Mendocino is a picturesque seaside town, situated along the northern California coast, about 155 miles north of San Francisco.  It offers a little something for everyone – camping, hiking, kayking, day spas, artist galleries, wineries, fine dining.  It is also pet friendly.

A few years back, in August of 2005, my pooch and I visited Mendocino for a weekend getaway.  We stayed in one of the Sweetwater Inn rentals, the Zen Room.  While the Sweetwater Inn is located in Mendocino (and some of its rooms are there), the Zen Room is one of several properties the Sweetwater rents out in the hamlet of Little River, three miles south of Mendocino.  It’s not really a “room,” but a standalone cottage with an expansive bath and fireplace (no fridge or cooking area).  While checking in, the receptionist expressed her dismay that the Zen Room was a dog friendly lodging – I suppose she thought the room was too “nice” for dogs.  (I noticed that the Sweetwater now posts certain “Pet Policies” on their website.)  The Zen Room was a little dated, but it was quiet and offered a relaxing retreat.

One of the Zen Room’s highlights is its jacuzzi-style bath tub:

We also enjoyed the private deck, just outside the Zen Room.

The view outside the large picture window was also very scenic; if you looked closely, you could see the Pacific:

The real beauty of Mendocino is in its natural environment.  State parks, hiking trails, and shorelines abound.  Your dog will love it!

For more information on all of the activities Mendocino has to offer, check out the town’s website.  For more info on the Sweetwater Inn properties, explore their website.

With the seascape that just reaches out and touches your spirit, Mendocino is not just a vacation spot; it is the sheer magnetism of nature. Mendocino is less than a four-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area. The popular weekend getaway spot is perched high, overlooking the vast Pacific. The windswept trees, rolling grassy hills and steep cliffs in Mendocino are perfect for hiking and photography.

MOVIES AND TV FILMING IN MENDOCINO

Mendocino is perhaps one of the most scenic, which is why it has been used as a backdrop in more than 60 movies including ‘The Russians Are Coming’, ‘Karate Kid III’, ‘Dying Young’, ‘Forever Young’, ‘Racing with the Moon’ and ‘The Majestic’. However, the TV series ‘Murder she wrote’ with the charming backdrop of Mendocino had the largest impact on the community. Hence there is nothing to wonder why Mendocino is so popular among the tourists. The landscape of Mendocino is really alluring.

IDEAL SEASON

Virtually, any time of year is perfect to have a visit to Mendocino. Summer is warmer of course. However, you can find fog along the coast at any time. Mendocino is more protected from flooding than most communities in the area, in case it’s hit by bad weather. A lot of people consider the weather part of the charm. Be sure and check out travel deals and vacation packages during certain times of the year that are considered to be the “off-season.”

ACCOMMODATION IN MENDOCINO

Regarding accommodation in Mendocino, there is nothing to worry about. Mendocino has a great scenery and atmosphere along with some of the nicest accommodations. Along with traditional hotels, there are many vacation rentals available in Mendocino. The vacation rentals in Mendocino like ‘Pacific Mist inns’ makes you feel as you are in home, experiencing a vacationer’s adventure and comfort. These vacation rentals at Mendocino are cheaper than any other means of accommodation that is available. Unlike ordinary hotels with a single room, these vacation rentals are more spacious and are multi-roomed just as a normal home. It means that a one can relax in any of the rooms he likes as in living room, bed room etc.

HOW TO BOOK FOR A VACATION RENTAL

After knowing the benefits of vacation rentals in Mendocino, you’d probably like to know more about these vacation rentals. The question is where to look for more information about the vacation rentals in Mendocino? Getting information and booking your vacation rentals in Mendocino is made easier nowadays. Most of the popular vacation rental providers in Mendocino like ‘Pacific Mist inns’ provide wealthy of information about the same in the Internet through there websites. The added convenience is that, you can book your vacation rental at Mendocino; online.

So what are you waiting for? Book your vacation rental in Mendocino online with a few mouse clicks. Stay there in the vacation rentals of Mendocino and feel as you’re in home, experiencing the sheer magnetism of nature. Have a great vacation.

Q. How long have you been raw? What percentage raw were you in the beginning of your raw journey? If you were 100%, how long did that last? What percentage are you now? And, finally, if you do eat cooked foods, what cooked foods do you eat?

