Finding the yurt…

I’m looking for a yurt, and its not cuz I’ve gone all hippy-dippy, its because a yurt is a damn good tent structure. Years ago, when I did my version of moving back to the land, I lived in a small yurt for over a year with my young son. It was quite the hobbit home, sod roof and all – the outhouse was up a sweet little path along the side of the hill. An old waterbed was just off the deck and I’d sit up there sloshing around as I read to my son. Oh, I’ve got some pleasant memories of yurts.
Now I am looking for a guest space or perhaps a “community” space for a group of tenters and I thought of the yurt again. Relatively inexpensive, easily movable, elegant and comfortable – this seems to cover it with the yurt. The internet offers any number of configurations on the yurt, even including varying construction techniques. American yurts are really only the distant cousins of the Mongolian yurts. Yurts in the United States are more engineered, use higher tech materials, take longer to put up and are not intended to be moved often. My search took me to a number of websites – each was interesting in their own way -
www.coloradoyurt.com/yurts/index.php This was the first place we looked. We decided that we liked their tipis quite a bit. They make a pretty yurt and their prices are competitive, but they are a long way away and I wanted to get a break on shipping somehow… so I kept looking…www.livabletent.com/ This was a very useful website. Seems like someone had already done this looking around stuff before and here was a list of what they found. I visited several.  - www.atuktents.com/ This is where I would go if I wanted to get a yurt that was closer, traditionally, to the original Ger of Mongolia (“yurt” was the word for the imprint that the Ger made on the ground after it was taken down). From their website, they seem genuine. - www.exclusivetents.com/ Very, very cool canvas structures – elegant. Way expensive. And in Belize. Damn! - www.soulpad.com/ Another very cool, natural looking adaption of the yurt. They wouldn’t ship to California. I was seriously thinking of buying one (price was competitive) until I found out. At this point I got intrigued by all the canvas tents I was seeing and I thought maybe a yurt was too fancy. So, I took a look at a Reliable tent over at www.outfitterwarehouse.com. This was a great big canvas tent with a smoke hole – and dirt cheap. And, for my purposes, dead ugly. You can find alot of canvas tents out there, so not everyone thinks they are ugly. About this time I was ready for a break and I went on over to www.interstellarmarines.com/ to check what I heard was a very cool game promo. I’m a Myst kind of gamer and I like my graphics very crisp. This one looks promising. I have a slow country connection so on-line gaming can be a challenge. Anyway… Still no yurt. I had seen some ads for tent stoves and I thought I should check prices. Well, my favorite stove is a Jotel, but they are like $700 pricey and I wasn’t ready for that. Perhaps something more akin to the “Tin Wonder” that I have seen around.  - www.kni-co.com/ These folks offer several “Sheepherder” stoves meant for tenting with pack animals. Very clean lines. Not a $75 cheapie, but also not a Jotel. The prices ranged from $200 to $400. Worth a visit. I may buy one of these. - www.fourdog.com Wow! You will get heat and cooking out of this one. Their five dog stove runs for $310. Even boils water. I don’t care about cooking and the firebox looks too small, but I want one. - www.tentipi.com/ Looking at the stoves, got me thinking of how I admire Swedish craftsmanship and, just for the hell of it, I visited Tentipi. Real interesting tent – but very far away. Not surprisingly, they also offer stove – Hekla fire boxes and Finnmark fireplaces. After all this searching around, I remembered a friend who had described a yurt he had seen. He had mumbled something about Pacific Yurts(www.yurts.com/). The name sounded familiar. I was pleased to find that they had a very attractive 20 foot yurt and an excellent reputation. I could pick the yurt materials up myself at their factory and save myself the shipping. Their staff has been very helpful. My new yurt is shipping to me as I write.

3 Dog Adventure

Yesterday afternoon I was working at my parents house, doing computer work and bills and stuff.  My father had a massage appointment and was getting ready to leave the house.  He was going to take his two Rottweilers with him like he normally does, but since I was there he decided to leave them at home.  He put them in the house with me and drove away.

