May 3rd 2012
Paige’s sweet 16 in two days. She’ll be driving. I don’t like it. Will she take off? No…
Mountain lions, centipedes, giant beets, and a new duck who goes by Blanco. Restaurants coming and going. Winter-like weather today. Confused garden and beautiful flowers. Let’s talk about life that grows.
I am starting to relax a bit more. I can feel the stress oozing from deep within my bones and releasing through my skin, breath, and thoughts. My health is good and the family is healthy. Life is good considering all that we have gone through.
We hosted an open house and yard sale Sunday and that forced me to get back into the yard and to catch up the garden. Things look really nice around the property but the garage and driveway are still filled with personal items from the restaurants that need to find a home.
Ladera is done forever. It is sad but also a great relief. I had wondered how I would feel if I ever had to close a restaurant. My fear was a feeling of great failure or sadness that would settle over me. So far that hasn’t happened. It is a pure good riddance type of experience. We never really fit in Ladera. I miss the staff and our regulars, though. I will write more about the Ladera experience after a bit more distance.
Irons returns to the possession of the City in a week or two. Irons feels like the lover who could have been so much more. I never really came to know and understand her as deeply as I had hoped.
Now San Clemente BeachFire is on its way to reopening in a couple of weeks. That is good news. Turner and Nick are back to steer the ship. I like the new owner whom you will meet soon. The past staff is welcome back just in time for the 10th anniversary on June 21st.
May 8th 2012 Never did complete that last entry so here I go.
The garden is shaping up beautifully. I am beginning my study of farmer’s markets and applying for official organic certification. The plan is to have a booth at either or both the San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano Farmers Markets this summer to sell our produce and beginning market testing of our other food products which we want to keep under wraps until we are ready to introduce them.
This summer we are heavily focusing on the best growers and sellers for our plantings. Expect great tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, red beets and carrots. We’ll also continue with a large variety of herbs. That should make for a great little booth. We have a bunch of cool season crops ripening right now as well with onions, lettuces, potatoes, artichokes and herbs that I am going to deliver to some other local restaurants to get them believing in my ability to supply them. I am expanding our planting areas around the property and have been invited to grow in another acre pasture here in Rancho Carrillo so I think we’ll end up with plenty of product. It is time and help that I am going to need.
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| Mountain Lion |
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| Deer |
The wildlife has been quite interesting. Check out the photo of the mountain lion that my next door neighbor, Ron Wood, caught with his motion activated camera he set up behind our houses. This is a large cat moving fast on the trail that runs behind our house. It must be in great shape – I think it gets out and runs every day! I need to thank Ron for the photo (more are coming) and give a shout out for the motorcycle shop he owns. Tokyo Mods is the place the best motocross riders take their bikes to be made into super fantastic flying machines that soar across the entire width of the Grand Canyon. The cats are all around this area. We have also been seeing many foxes, bobcats, deer and even a badger.
This centipede photo is from the centipede Allison found running under our bed the other night. She randomly went into the bedroom and turned on the light just in time to find this huge and venomous beastie boy (RIP Adam Yauch – you will be missed) headed for the bed. Yikes! I found another in the garden yesterday. The photo of the tarantula is one that I found nesting in compost pile yesterday as well. I wonder what a fight of the centipede and the tarantula would be like.
Allison and I drove out to Norco to get another duck to keep Taco happy in the pond. We found Blanco and the two are in deep homosexual love. Maybe Taco just hasn’t yet figured out Blanco isn’t a female. Whatever the case we have legalized same sex marriage on the ranch which actually isn’t uncommon on ranches despite all the macho cowboy act.
The weather is hot now and the garden is still confused. I’m going to dig some great soil and watch the quail play. I love the earth and pray I can make a living for my family from these activities. Look for more frank information regarding the restaurants as the blog rolls. We are getting our lives back and want to share our adventure with you all and thank you for your great support of BeachFire and us personally. Have a great day and buy some local food!