A. I have lived a raw food lifestyle since 2004. I have been interested in nutrition my entire life. I grew up loving to cook and spending time in the kitchen. Creating recipes and wooing guests with my cuisine has been my greatest passion in life. Working with food is like a working meditation. It is my solace, my love, an expression of my inner beauty, my artistic self, my true being. I love food, and more importantly, I love food that heals and nurtures the body not only on a physically level but on a deep soul level. Raw foods do that.

In 2004, I was visiting my sister, Tanith, in Portland, Oregon for a weekend, and while in her home, I found a cookbook. It was Rawsome by Brigitte Mars. I had never before heard of a raw food diet. When I picked up this book, I was immediately entranced by its content. It promised a new way of eating that offered amazing health and beauty benefits. Being that I am the type to devour any nutritional book or cookbook I can get my hands on, I spent the rest of that weekend in Portland, gobbling up every word on every page. I was instantly hooked. When I returned home, I sought out every book I could find on the topic. I started with Juliano’s book, Raw: The Uncook Book: New Vegetarian Food for Life and dove right in. I was immediately discouraged by the complexity of the recipes. Transitioning from a cooked food diet, I craved heavy meals. The vibrant pictures and recipes in his book allured me, but I realized that if I wanted something as simple as a sandwich that it would take several days to make it. The grains had to be soaked and sprouted for a few days, mixed into a batter and dehydrated for two or so more days to make the bread alone. My growling stomach and my impatience sent me right to the grocer for raw nuts, seeds, nut butters and dried fruit. These items were filling and easy to attain. At the end of my first week raw, I could proudly protest that I was indeed 100% raw, but I felt toxic. I could withstand this way of eating for about two weeks before I would delve back into my tried and true cooked foods.

One weekend while visiting Mendocino, California, I stumbled across Living Light Culinary Art Institute in Fort Bragg. They were advertising the first annual Vibrant Living  Expo. I was amazed at this find. I bought tickets for the entire event and immersed myself fully into all the information and enthusiasm offered by the inspirational speakers and vendors. It was there that I saw Victoria Boutenko speak for the first time. Her philosophy on the importance of greens changed my life. I realized that I was missing green leafy vegetables in my diet. This was the golden key to my success. I went right home and invested in a VitaMix, a high powered blender equipped to purify the tough fibers of sturdy leaves like kale and collard greens. Adding green smoothies and large kale salads into my diet balanced me, allotting me energy and happiness on a level I had yet to experience with any cooked food diet. Once I discovered that raw foods were then vitalizing and sustainable for me, I enrolled in Living Light. I trained as a raw food chef. This was what I had been waiting for all my life. I was able to finally integrate my love of the culinary arts with nutrition. I fell in love with raw foods.

Before I could professionally endorse this radical diet, I wanted to know, first hand, what raw foods truly had to offer. There is an enormous amount of testimonial on the internet, claiming impeccable health, age defying and mood enhancing results. I had to follow this diet 100% and discover it for myself. I decided to commit and follow a strict raw food diet for three months. I kept a daily journal during the entire experience. I even had my blood work done before and after the three month period to scientifically see my physical results. I was curious.

Those three months were amazing. I discovered what all raw foodies had already known. I needed far less sleep. My sleep requirement went from 8-10 hours a night to only 4-6 hours. I had more energy than I ever had in my life. This was great, because it meant that those extra waking hours where productive. I wasn’t just sitting around, lounging in front of the television late into the night. I was getting things done and happily so. I was highly motivated. My mood increased considerably. I would often laugh for no reason or break into a happy dance while drinking my morning green juice. I felt clean, pure, wild and awake. My stress level decreased. I felt more connected to everything around me. I felt more whole and apart of the bigger picture. I believe this is why stress could no longer exist within my psyche. How could it? Usually, the things that stress one don’t even exist. They are fears and negative anticipations. They are small compared to what truly exists in this world, physically and spiritually. I could clearly see my place within the fabric of my earthly existence. I play a small yet significant role. I am interwoven with everything else, matter and energy. How could I feel stress over a man-conceived situation or materialism? I simply couldn’t any longer. I was blissful. I was also exceedingly healthy. I have never had a strong physical constitution, but that winter I didn’t get sick once. I shared space with clients and loved ones who suffered from common colds and flues, yet I never once fell ill. I felt super human. I loved the way I felt. I also loved the way I smelled. I lost my body odor and the need for deodorants. My body became sweet and pure. By month three, my third eye opened. I began to have physic notions. I could sense things would happen before they did. Small synchronicities would occur that would cause pause; I was amazed by my increased “knowing.” I was raw and awake.

