Yes, I have been less motivated than I should about posting on my tiny home experiences. I see an enormous amount of information on the internet and television extolling the values and simplicity of tiny home living.  And, there is no doubt, it offers some of the most sublime moments, as you realize everything you need and want are within a few feet.

I continue to live in my tiny home, now situated in Palm Sprngs.  I do not wish to change my living conditions. I do wish I could take my tiny home elsewhere. But, I gave up my pickup, because, I do not feel I have the driving reflexes to tow a 12,000 pound tiny home.  Too much traffic, and too many bad drivers cutting in front of you.

So...instead of driving with my tiny home across the country, I have opted on traveling, simply, overseas.  Thus far, I have traveled throughout South and Central America, Southeast Asia and Canada and Alaska.  Nest up is Central and Northern Africa, and the Middle East. 

Life can be full of adventures, you need to pick and choose what meets your needs, your desires and passions.

Over the past few days, we have met with the City of Santa Rosa and Petaluma Public Services groups and the Red Cross to discuss temporary housing for those displaced by the  fires in October 2017.  Thus far, two RV storage yards have cooperated with us by contacting owners to determine whether or not they will loan their RVs for one to three months for use by the displaced fire victims. Fortunately fifteen RV owners have agreed to loan their vehicles. That makes a total of twenty-five RVs ready for use.

Both Cities of Santa Rosa and Petaluma are donating storage yards where the RVs can be stored.  Fortunately, there a showers, running water and toilets at each facility. The Red Cross is coordinating the selection of which families will use the RVs based on need.

We'll continue to contact other RV storage yards to obtain as many RV units we can.  Below are photos of typical RV storage facilities.  There's over sixty such facilities in Sonoma county alone. We're working with a separate group who's addressing the needs in Napa Valley

Small steps, however, we're building momentum!

Aerial photos of Santa Rosa neighborhoods destroyed by the recent fires.  This is just a sample of the many areas in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties devastated by the fires.

In Sonoma County, 5700 homes and buildings were destroyed. Over 10,000 homeless in an area where housing was essentially non-existent, affordable or not. Shelters are turning back donations, since they are overwhelmed with clothing, blankets, food and water.  What the homeless need is temporary or permanent shelters.

Several groups have started projects that gather donated RVs, campers, 5th wheels and even yurts to provide temporary shelter. Thus far, we have collected ten RVs, each will host a family in need. If you possess a RV or similar vehicle, contact us (see telephone number below), to donate your RV.  Housing is the biggest need at the moment.

The expected length of the donation will be 1 - 3 months until FEMA and in the insurance companies can provide a more permanent solution. If you been think on how to help, take ten minutes and call us at 707-765-8488

Settled in Palm Springs, and surviving the heat. 

Early organic, vegan lunch consisting of baby romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, sprouted chickpeas, kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled avocado slices, vegan cheese shreds and a lemon herb dressing. All homemade with the exception of baby romaine lettuce that I purchased from the farmers market. And, two glasses of watermelon, mint and lemon kombucha.

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by Lao Tzu  (604-531 BCE)

Beauty and ugliness have one origin.

Name beauty, and ugliness is.

Recognizing virtue recognizes evil.

Is and is not produce one another.

The difficult is born in the easy,

long is defined by short, the high by the low.

Instrument and voice achieve one harmony.

Before and after have places.

That is why the sage can act without effort

and teach without words,

nurture things without possessing them,

and accomplish things without expecting merit:

only one who makes no attempt to possess it

cannot lose it.

Excerpted from: The Poetry of Zen

translated & edited by 

Sam Hamill & J. P. Seaton

Remarkably cool, and windy in Coachella Valley; it will last for a few days, then the heat arrives. Went hiking with a group of people on the hills on the eastern side of Palm Springs. Great vistas as the sun set. The clouds, not fog like I'm use to in San Francisco, drifted and clung to the hills. Made me nostalgic for the SF Bay area.

Relocated from the rain-drenched shores of the Oregon coast, to the sunny, warm and very dry climes of the Coachella Valley.  Temperatures double what I experienced in the Pacific Northwest, yet still pleasant. And, I'm adjusting. Lots of wonderful areas to explore; I have not been here in fifteen or more years.  Lots of changes...

Tucked into small canyon setting with hills, rocks and palm trees behind me.

Sunset from my bedroom window

Overlooked photos from a hike at the most northwestern point of the State of Washington...Cape Flaherty. Remote, rugged and unbelievably beautiful. And, not crowded!

Moving on...

After nearly ten months traveling in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington and British Columbia), and enduring 170 inches of rain in six of those ten months, I'm headed south to Palm Springs. Kinda, sort of...counter to the normal snowbird rotation. But, I'm anything but normal. Had some major truck engine upgrades, and it performs perfectly. If you ever need a mechanic in the Florence, Oregon, area, I have a great recommendation.

Currently, I'm in Santa Rosa, California, visiting family and friends; I depart tomorrow on my journey southward. I'll stop on Interstate 5 near the Grapevine, and the following day head on to Palm Springs. I'll have the wonderful pleasure of skirting the Los Angeles metropolitan basin using Interstate 210 to Interstate 10.  The traffic will be highly congested, with, I'm sure white knuckle moments. 

I'm scheduled to stay in Palm Springs until early December; if I make it that long. I may pull up stakes and head east to Tucson, Arizona, or Santa Fe, New Mexico. Regardless, I'm looking forward to the heat and drying out my tiny home on wheels.