I folded some laundry and checked some email, thinking enough time had passed I let the dogs out.  Immediately I noticed them looking in the direction Steve had driven, but I told them to stay and went back inside.  I packed up my stuff and headed to my car.  And as I’m sure you’ve already guessed, the dogs were gone.

“Shoot!” I thought (edited for sensitive eyes) and headed out to look for them.  My dog, Basil, was with them so I started calling her name.  I drove out the top road, thinking they couldn’t have gotten far but didn’t find them.  So I headed back to my parents house, thinking maybe they circled around.  Nope.  So I went to the barn, not there.  Finally I drove down to my brothers house.  Not there either.  So I went back to the barn, told one of our employees to keep an eye out for them and please take care of my dog for the night if they showed up.  “No problem” she said, and I headed on my way home…knowing I was bound to find them on the road.

Every corner I drove around I expected to see them.  And no dogs.  I was almost to the end of the road and I was starting to get really worried.  If they made it all the way to the pavement, they were in trouble.  People drive fast and carelessly on that road, they could get hurt.  And they are three beautiful and sweet dogs, they might let anyone pick them up!

I was coming around the last corner before the gate and I see one of our neighbors parked.  She’s next to her truck throwing little chunks of bread at Basil trying to get her to come to her.  Basil is just jumping around, playing hard to get, and a little frightened.  I run up and grab her, thanking my neighbor.  She said she saw the other two dogs running up the road.  We both hoped in our trucks and headed after them.

They were only a couple hundred feet away from the pavement when we finally caught up to them.  They were both exhausted and rather happy to see me.  Oona, the younger of the two, immediately tried to jump in the back of my car.  She’s huge and almost didn’t make it.  Xara, our old girl, needed help getting up.

And there I was, a 70lb Doberman and two 100lb + Rottweilers squeezed into the back of my SUV.  It was quite a sight I’m sure.

I drove into town, knowing where Steve was, and loaded them into the back of his truck.  I left him a voice mail explaining what happened, which of course he didn’t get until after he saw the dogs in the back of his truck.  But now we know, Just take them with you Steve, ’cause that’s where they want to be.

yuck! What Stinks??

I did not have my own image of a skunk, and while looking for one online I came across this non-profit animal rescue site, Tails of Joy. Check it out, it's a good cause!

Anyone who has lived/lives in North America from Canada all the way to Central America (or Indonesia and the Philippines) for any length of time has probably encountered a skunk.  Maybe it ran out in front of your car, maybe it scurried off into the woods as you were taking a walk, or maybe it ran under your hot tub deck just as you stepped out to take a pee.  Whatever your encounter with this smelly (yet adorable) creature was, I’m sure you had the same reaction I did, Terror!

My Story

I had just stepped out of my hot tub (yup, that was me) and as I was standing there dripping, my local skunk ran right in front of me and under the very deck I was standing on.  I stood there for a moment, frozen. ‘What do I do now?!?!’ I thought.  Naked and freezing I slowly turned and quietly stepped back into the hot tub.  I sat there for a moment, contemplating how I was going to get out.  I watched around me in the dark, hoping to catch a glimpse of the little bugger scampering away.  No such luck.  I just sat there for a while.  Finally I decided, the only way I was going to get to bed, was to risk it.  I quietly pulled the cover back onto the tub, climbed out, grabbed my towel, and made a slow and silent run for it.  I never heard him chatter at me (which my father says they do before they spray, most of the time anyway) and I made it to my room safely.

Others had similar experiences, others were not so lucky…

Claude’s Story

I was coming home one night, from rollerblading.  Going back to my surf shop, in Maine.  I had to cut across this gravel area behind my house to get onto my porch, about 40 yards long, in my Rollerblades.  I stepped one foot onto the back porch before I noticed there were two skunks on my porch.  They both turned, not intimidated, and stared at me.  I promptly turned around and ran in my skates across the gravel road.  The skunks proceeded to chase me.  I got to the hardtop and skated away, stayed away for several hours, hoping the skunks would leave.  But then I returned, the skunks were still there.  So I just went in the front door.  I later got rid of all the trash in the immediate area, and the skunks moved on to the near by restaurants for garbage.