I faced challenges. My social life got in the way of me staying 100% raw after the three month commitment came to a close. I found I had anxiety about dinners or lunches out with friends. In the beginning, I would isolate myself, becoming antisocial. However, after the three months ended, I succumbed to social invitation and began to incorporate cooked foods back into my diet. Sadly, once I did this, all those amazing benefits I mentioned above dissipated. I swung back and forth from being 100% raw to being a naughty cooked foodie. Being the perfectionist that I was caused me to struggle, for I turned myself into a gastronomic yoyo. In retrospect, I realize that had I just allowed myself to eat cooked foods once and a while, I would have handled transitioning into a raw diet far better than I did. I was unforgiving with myself; I was strict and inflexible. I was an all-or-nothing kinda girl, so I was either 100% on or I was very off.

Now my attitude around food is much healthier. I choose to eat 100% raw when I can, which is the majority of the time; I love the way it makes me feel on every level. If there are times I need to eat cooked foods, I do. I no longer beat myself up about it. I no longer feel shame, failure or anxiety around my food choices. Left to my own accord, I am a 100% raw foodie. When I am in a traditional social situation, when I am with family or if I am in a restaurant, I eat cooked foods. I savor my choices; however, I do pay the price for the experience after the fact. Cooked foods are simply not as clean as raw foods, so I often wake the next morning with puffy, watery eyes, dry skin and a runny nose, feeling dehydrated, sluggish with low energy. One could ask why I put myself through all that for a single cooked meal; however, just as I am with the nut-laden raw desserts I occasionally order, I am highly conscious of my food choices. Waking up once and a while feeling unwell is far healthier for me emotionally and spiritually then suffering from anxiety over my social life or from closing myself off from my family and friends in an effort to obsessively encapsulate myself in a rigid raw lifestyle. The latter is far more difficult for me to overcome.

When I do eat cooked foods, I keep it clean and, for the most part, vegan. I will, infrequently, have a little cheese, but, in all honesty, I am not interested in supporting the inhumane and irresponsible dairy industry. In addition, the dairy itself congests me dearly. I always feel terrible, experiencing cold-like symptoms after eating it. I will also eat fish occasionally, but the energy I feel from eating a once-living being causes ill-ease within me. I do ingest negative energy when I eat dead seafood. I am aware of this. I am reporting now that I eat a little fish, but I know this will change. My diet is an evolution. I see myself moving away from seafood completely at some point. It could be as soon as tomorrow or it could be months from now. It is unknown how my palate and my heart will change. My diet evolves in direct proportion to my spiritual work. The higher my consciousness, the lower on the food chain I wish to eat. I am sensitive to the energies of life. I eat no other meats of any kind. I simply respect animals and birds far too much to do this. The longer I am raw, the more sensitive I am to all living beings. The more I develop spiritually and the more Reiki I practice, the cleaner my diet becomes. This is an effortless and natural progression. My physical and spiritual self is intertwined; there is no denying this, no separating it. As I continue on my raw path, I spiral into higher levels of consciousness.

Clean, whole, vegan foods transform the body into a conduit for higher energy. Meat and dairy products not only numb the body from spirit, but they support a destructive and cruel industry. At this point in my life, I chose to eat for my health and my spiritual elevation. The only cooked foods that I truly enjoy are steamed vegetables, which I can handle with no ill-affects. I can eat root vegetables like yams and winter squash as well as steamed green vegetables like artichoke, broccoli and asparagus. I will also, occasionally, eat miso soup or a light pasta. I eat these foods sparingly, and I always eat mindfully. Raw foods are my absolute preference, for they naturally enlighten my body and my soul on more levels than I am even aware. They are brilliant. And, I am brilliant when I eat them.

I honor life; I honor Mother Earth, and I honor myself through my food choices. Eating raw vegan foods, I thrive.

I went for a really nice hike last weekend. Camped friday and saturday nights at Van Damme State Park and did a quickly paced (for me) hike up the Fern Creek Trail to the Pigmy Forest.

