Bold and Shy have a new home

Last night we had a picking party as in playing music with guitars/ukuleles/violins/bass and mandolin.  My  5 year old granddaughter was right in there with her ukulele- singing along.  A fine time was had by all!  It was a get together to celebrate surviving 2017.  Our bass player lost his house in the Mt. Veeder fire.  Our guitar player had her house partially burn down.  Our former neighbors on Mt. Veeder just got to move back into their house now since they finally got the power restored to their home.  They lost their studio and winemaking facility in the fire.  It has been a hard year all the way around.  The good news of the night is that Bold and Shy raven are still alive and have taken up residence in the redwood trees near our friend John's house up on Lokoya Road.  By a miracle or a shift in the wind John's house did not burn down.  He says the raven pair appear to be nesting up in a tree near his house.  This was wonderful news for me.  When he left the party last night I gave him a box of eggs and asked him to put them out for Bold and Shy.  They LOVE eggs.  The ravens here at my current house- not so much.  Strange isn't it?  The ravens of Crystal Court prefer MEAT not eggs.
They show up every morning at 9:30 to see what is in the offering for the day.  The other day I looked out to see if they were eating the chicken meat and fat I had put out and what did I see.  A crow was eating most of the food and the raven was watching!  WHAT!!! Bold and Shy would have run that crow out of town!!!!  These ravens here are very shy and reserved.  They are not honky/tonky strutting birds like Bold and Shy!  I wonder what the difference is???  When I lived on Mt. Veeder the ravens could see me sleeping in my bed.  If I did not get up in time to FEED them they would bang on the windows until I got up.  I would never expect to see this type of behavior from my shy and retiring pair where I live now.  Such a difference, it is hard to explain.  Well I love them all those saucy black birds!

RAVENS OF MT. VEEDER ARE ALIVE!

I have it on good authority that Bold and Shy ravens of Mt. Veeder survived the fire that overtook the mountain in early October.  I am so happy that they must have been able to fly away from the fire fast enough to survive.  I have yet to go up to Mt. Veeder to survey the damage.  I just cannot make myself go up there to see what is left.  I am told that all that is left of our beautiful house is the chimney.  I just cannot believe it and I do not want to see it.  Lokoya Lodge which was located behind our former home was destroyed.  All the cabins burned down.  I have rented one of these cabins in previous years during the summer.  I would go up there for the day and paint and play with Bold and Shy.  They loved to play the EGG game.  I would put an egg in an unusual spot- like inside the cavity of a tree stump and they would find it. They would then pick it up and fly off with it.  What fun that was!  I feel so bad for the owners of the lodge.  It was their home and livelihood.

Everything is in great disarray right now.  PG&E is being blamed for the fires because they did not keep the trees trimmed away from the power lines.  So in response PG&E has contract crews up on Mt. Veeder cutting down trees left and right.  The biggest problem is that they are cutting down huge redwood trees that survive fires just fine and are not going to fall on the power lines. There were redwood trees on our property up there that bore burn marks from the last forest fire in the 1940s. 
They survived and continued to grow. This wanton destruction is getting people up there hopping mad.  Mt. Veeder is the most eastern stand of redwoods.  It take years to replace a giant redwood tree.

It is around 9:15 and this is the time my raven pair come to see what is on offer for breakfast at my house.  We went to a chicken dinner at the Native Sons of the Golden West the other night.  There were lots of chicken scraps left which I gathered up.  I just went outside to put the food out and my raven pair had just alighted in my neighbors deodar cedar tree.  So all is well with the ravens here.

We went to Berkeley the other week to 4th Street to visit the shops.  I came across a shop called Castles in the Air.  What a fabulous place.  They have very unusual items and hold classes on all sorts of crafts.  What did I see in the window but the most fabulous raven mask!!!  I inquired and they had a class on raven mask construction coming up.  Unfortunately it was a date that our band was performing so I could not attend- however they let me buy a mask constructed by the teacher of the class!  It is a wonderful contrivance of paper, feathers, beads and ribbons all in raven black of course.  I have it on display in my living/craft/music room for all to admire.  And so life goes, some happiness, some tragedy  and the days keep on rolling on until our end.  I read a book recently about Nepal where they lay out the dead on a mountain side so the ravens and others can eat- not a bad idea in my opinion.  I do not think I could get my body laid out on Mt. Veeder but my ashes will be stashed in a hole in the ground in Dixon.  Such a waste of potential raven food.  Ah well- the sun is shining and it is time to go get a Christmas tree and get decorating for the season.  Cheers!

