We have a bunch of waterfalls here on the property, but only one that we call 'the waterfall.' It's so grand and powerful when the creek rises. Every year it looks a little different as rock is etched away by the rushing water. This past week we h…
This week the rain has started to come down hard. We're expecting over a foot to have fallen by the end of the week, with five inches forecast for Sunday alone. It's magical when it does this up here. The creek goes from a quiet trickle to a raging …
This week Joe and I watched Scenes From A Marriage on HBO. It was some of the best television I've seen in a very long time. The writing, directing and acting are all top notch. It also got me thinking about the ways we are all affected by the woun…
The otter came back to our neighbor's pond for a brief fishing foray this week. They travel up the hillsides from the rivers and creeks to hunt in ponds when they can't find enough to eat. It was very brave and swam around in the middle of the pond…
Our composting commode is next to the cabin. It doesn't have a door, so we get visitors in there sometimes. This summer an alligator lizard and a Sierran tree frog started showing up occasionally to hunt flies. Today, we all got a little surprise …
The first rain in September is another unofficial marker of autumn here on the mountain. It also puts us a step closer to the end of fire season. Last weekend, we got an inch of rain and the entire forest seemed to be taking a deep breath. It was wo…
Around here, nobody needs more cuddles than Ninja. If it isn't meal time, it's usually "Ninja time." He lets us know by rubbing himself against our shins until one of us picks him up and holds him like a baby. Then he just purrs like a he's never be…
We had our first gentle rain of the season yesterday. I love the sound the raindrops make when they fall on roof of our yurt. The dry forest seemed to appreciate the respite from the heat, as it gave off the most beautiful scent for almost the entir…
Joe and I planted some berries down by the creek earlier this summer in hopes that their roots would get down to the creek water level by next year. For now, they still need a bucket every few days, so we thought we'd share one of our afternoon chor…
I met Kerry and Greg on my first trip up to the mountain in 1999 at a big neighborhood party. They have always been at the heart of the community up here; hosting pot lucks, arranging road and fire safety meetings, and always eager to lend a hand t…
Most years, a pair of Oak Titmice build a nest in the rafters on the porch. This year, they started construction in five or six different spots before deciding on just the right one. About 3 weeks ago, their eggs hatched and we've had a front row se…
“When something is festering in your memory or your imagination, laws of silence don’t work, it’s just like shutting a door and locking it on a house on fire in hope of forgetting that the house is burning. But not facing a fire do…
Another one of my best friends came for a visit this week, and he brought Ozzy, his 'best friend.' It was a visit with a purpose: to get his first swimming lesson. It's one of my favorite summer rituals here on the mountain. Bodhi learned to swim h…
Today the podcast officially passed the one million download mark. When I started Listen To Sleep in the summer of 2019, I never imagined telling bedtime stories would introduce me to so many wonderful people from all over the world. I'm so gratefu…
It's been hot hot here for the past few weeks. The bears and lots of other critters have the creek to cool off in, but many of the Sierran tree frogs around here don't live by the creek. They stick to the coolest, driest places they can find around …
Some folks get a little nervous when they hear that we have rattlesnakes here on the mountain. Yes, they are venomous and can do some damage with their bites, but they are also a key predator for rodents, and especially the gophers who love to eat t…
It's been over 100 degrees most days this week, so we're spending as much time as possible by the swimming hole. One of my best friends is here and he's a fantastic photographer. Chris has taken a bunch of great photos while he's been visiting the …
Bees work so hard, but never seem overwhelmed. I aspire to be more like them; staying busy but also remembering to take time to just be. :) One thing I added to my schedule this week is posting videos to TikTok. When I first found TikTok, it seemed…
Summer is my favorite season for having visitors up on the mountain. You can be outside almost all the time, and there's no shortage of fun and relaxing things to do, like floating away the afternoon down at the swimming hole. I got to do that this…
The wildflowers are wrapping up their blooms as we head into summer here on the mountain, but I found this picture I took a few weeks ago that I wanted to share with you. These firecracker flowers, Dichelostemma ida-maia, are native to Northern Cali…
This was a difficult week for me. Some things I'd been working on didn't go as I'd hoped, and the weight of everything we've all been through these past 18 months just felt a bit crushing. It was hard to escape the frustration and sadness I was feel…
Clarkia amoena, or farewell to spring, are some of the last flowers to bloom in spring here on the mountain. They seem to love the dry soil, but don't last all that long because of it. Sometimes you'll see whole hillsides covered in them. This is…
Clarkia concinna, or red ribbons, is a Northern California native that can only be found here. Right now, they are popping up near where the innocence is blooming most heavily. Those few acres of shady hillside under the oaks and buckeyes seem to be…
Calochortus tolmiei, or pussy ears, get their common name from their remarkable resemblance to the ears of a cat. If that cat was purple and white. :) They grow everywhere around here and bloom in early May. The fields and forests are dotted with t…