Name: Van Damme – Pigmy Forest
Date: Nov 7, 2009 1:39 pm
Distance: 8.44 miles
Elapsed Time: 3:20:10
Avg Speed: 2.5 mph
Max Speed: 4.9 mph
Avg Pace: 23′ 42″ per mile
Min Altitude: 3 ft
Max Altitude: 663 ft

November 10, 2009

To All Interested Parties:

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the North Coast Railroad Authority Project (SCH 2007072052) has been issued for public comments. Since the March 9, 2009 DEIR was circulated, new information that is considered significant has been made available. In accordance with CEQA 15088.5, the March 9, 2009 DEIR is being revised and recirculated to provide the public with the opportunity to comment on the revisions. Because the new information affected numerous sections throughout the document, the entire DEIR is being recirculated.

Previous comments on the March 9, 2009 DEIR will still be considered part of the public record, but written responses to these comments will not be included in the final EIR. The public is therefore advised to submit new comments on the revised DEIR.

The following provides a summary of the primary areas where the March 9, 2009 DEIR was revised:
• Since the March 9, 2009 DEIR was circulated, the NCRA Board approved its final Trail Guidelines. These guidelines are significantly different than the draft Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company (NWP Co.) Trail Guidelines that were used in the March 9, 2009 Public Safety analysis. The final NCRA Trail Guidelines are available on the NCRA web page.
• The March 9, 2009 DEIR identified BMPs as mitigation measures, but did not include a copy of them in the document. It was originally felt that since the agencies would be reviewing the BMPs prior to operations, it was not critical that they be included in the DEIR. NCRA has finalized its BMPs and these are now included in Appendix A of the revised DEIR.
• NCRA’s current operator is NWP Co.; however, since it is feasible that a different operator could at some point operate on the rail line, the revised DEIR includes or references NCRA’s plans and procedures instead of NWP Co. specific plans and procedures. It is understood that any operator will be required to follow NCRA’s plans and procedures.
• Detailed discussion was included in the cumulative section regarding the operating agreement between NCRA and SMART. Many of these details are still being discussed; therefore, they have been removed from the cumulative section. The combined operations of the passenger and freight trains will be in compliance with FRA safety regulations.
• The NCRA Rehabilitation of the rail line from Lombard to Windsor was included as a cumulative project.

This document represents the revised DEIR which is currently being recirculated for public review and comment.
Publication of this DEIR marks the beginning of a 45-day public review period, during which written comments may be submitted to the NCRA at the following address:

Written comments may be submitted to the following addresses:
North Coast Railroad Authority
419 Talmage Road, Suite M
Ukiah, CA 95482
mitch.stogner@northcoastrailroad.org

To conserve resources, this DEIR is being distributed primarily on computer disk. The DEIR will be available as of November 11, 2009 at the North Coast Railroad Authority website at www.northcoastrailroad.org. The review period for this DEIR is November 10, 2009 to December 31, 2009.

Copies of the DEIR (hard copy of the Executive Summary and a CD for computer viewing of the remainder of the document) may also be reviewed at the following libraries:

Marin Civic Center Library
3501 Civic Center Drive #427
San Rafael, CA 94903

Sonoma County Library
211 E Street
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Mendocino County Library
105 N. Main Street
Ukiah, CA 95482

Humboldt County Library
1313 Third St
Eureka CA 95501

Future of Masonite site in limbo following Measure A’s defeat

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091104/ARTICLES/911049902

A Mendocino County ballot measure that would have allowed for commercial development of the former Masonite plant outside Ukiah failed by a nearly 2-to-1 margin in the polls on Tuesday.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091104/articles/911049998

This month’s job openings at SHN Consulting Engineers & Geologists, Inc.:

Willits office:

• Materials Testing Laboratory Manager
• Mid-Level Civil Engineer, P.E. (California)

http://urlet.com/hawthorn.dinner

http://hailmaryjane.com/harvest-time-in-california/

Unsophisticated maps can take you to very sophisticated places.

Three days ago I took my boss and coworkers’ advice and decided to drive north out of town.  I found a few places of interest through Google maps, printed some directions, and packed a small bag.  I even considered doing a rideshare to help cover the cost of gas.  I guess I imagined an experience like my boss’s, where we’d end up taking roads we didn’t know and meeting crazy characters, laughing the whole time.  Then my boyfriend went madly silent when I told him the thought and I kinda felt weird about it too, so I nixed the rideshare idea.  Those are trips you take with your best friends, not strangers.

