important thing to do here before we leave.  Sunday night, we will be sitting in the lawn at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, watching and listening to Sweet Baby James - James Taylor.  Nice way to bid Oakland farewell, for now.  His music has accompanied many of our sweetest life events; it is fitting that he sing us out of town tomorrow.  

One more thing: just a quick photo of the very BIG day that we closed on our California house, and knew we could actually move forward and onward, to Little Bird Farm.  Cheers!

Make way.....for Little Bird!

Saying "goodbye" to our Bungalow

Today we "closed the deal" on the sale of the little 1914 Arts & Crafts bungalow that we have called home for 3 years.  It has been grand!  A real privilege to live there, watching fireworks over the San Francisco Bay, brilliant sunsets over Mt. Tamalpais, and morning prisms on the living room walls, cast by the sun rays shining through the stained glass windows.   We aren't sad.  We are moving forward in our plan to live and love at Little Bird Farm, and to spend time also at Jack London Square in our little apartment, a moments walk away from the water - marinas, restaurants, Barnes and Noble, and a farmer's market!  This will be a whole new take on good living!  We are so excited about this!

After eating dinner at our apartment as we watched the fog move in over the Oakland Hills, we walked out of our building and crossed the railroad tracks.  Within two minutes, we were on a waterside path, looking over the waterway between Jack London Square and the Island of Alameda.  I knew our apartment was near the water, but I didn't realize it was so near!  We walked, breathed in the beautiful bay air, marveled at the pretty flowers - agapanthas, statice, fuchsia, and so many bold, glorious northern California blooms!  Then we caught a whiff of gourmet restaurants - Il Pescatore, Kincaids, Scotts - we are so close to these great restaurants!  

We are so happy to have this home away from home - more of a 2nd home, really.  Our hearts are in Little Bird Farm, and when we can't be there, we will feel grateful and happy to be here!  It is all good!

Many days after.....

It is now many, many days after our sensational launch party.  OK, not that many days; only 16 days, to be specific.  It was a doozy of a fest, and we thank all of you who were a part of it, near or far, in body or in spirit!  We don't have connectivity at Little Bird Farm yet, nor do we have the joy of living there full time.  Not yet.  Two days after the launch party, the "sensational launch party", referenced above, the Commander and I had to pack up our bags, and return to our "real life" as we know it, in Oakland.  At least for a little while.  The memories of the fun, family, friends, good wishes from afar (such as an hysterical Monk E Mail from Tommy & Debbi in North Carolina), and the photo coverage (thank you, Natey-Mo!), bring it all back to the front of our brains, as I now (finally) write!  (Sorry it has taken me so long, Joshua!)

Yes, we are back in Oakland.  A world away!  I have several more weeks of bonafide work to wrap up before I can full time it at Little Bird.  And the Commander will come and go as he can between the two home fronts, at least for a year or so.  But meanwhile, we have sold our house in Oakland, in spite of "the present market", as the media is so fond of saying (thank you, media), selected and arranged for an apartment from which to attend our Oakland presence, and have placed all of our worldly goods (here, anyway) in the dining room until the apartment move.  They fill the dining room, but ONLY the dining room.  This does not include our plants, of course.

But more about the Launch!  It was grand!  It began, as most terrific things do, with wonderful people.  About 28 of them, large and small (as in, young and old).  Amber provided Chinese lanterns, Marta, Heather, and Trader Joe's provided flowers, Gary & Mel, and the Commander provided champagne (Gruet), Nate (Mister Surprise!) and we threw together some spicy Paella and various sides, everyone brought something special!  We played horse shoes, grilled up some chicken skewers, toasted to now and later, and to blessings.  We ate carrot cake (gigi's specialty) and homemade ice cream, whipped up by sisters, Carolyn (Gran) & Connie!  Excellent!  As it got dark, Gary & Mel put bamboo sticks on the Moroccan lanterns they had brought, and we took a lantern walk along the ditch path- the walking path that runs beside the Blessed Mother ditch off the Rio Grande.  We walked, and sang; "Little Bird, my Lord, Little Bird", sang Gary, and we all joined in.  Diane and John (with Jamie Lynn on his shoulders) sang the Bob Marley tune, Three Little Birds. We all joined in on this one too.  And before anyone fell into the ditch, we headed back to Little Bird Farm!   

The little Launch party was the first of many, many fests we will enjoy at Little Bird Farm!  This is our promise to family and friends!  Little Bird Farm is just getting started!  Let's never stop celebrating the goodness of life.  The Commander and I can hardly wait!

           

 

A finch stops in for refreshment!

Today is the first day.......

Yes, today is the first day of what we trust and hope will be a long and delight-filled life on Little Bird Farm.  We signed the paperwork, as we sat in the midst of "urban cool" Rockridge, in an office directly above Noah's Bagels.  I looked at the Commander and I said, "Well, well, well!  We have done it!"

To any and all of you who may read this, and know how to find your way to Little Bird Farm, we extend a warm invitation to JOIN US on Saturday, June 21st, around 4 or 5pm, for an evening of drinks, dinner, laughter, and The Launch of Little Bird Farm!  You know who you are...our very favorite people on the planet!!

Here's to......Little Bird Farm!

At last....Little Bird Farm!

Little Bird Farm.  

Our dream is nearly a reality.  Nobody ever said it would be easy to make our dreams come true, and I concur with everyone who has ever NOT said it!  But I believe it will all be worth it.  And, soon! Stay tuned.   

Little Bird