RAVEN HABITAT ON FIRE IN THE HILLS OF NAPA VALLEY

I am very sad to report that the hills and mountains on the East and West sides of the Napa Valley have been on fire for the last two weeks.  The fires are now out except for some hot spots and we are beginning to access the damage.  The Mount Veeder area where I used to live and where I meet Bold and Shy ravens was very hard hit by the fire storm. Looking at the county map of impacted areas I can see that neighbors on both sides and across the street lost their homes to fire.  The Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind across the way was destroyed.  Bold and Shy spent a good deal of their time at the camp- cawing and clacking at the blind patrons.  I am so sad.  I loved the camp and my former home.  We had put so much work and money into it to make it what it became.  I hoped that the two ladies that bought the house enjoyed it as much as we did.  It is hard to believe it has been reduced to a pile of ash.  Mt. Veeder Rd. is still closed so most people have not been able to access their properties to see the damage. If you are a grape grower you can get an agricultural pass to let you access your property.  My next door neighbor up there was able to do that.  His facility for winemaking burned but his house did not.  The fire skipped around based on the wind direction.  His two big water tanks full of water burned down- amazing.  So at least his house was spared. It appears the little cabins that we rented up there in the summer months so that I could play with Bold and Shy have also burned down.

I hope and pray that Bold and Shy were able to fly away from the fire.  We will know eventually.  We will hear their calls eventually if they are still alive.  Oh God of Earth and Sky I hope they are ok.

My lone raven here where I live now has attracted a mate.  So there are now two noisy ravens calling to me each morning for FOOD!  What I find interesting is that these ravens do not like raw chicken eggs very much.  They will take one once in awhile but usually they are left for the grey fox.  The fox visits toward twilight.  What they like is MEAT and FAT.  They really like chicken fat.  I trim it off chicken thighs and then they have a feast.  Today they got raw bacon strips since I am clearing out the refrigerator.  The fire storm started on a Sunday night about 11 PM when the wind from hell started up.  I could not sleep all night for the banging of branches against the windows and the sounds of the howling winds. The next morning the power was out/cell towers down/no house phone working.  The power was off for two days.  We took our frozen food to a friends house.  I was cat sitting for her so we got to use her phone and TV and refrigerator.  Now I am sorting out what to discard from the refrigerator and the bacon had to go even though the refrigerator remainder very cold.  So raven gets a good treat and will get some chicken fat tomorrow.  What lucky ravens they are.  I continue to get to know the local ravens  Sometimes the raven sits up in my neighbors giant deodar tree and makes racket.  I call back.  We do this for some amount of time.  We enjoy it the raven and I.  Not so much the neighbors?  They never say.

Well if this posting seems disjointed it is because I am still not ok after this fire.  Too many friends lost their homes and things will never be the same.  We went to the Reunion of the Decade of the 1960's for Napa High School yesterday.  We saw many old friends and the talk was all about the fire and who had been burned out.   It was very upsetting.  We left after lunch and took a ride up the valley to Calistoga.  It was a beautiful day, the air was clear and clean and the valley is still a lovely place.  You can see some blackened burned spots on the hillsides but other than that it looks about the same.  As soon as the rains come the grasses and wildflowers will follow and the burned areas will disappear.  The earth will repair itself, the fireweed will bloom and wine will be made and RAVENS will fly once again over the valley and in the hills.

Eclipse Day but Ravens VISIT Anyway

Well the eclipse just passed us by.  It is somewhat overcast today with variable clouds but one could see the happening in the sky. I put out TWO chicken eggs for Raven today to celebrate and some unsalted peanuts in the shell.  Raven arrived in the middle of the eclipse to get his treat.  He was not bothered by an eclipse since he is messenger of the world and already knew about it for days.
Two days ago I heard the raven call so I went outside to look.  He was way up on the top of a huge pine tree calling to me.  Cool- I went out and put his treats, chicken egg, chicken fat and peanuts in his special place.  Just about then the little girl next door came out screaming her head off and the gardener next door started up his blower.  Life in the burbs.  This never happened up on Mt. Veeder, living on 5 acres.. but here in burbs there is always NOISE.  So RAVEN took off never to be seen again that day.  I left the food out and some creature got it in the night and left a calling card- raccoon or fox?  Could not tell.
Oh well- they got a treat thanks to the noisy day!  All is well after the eclipse, raven got his food, the gold finches got their Niger seeds, orioles have a full feeder and it is a beautiful day!