The morning I left was long and slow.  After rolling out of bed around 9:30, I sat in traffic on the way to my dear Rainbow Foods Co-Op.  I was going to stock up on healthy foods so I didn’t end up eating KFC and gas station food all the time.  So I bought gluten-free cookies, organic potato chips, and fair-trade chocolate, with a gallon of spring water to wash it down  On top of the 30 minute line outside getting into the parking garage, there were also 20 minute lines down each aisle getting to the registers.  I ended up in a conversation with the man behind me about where I planned to go and he was confused about my purpose: “Why do you have to drive all the way to Oregon to see some big trees and nice coastlines?”.  So I responded with: “Because that’s what I found on Google Maps”.

Like a wise guru speaking to a student who has much to learn, he began drawing lines and words all over my brown paper grocery bag.  He told me about all the inn’s, cabins, and bed and breakfasts along the coast just three hours north of San Francisco.  He told me if I wanted organic food once I was there, go to this city.  If I wanted to see some forests, go down this road, and so forth.  He said the internet was a waste of time and the proof was that Google wanted to send me up where all the poor meth-heads lived, when I could be going to where all the growers and hippies lived for a much shorter drive.  I didn’t really make sense of what he wrote and drew, but there was one number that did: 128.  ”Just take 128 west and you’ll find it.”

So new plan: Take the 101 north until I see a town called Cloverdale, then 128 west until I see any one of the inns or lodges he noted.  It was noon now, and I was just getting on the road.

If you could have been in the passenger seat next to me, you would understand

Two hours later, I found 128 west and immediately I slowed down and turned the music off to enjoy the view!  Driving down this two lane road is a beautiful experience for the first time traveler, but be wary of the “commuters”- they take this road every day and have no problem honking you off to the side of the road because they have mastered the art of taking mountain turns as easily as a daredevil kid on speed in a go-cart.  Once these people are long gone it’s easy to get lost in the scenery.  First you pass through what looks like a Hidden Valley Ranch commercial (minus the ferris wheels and cauliflower), then you pass through the unspoiled wine country.  Anderson Valley did not even exist to me until this day.  Everyone gets so hyped up about Sonoma and Napa, not realizing how commercial and barren they seem compared to the mountain wineries of Anderson Valley.  I’m sure it helps that it’s fall and all the vines and hardwoods are bright with hues of yellow, orange, and red!

(The drive back was even better since I left early enough that everything was still wet from the morning dew.  The sun had come out and these same rich colors sparkled like rubies and yellow diamonds!  I know it’s cheezy and no words or pictures can do justice, but Anderson Valley on a late October morning could easily put the belief of God in Larry Flynt.)

Maybe you could drive through this one- in a Smart Car

Once you pass through wine country, in an instant you are covered by redwood forest.  Highway 128 also takes you through the Navarro River Redwoods State Park.  None of the trees here are 30 ft. wide monsters you can drive through, but there are so many and so tall that they block out most of the sun and it instantly feels like evening.  Just a few rays of sun slice through the cracks, and when you’re driving at 40 mph with the sun directly in front of you, it has quite the strobe light effect so be careful if you’re epileptic.  I mean that in the sincerest form, it’s beautiful and slightly annoying at the same time.

After three to four hours of winding down 128 west, you suddenly hit oceanside cliffs!  No more than five minutes out of the forest and I’m driving north along the pacific coast highway, watching the waves crash into the rocks and sending sprays of water 8 feet in the air.  I still don’t know where I’m going, and I followed the grocery bag map!  I looked for a familiar name on any one of the signs, and finally decided to pull over and ask where the SeaFoam Lodge was. She sent me five minutes up the road, I checked in, dropped my gear, then headed back out to explore my destination.  Over the next three days I saw everything I wanted to- beautiful coast lines, beaches made of items other than sand, and big trees!

Wait. I live on the coast. I drove four hours to see the coast? HELL YES!

Number One Rule of Traveling: Always ask a local, they know everything.

This post is long enough, but my pictures might tell the story best:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024300&id=53300730&l=714ea1007b

the rundown:

• organic grapes
• aged in french oak
• ripe cherries, vanilla
• silky smooth texture, lengthy finish
• >$15

it seems that more and more organic wines have been finding their way into the bins of our  local wine shops, i’m sure it isn’t just because the marketing suits love slapping “all natural” or “organic” on their product labels…

but honestly, organics has a lot more to do with wine than just marketing strategies. great wine is about great grapes, first and foremost. and for some people, organics and biodynamics are half of that battle.

bonterra vineyards, for one, is a believer. they produce quite a few different certified biodynamic and organic wines. this wine in particular, though, makes me wonder why it’s labeled “made with organic grapes.” does this imply that the winemaking process is somehow not organic? i don’t know, but i will say it is an interesting wine.

