Albion News

January projects

 

Nose to the wheel these days. Juggling two new residences coming out of the ground in the midst of rainy winter. Not fun, just El Nino mud.

One is for a client who purchased the infamous, 45 acre Bob Weir ranch (Grateful Dead) in Nicasio (one of the most beautiful, quiet villages in Marin County, CA). The other is a two story, LEED certified, strawbale compound outside the city of Sonoma, CA on 35 acres. The Nicasio project has already won a design award for it's modern concrete and glass design. The other will be a working organic farm with focus on hand plaster walls, local stonework, reclaimed douglas fir woodwork, stained concrete floors, a living roof and state of the art, heat sink sand beds to contain the solar driven energy storage.

 We inserted 1 inch thick pieces of Lexan plastic into the concrete pour of the Nicasio project to create a light window through the wall. More pics as these projects develop.

 

Sonoma Fall

  

The Sonoma vineyards were scorched by August heat, pummeled by harvest rains and beaten down by our mindless, economic collapse. At least we can drink great juice and commensurate with the vignerons.

I am building a large, straw bale residence outside the city of Sonoma and ride to work through the Carneros every morning at dawn. Now, the vines have been picked, the immigrant workers have moved on (?) and there is an eerie silence. Except for a few frantic weeks during the entire year, the landscape is void of human activity. Yet were it not for the incredible hand work of the laborers (they pick at night with minimal lights to insure cool, freshness), we would not have wine on our table.

The Sonoma Land Trust was established to preserve and protect the richness of farming life and large parcels of undeveloped land. Although I am against the destruction of the existing orchard industry for wine production, I have also experienced the mindless sprawl of "housing developers". This is some of the best biking terrain in CA and a direct way to experience preservation.

 

Schroom Season

 
 
My wacky guitar shaman, Ambrose, called in the dead of rainy night, to remind (no, entice) me to hunt chanterelles tomorrow. Here on the central CA coast after this last big rain, they are a-poppin under the oaks in mossy sunny areas. Luckily in CA, since it's winter, one doesn't run the risk of tripping over some Vietnam era booby trap from some local pot grower but I admit the hunter gatherer thrill is the same. Since this is the night before I don my camo, read on to see how it turned out.

Desert Rats

   
 
So my wacky musician/builder friend, Gizmo, his beloved Dr. Catherine along with cats Harry and Whit, have retired and moved to Joshua Tree in the heart of the Mojave Desert. Yes, that 110 degree Mojave. Against my sage advise, they have decided to create their sustainable lizard ranch. Spending their days building a passive solar house, writing books, recording music, howling at the moon ... what are these knuckleheads thinking? Get a real job!!!

The Treasure of Sierra Keller

 

We have demented friends, John Keller and Leslie Harrison, who live on a pristine Sierra ridgeback. Leslie is a renown, pastel artist specializing in unique portraits of animals. John, on the other hand, is harder to describe. I first met John when he was a talented marketing professional in Monterey, CA; his side passions were music and sculpting. He created the first and still successfull Dixieland Festival, played country music on the side and loved horses and fine wine.

Community Issues

 

In the midst of all the lavaflow of current capitalist flameout, Nancy and I retreated for a walk up the hill to where the great blue herons have been nesting for years. The newborns now stand three feet tall in deep nests of thick dead branches. The elders come and go .

Next to our little 1897 cottage is a huge 150 year old Monterey cypress tree and these herons seem to use her as some sort of fulcrum. They fly on one side while going down to feed at the estero and back to their nest on the other side. As we sit on our backporch at dusk with a bottle of wine, we notice their neighborhood orbit.

Building as a Path

   

Buddhist teaching, as expressed through Japan, has formed a large part of my world view. I have written here about growing up under the influence of Tassajara Zen Center in Carmel Valley, CA. That's half true, as that special place served as a strong focal point in my teenage years. The other, earlier part is that I grew up on our family's ranch (my mother's side) in the house of my inspired uncle. Click on either photo above for a slideshow.

New Green Technology

 

It's been awhile since I recommended some new green products. With the emphasis on new technology in the current stimulus package from the Obama administration, we are about to be deluged with new products and widgets. Here is my first volley:

Eco Meltdown

 

The challenge of not blogging constantly is that the Event Tsunami rolls on. Given the demands of paddling my current Economically Melted Canoe upstream, I am still trying to make sense of all the unfolding drama. Elections, sourcing sustainable material, choices of building projects, wanting to expatriate... where is Rachel Maddow when I need her?

Thoughts on Didier/Life Connections

 

I've been thinking alot since my last post on Didier Dagueneau's death. I like the idea that, just before the vendage, he would be in an ultralight, high above the remote cliffs and deep gorges of France. That also seemed to be his philosophy with winemaking. The artists that I admire cut their own path through personal passion and commercial pressures.