Steve’s Story

Talk about a stench.  My wife and I built a bedroom cabin on our original homestead piece (where our daughter lives now).  There was a raised crawlspace under there, where we stored extra wood and the loose odds and ends.  Well, one day a skunk family moved in.  Now for those of you who think skunks are cute, well, you get close enough to one, they really are.  But you know what?  You don’t want to get close to one.  But my dog did.  We couldn’t sleep in our bedroom cabin for several days.  And the dog, she was just exiled, screw the tomato juice thing.

P.S.  You probably want to know how I got rid of the skunk. It was nothing heroic.  I snuck up to the opening under the house, looked in, and there wasn’t any skunk.  The dog went in too, just to be sure.  I took a board, and closed up the opening.  And that was that.

P.P.S.  I actually did get sprayed but I won’t tell you that story (it’s not exactly sweet) and I certainly didn’t stick my nose up at the idea of tomato juice then.

Most people know the reason a skunk sprays is because it feels threatened.  The skunk possesses two glands on either side of his anus.  The horrible (and extremely memorable) smell comes from a sulfur-filled fluid that is released when the skunk senses danger.  The distinct stripes and coloration of the skunk, and the ritualistic performance before a skunk sprays, are also warnings to animals.  The skunk would prefer not to spray you, because they only have enough fluid for five or six uses, and it takes up to ten days to replenish their supply.  However, if you do not heed the warning signs (chattering, foot stamping and dancing on front legs with the tail raised high) you had better watch out.  They can spray up to 15 ft with deadly accuracy.

If you have a resident skunk, you can be pretty sure she or he is your only one.  The females range up to 1.5 square miles, while the males can range up to 8 square miles.  Skunks are loners by nature.  During the winter season they burrow (if it is very cold the females may den with a number of other females, while the males frequently den alone) but in general they are singular animals.  Although they are not your typical hibernators, they do become less active during the winter months.  Their preferred time of day is dawn and dusk (making them crepuscular) and they have very poor eyesight, not being able to see clearly much past ten feet.  But they do have excellent senses of smell and hearing.  They are omnivores, and will eat just about anything; from berries, to carcasses, to cat food, to garbage.

Humans are not the only animals who fear the skunk.  In fact, wolves, foxes, badgers and mountain lions all avoid skunks.  The only serious natural predator who does not fear the stink of a skunk (beause like most birds, has a near to non-existent sense of smell) is the Great Horned Owl.

People have found many remedies to neutralize the stench.  The most commonly know is the above mention by Steve about tomato juice.  However this does not really work.  Tomatoes do have a sufficient amount of oil to make it easier to wash out the fluid, and they smell of tomatoes themselves is strong enough to overpower the skunk smell, for a time.  Another method is bleach.  Of course this option is only good for surfaces you don’t care about changing color.  Not for use on pets or people, obviously.  And a third option is to make a concoction out of one pint hydrogen peroxide, a small box of baking soda and a couple squirts of any regular dishsoap into a gallon of water.  Mix thoroughly and use immediately.  It’ll keep for a little while but will lose its potency within an hour and if you leave in a covered container it will explode.  CAUTION: hydrogen peroxide can blind your pet if gotten in the eyes.

Of course, time is the only real remedy.  And of course, do everything you can to NOT get sprayed.  On the bright side, you’ll have a good story to tell your grandkids (and blog readers).

Our Dogs (warning, this is a little sad)

As far back as I can remember we’ve had a dog.  The first dog I remember was a husky mix named Silver.  I vividly remember the last time I saw him.  I was about 4 or 5 years old, and I fell asleep with my head on his belly while watching cartoons.  The way I remember it, he slowly got up, grabbed an old tattered green pillow off the couch and then gently put it under my head so I wouldn’t know he was gone, before he ran out the door.  Of course in reality I must have fallen asleep with the pillow under my head already, but I prefer my memory…much more “romantic”.  Unfortunately the ending of this tale is not a happy one, when he ran out the door he went to our neighbors house. They had sheep.  They thought he was a wolf.  They shot him.