Updated interior photos:

Japanese Tonsu stairs leading to an elevated queen size bed. Stairs can be slid entirely beneath bed to add space in the living room.  Additional storage beneath bed accessed to the right of the stairs.

Entry way into living room with floor-to-ceiling multi-level storage cabinet. Floors are reclaimed bamboo throughout home.

Living room with large window giving glimpse into kitchen.  

Hanging entertainment center / workspace / dining table with marine propane heater to the left. Clerestory window above provides additional light.

Full kitchen with 9.2 cu ft refrigerator / freezer, stove / oven, farmers sink, and open and closed storage throughout. All LED lighting throughout home.  Bath, with sink, composting toilet and shower to right of sink.

Went wildcraft plant foraging along the Sweet Creek Falls trail, just outside of Mapleton, Oregon, with Jen Nelson, from Homegrown, a local vegetarian and vegan restaurant and deli in Florence, Oregon. Found, tasted and collected wood sorrel, Siberian miner's lettuce, lady fern, salmonberry, stinging nettle, sitka spruce, and others.  Here are some photos of the trail that paralleled the creek.

Although this does not qualify as a fermented food, it's the waste products from previous ferments I've posted here earlier. Essentially, it's bits and pieces of asparagus, carrots, leeks, cabbage, sweet potatoes, radishes, beets, onions, shallots and garlic slow simmered for 4-6 hours to create a rich, flavorable vegetable broth. Some cracked pepper, a few ounces of sea salt brine, and fresh sage and thyme from my garden are added. I'll strain the broth twice, and refrigerate. The vegetable pulp either goes into the compost pile or I blend it into a medium paste for use in soups and sauces. I'll post follow on photos of the final products later today. And, BTW, my home smells so good right now as the soon to be broth gently simmers.

Freshly made kimchi: before and after photos

Latest holiday ferments (left to right): one quart pickled green, purple and white asparagus spears with crushed garlic, diced chipotle peppers, and red, green and black peppercorns in a sea salt brine; one half gallon shredded Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, kale, arugula, minced garlic and onion in sea salt brine; one quart of West African sweet potato ferment with minced garlic and onions, diced habanero peppers, cracked black pepper, black and yellow mustard seeds and coriander seeds in dry sea salt; and, last, one quart of shredded carrots, red and green cabbage and broccoli stems in a sea salt brine. All should be ready for New Years Eve!!

Been busy the past twenty four hours ofn a variety of fermented pastes, fruits and vegetables. From left to right: sea salted chive paste, key limes and cranberries with raw honey, brined cranberries with chipotle peppers, sea salted minced garlic paste, pickled asparagus spears with habanero and chipotle peppers and garlic, garlic and raw honey ferment, and,last, Roma, Fuji and gala apple juice freshly pressed and chilled. Everything organic and locally sourced, except for the key limes.

Returned from a wonderful, educational workshop hosted by the FermentWorks team, Kirsten and Christopher Shockey, at their picturesque farm near Applegate, Oregon. Lots of hands-on crafting and creating ferments, pastes, and old fashioned apple cider that can be fermented into hard apple cider. 

Here's what I created:  spicy kimchee ferment; basil and cayenne pepper ferment that will be blended and strained to create a basil-pepper paste; eight different pepper ferment that will be blended and strained to create a multi-dimensional pepper paste; green and red tomatoes ferment flavored with coriander seeds and black peppercorns; celery, shallots, fresh sage leaves and rosemary ferment; and, fresh apple cider made from crabapples, Roma and Kop apples. The ferments will take anywhere from two to eight weeks to complete.

Last, my own Napa cabbage, watermelon radish, sunflower choke and grated turmeric sauerkraut after two weeks of fermentation.  Another week or so, and it should be ready.

Also, a photo of the kitchen wall in the Shockey home displaying old, new and mostly forgotten tools used in cooking, canning, preserving and fermenting food.

Recent travels have taken me to Port Angeles, Washington, and, in particular, Olympic National Forest. Here are recent photos:

Hurricane Ridge, elevation 6000 ft with views of the Olympic Mountains. So called since winter winds can reach speeds of 75 mph+ causing havoc across the valleys and forest. During winter, this location is covered in several feet of snow.

Trail to Marymere Falls
A ninety foot falls that cascades to a small pool deep in the forest. From there it gently tumbles down a meandering stream which feeds into the river which leads to the Straits of Juan de Fuca.  Salmon are migrating even now.

Lake Crescent
Formed several millions of years ago, this lake is almost 700 feet deep, and maintains an icy blue color due to the ice crystals suspended in the lake's water. On a clear day, the water can take on an aquamarine to blue malachite color. Beautiful lake for kayaking, paddle boarding or sailing When we there, it was completely empty.

Could not sleep so I made some fermented foods. Left to right: one half gallon shredded Napa cabbage, diced onion, shredded watermelon radish and sunflower choke, grated Tumeric, cracked red, green and black pepper in a sea salt brine; pickled shiitake, chanterelle and morel mushrooms, chipotle peppers, garlic, red, green and black peppercorns, coriander and mustard seeds in a sea salt brine; two containers of cherry tomatoes with garlic, basil, parsley, and a touch of red pepper flakes in a sea salt brine; and, last, habanero chilies, diced red, yellow and green tomatoes, garlic, onion, cumin in a sea salt brine.

This portrays eloquently how I live my live...