VISIT TO BODEGA HEAD RAVENS

After many days of rain, mudslides, downed trees and general weather mayhem in the Napa Valley- the sun came out!  So we decided it was a good day to pack up the old trusty van with pillows, comfy pad and sleeping bags and venture to Bodega Bay for the day.  It was a beautiful day with no wind and a high tide.  Our first stop was The Tides Restaurant in Bodega Bay.  Since it was a Monday we got right in and snagged a seat at the window.  We had a great lunch and watched the crab boats going in and out of the harbor.  We also saw some fishing seals and diving ducks from our window on the sea.  It was a great location and a wonderful start to our day.  We then drove up to Bodega Head and situated our van so that the back of the van was facing the ocean.  With the back door of the van up we had a beautiful view of the ocean and could listen to the waves hitting the rocks below.  We could also lay in the back of the van and read our books in comfort. (an aside- I was reading the last of the Midnight Louie mysteries- number 28.  After 25 years the author is ending this series and I will miss Midnight Louie and his band of humans and cat friends.)
We decided to take the trail walk the goes around the promontory.  From this walk you can see the opening to Tomales Bay, the open ocean, the protected opening to Bodega Bay and Doran Beach.  It is quite the view.
As we approached a gnarled cypress tree- lo- what did I see but my Bodega Bay raven friends.  They were perched up in the tree watching our approach.  I just happened to have a bag of unsalted roasted peanuts in the shell in my pocket.  I tossed some out but they landed in the deep wet grass and the ravens had a hard time seeing them.  So I put some on the dirt path and here they came!  They followed us for awhile and I would put peanuts on the trail as we walked.  It was all good fun.  We also saw a great blue heron and a great white egret sitting in the raven tree.  All and all it was a great sight.  The heron and egret were not interested in the peanuts.
When we got back to the van I saw the ravens sitting on a small rise above the parking lot.  That crafty pair were watching me to see if I had anymore peanuts.  I had saved a few.  As soon as I approached the ravens they strutted down the small hill toward me.  They had fingered me, those crafty birds!  I had a hard time getting the peanuts to the ravens as we had attracted a crowd of noisy seagulls.  I then had to wait for the seagulls to lose interest before I could resume feeding the ravens.  I soon ran out of peanuts and all I had left was an oat breakfast bar package.  I broke the bars up into 4 pieces and threw them to the ravens.  One raven picked up three pieces and the other raven got one.  They were immediately chased by the seagulls but did not drop any of the food.  From now on I will give the ravens their snacks away from the parking lot where the seagulls hang out. 
So all and all it was a great beautiful day at Bodega Bay.  We finished the day by stopping by the shack that sells chowder (yum yum) and bought some for our dinner at home that night. It was all special and I am grateful that I live so close to the ocean and such a beautiful spot.  It was also special because I had my Valentine Chuck with me for the days adventure.

The Stealth Ravens of Crystal Court

I am so happy to have a pair of ravens visit me every morning at 8:00 AM.  They come flying in very quietly to the spot where I put their food of the day.  I never hear them clacking and hooting as they come in for their daily snack.  This is a good thing. I live in a suburban neighborhood of mostly retired people.  I do not believe the neighbors would take kindly to noisy ravens at 8 AM.  How do the ravens know this????  They are ravens of the open vineyards and parklands across the street.  Perhaps they have had some interactions in the past that have taught them to be quiet when collecting food in housing areas.  Ravens are very smart and do adapt to local conditions.  They know just how to behave in my little court.
This morning the food on offering was raw bacon pieces, cooked chicken leg, raw chicken egg and peanuts in the shell.  A virtual raven FEAST!  I put the food out at 7 AM and went to the window at 8 AM and there they were.  The meat was all gone.  Remaining was the egg and some of the peanuts.  Two squirrels came running up and grabbed a peanut each and ran off.  Raven did not have time to pull their tail like the Mt. Veeder ravens used to do.  Give them time and opportunity and I am sure raven will get around to it.  With the peanuts gone, raven picked up the egg and flew off with it.  I never get tired of seeing this!  Oh goody, goody I have a raven pair in my life once again!  They are so interesting to watch and I hope by providing chicken eggs, the will leave the bird nests alone this spring.
The last time my granddaughter was over for the day and night, we started watching Raven Tales.  This is a series of videos made in Canada about the First Nation People.  Each program is about First Nation People's interactions with Raven, Eagle and Frog and events in their lives.  Each one has a moral to the story. An example is getting along with people that are different than you.  The stories are done in cartoon style of First Nation art and are very appropriate for children and adults.  I highly recommend them for anyone interested in stories and art of First Nation people.
It is foggy and cold this morning in Napa Valley.  We have had lots of rain and the reservoirs are filling up.  This is such good news after 6 years of drought.  The daffodils are coming up and all is right with the world this morning.  I am going to the Napa Valley Women's March this Saturday to put my two cents in for a right world.