Our next dog was a Golden Retriever named Sadie.  She was the sweetest dog in the world.  She had thirty puppies in three consecutive litters.  I remember one puppy we had for quite a while.  He was pure white and grew up to be Great Dane size (we can thank the dad for that I presume).  When he was about six months old we found a home for him with the family of a friend of mine from school.

After Sadie had her final litter we got her fixed (we wanted to do it after the first litter, but she got out and knocked up again so quick we never had the chance, TWICE).  After the operation a blood clot formed and she had to have a surgery to have it removed.  Then she contracted an extremely rare disease (can’t remember what) and had to be put down.  I cried for days afterwards.  This experience is what changed my mind about becoming a vet (my dream since I was tiny).  I knew I would never be able to look a little girl in the eyes and tell her her dog is gone.

We took her body and buried it on our land.  I remember just as my mom and I finished putting the last of the dirt back and stood up, a pair of doves swooped out of the trees, low over Sadies’ grave and then flew up and away.  I am not a religious person, but I know Sadie is in doggy heaven.

We didn’t have a dog for a while after Sadie.

Then we got Shiva.  Our first Rottweiler.  And we’ve never looked back.  Rottweilers have a bad reputation.  And like any large dog, if they are raised in a violent environment, are treated poorly or abused, or taught to be aggressive, then they can cause a lot of damage.  But if a Rottweiler is put in a loving home, treated like one of the family and given tons of attention, they are the most loyal, loving, intelligent, and wonderful dog you’ll ever have (In my opinion).  They are really smart, and Shiva for one, wouldn’t hurt a fly.  If anything, she might accidentally knock you over as she leans (typical trait) into you for more pets.

Our first rottweiler, Shiva.

When Shiva was getting older, we got our next Rottweiler, Xara.  We thought having a puppy around would give Shiva a little more life (and we figured she could teach the puppy a thing or two).  Shiva was with us for about another year, before she went into the woods and never came back.  We are all angry with her for that.  We never got to say good bye.  But we know she loved us and we miss her.

Xara

Xara is fine now, but when she was little she had problems with her hips.  Her hindquarters didn’t develop fully until she was about 4 years old.  She looked like a little puppy with a huge head.  She had arthritis and we gave her pills for her joints and for pain.  After a little while, my dad started bringing her to the Ranch every day, she would run around with other dogs when they were there, and she loved it.  Her hind end finally caught up with the rest of her, and now her joints only bother her when it’s really cold, or she’s been working really hard.  She’s a little spoiled, but smart as a whip and sweet as can be.

Steve had been thinking/dreaming about getting another puppy for a while.  And just after Thanksgiving, they finally did.  Now we have little Oona too.

Oona, the puppy.

She was the pick of her litter.  She is brave, smart, and a little troublemaker.  She gets into everything.  She’ll be laying on the floor, chewing on a toy and then suddenly, with a little flop of her head, she’s chewing on a chair leg instead.  You have to watch her Every Single Second.  If she isn’t in your direct sight, she IS doing something she’s not supposed to.  But she is a very quick learner, and all she wants in the world is to make us happy.  Xara was a little skeptical at first (“What in the world is this thing” I’m sure is what she was thinking), but now they get along great.  Oona pushes the limits, and Xara has to puts her in her place from time to time, but over all they get along.  I think once Oona grows up the two of them will be a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, now Xara and Oona are really my parents dogs.  Currently I have cats.  Whom I love.  But next spring I plan on getting my own puppy…*sigh*

A Glimpse of “Country Life”

Life in the country has it’s own rhythm.  It’s own “reality” even.  Let me explain…

We have two local markets.  The one is Garberville is Sentry (it’s actually a Ray’s now but it’s still Sentry to anyone who knows).  The store in the neighboring town of Redway is the same way, it’s Murshes but actually it’s ShopSmart.  Basically, if you ask a local how to get to the nearest grocery store, you better not be looking for a sign!  But then again, neither of the towns are big enough to miss the one market in either of them.

