Stories from the mountain.

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…