Usually the locals here are considerate and nice.  But if a tourist happens to be somewhat annoying (or not even – we don’t really care for tourist even though they do bring in the majority of our clientele) and they ask for directions we will give them the “long way around”.  To be honest, I’ve never Actually done this but I’ve certainly been tempted.  “Well now you need to turn around just ‘head there, go back through town and take the right after the freeway exit, now continue up that road about say…a mile, maybe it’s more then that, it’s right past the driveway with the large turnaround in front and the old pile of gravel, well the gravel’s gone but it’s that driveway, only don’t take that one…keep going until the ridge flattens out and on the other side you’re gonna take a right onto a dirt road. Keep going that way for about an hour…maybe two if you get stuck behind some cows..and that’ll take you right to Myers Flat.”

(In reality, Myers Flat is about 10 miles/10 minutes North on the Freeway

When we were about 16, M and I heard about an old cemetary that was supposed to be up a road near where she lived.  Seeing as we were rather courageous (or stupid, you decide) we wanted to go check it out.  So one Saturday we went for a drive.  We had no idea where it was supposed to be, we just knew it was out this road…somewhere.  We kept an eye on the side of the road and drove.  When we saw the first No Trespassing sign we didn’t think anything of it.  They are EVERYWHERE here, and so we continued on.  Then another passed, and another.  Again we kept going, at least we Thought about turning around, but figured we’d come this far and we Really wanted to see this cemetary.  After the sixth No Trespassing sign (and I think at least one Trespassers Will Be Shot sign) we decided to turn around.  As we made our three point turn I glanced out the window and there it was!  The Cemetary!  Well of a sorts anyway, it turned out to be nothing but a little pet cemetary.  Maybe two kinda sorta headstones all grown over with vines and moss.  We laughed, and couldn’t believe we went through ALL that trouble for nuttin’!

BEAR BUMP!

As you may have noticed, the country is bursting with wildlife. Almost every day I see something beautiful and worth mentioning. One of my most memorable stories is a little short but certainly worth retelling…

About five years ago, the nursery was still in the construction phase, I was hanging out at my brothers house down the way. My father came down the hill on the rhino (a beefed out golf cart) and stopped to pick me up. We were heading down the hill to have dinner with my brother and some friends. We went out the gate, around the corner and had only gotten about…100ft or so down the road when I looked up the hill on my right directly behind my bro’s house and there was a black bear charging down the hill at us. Before I even had time to think he was upon us. He turned just as he reached us and actually bumped into the side of the rhino! My thigh brushed his fur and if I’d had the mind to reach out I would have touched him. He was as long, and almost as wide, as the rhino itself.

My dad hadn’t even noticed the bear was there before he was gone back up the hill again. The entire experience couldn’t have been more then 20 seconds but it’s something I’ll remember forever. Definitely a story to share with the grandkids someday.

I wanted to give you guys at home a little more information about the Wild California Black Bear. I found both of these sites very useful and interesting, I hope you feel the same.

http://sagehen.ucnrs.org/Documents/visitors/wildlife/bear.pdf

http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/mammals/ursu-ame.html

~ Stephanie

Deer Story

Our first rottweiler, Shiva.

Back in May 2002, when we first purchased our properties and the land was new to us, we took walks to understand the “lay” of our land. One particular 40 acre section on my son’s land was covered in a delightful patchwork of small meadow and oak woods. This meant constantly changing dapple-light and sudden late spring sun, followed by dense oak shade, as we walked along the cow trails from meadow to meadow. The wood was really just on its best behavior – the grass was still green and stood up like little wires around the lushly mossed oaks; the wild flowers, actually a little shy, were sprinkled here and there and then gone.

Now, my rottweiler, Shiva, was with me. She was always keen and alert for these walks. She loved being up close and following my son. Suddenly her head darted to the side and into a grassy clump my son had just past. I heard a squeal. Her head came up. She gave the very young fawn in her mouth one swift shake and it fell quiet, drooping limply out either side of her jaws. She looked at me briefly, tossed her head high and pranced off into the woods with her prize.

And, if this isn’t strange enough, two weeks later, hidden in the very same clump of grass, Shiva caught another fawn, in exactly the same manner.

Steve

Further Reading:

A Little About Rottweilers

A Little About Meadows