bonterra vineyards merlot 2007

the color was a beautiful ruby red. obvious rim fade in the color, giving a clue to its barrel aging.

i smelled a lot of ripe cherries, and a sweet hint of vanilla that i really liked. the “mouthfeel” is what was really incredible, though, it’s unbelievably silky smooth. i don’t know if you’ve ever had a blanket that was so soft that you just ran your hand back and forth across the fabric until you basically put yourself into a trance, but this wine was just like that. you could swirl it around in your mouth for entire historical periods.

this merlot is a little oaky for my taste, on the nose and the palate. it’s medium to full body with a little cherry jam quality too. good structure, it felt like a wine that could be aged a little. the finish was also quite interesting, very long, kind of made me think of a kalamata olive macerated with sugar (like strawberries for strawberry shortcake.)

i rocked this wine on sale at just under $10, although it retails somewhere around $15 (actually, the store i purchased it from normally had it at $19, so i’m sure it was no skin off their nose) i’m personally not a huge fan of this style of merlot–i prefer those dark, chocolaty, plummy boys–but if you do, this bottle is certainly worth the price of admission.

btw, if anyone would like to set up a biodynamic/organic tasting in the chicago area, drop me a line, i’m totally down!

Some sad news this week.

Willits news: Ruth Rockefeller: Community loses a venerable citizen

After her retirement from teaching, she took on the failing Northwestern Pacific Railroad; preserving the railroad became her passion. She was the first woman to be elected chairman for the North Coast Railroad Authority in 1998 when she was 80 years old. The plaque she received for this honor was presented to her by the board of directors chairman, who said: “Whoever thought an 80 year old school teacher would be actively managing the NCRA, but there’s nothing like this little old schoolmarm.”

Ruth was very proud of that award and worked diligently to the end of her life to save the railroad.

Former Tiburon mayor and rail backer Ellman dies

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit booster George Ellman died last month, but he is not done with the rail project just yet.

His ashes will be on the first SMART train scheduled to roll down the tracks in 2014, a request made by Mr. Ellman before his death.

NorCal History Blog: Getting to work at Falk

I talked to Bill Rich yesterday, and the folks at HSU are getting ready to start digging at the historic town site of Falk.

Cloverdale seeks to link downtown to the train station

Cloverdale is considering building a bike and pedestrian path to its rail station in anticipation of eventual commuter train service.

The path is being proposed as a way to link the downtown to the station on the opposite side of the freeway.

The bike/pedestrian path, dubbed the Cloverdale Greenway project, could replace two of the four vehicle lanes on Citrus Fair Drive that run under Highway 101 and connect the west of town to the station on the east.

Not local related, but still a little fun. World’s smallest model train.

Thanks, all for your support. It was one of those things that was hard to get, was good info on the railroad. Every monthly meeting they have a presentation with photos of progress on the railroad. However, they haven’t posted a single 2009 presentation yet. I keep saying, they need to show what they have done, it is a pr thing.

The idea of handing out treats on Halloween shouldn’t be wasted on children alone. Adults can get into the act in wine country with pumpkin-centric events at several area wineries.

Along with passing out candy, Clos Pegase will host a special tasting event in their haunted wine caves where an abbreviated version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be presented by an acting troupe. Tickets are $25 for the 1:30-3:30 p.m. event at the Calistoga winery. Look for special Halloween pricing on the estate’s Graveyard Hill cabernet savuignon.

On any visit to Clos Pegase, which is just down the road from picturesque Sterling Vineyards, be sure and take a stroll through the impressive sculpture garden, that is home to some of the  finest pieces of modern art in the collection of winery owners Jan and Mitsuko Shrem.

Down in the Oak Knoll district of Napa, Trefethen Family Vineyards is hosting a special $15 Halloween tasting that includes a tour of the haunted winery.

When not spooking visitors, the folks at Trefethen turn out some pretty tasty wines, including an award-winning chardonnay that stunned the world in 1979 when it won the “Judgment of Paris” and was declared the best white wine in the world.

Shriek Out in Suisun Valley

The folks at Winerhawk Winery near Fairfield will hold a Halloween costume party from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. with free pizza and live music from the Caravan of All Stars band. Tasting fee is $5. If you like brawny wines, be sure to try the 2007 petite sirah, a big, blackberry/cherry red wine ($18).

Howling Good Time at Dogtoberfest

Topel Calendar Cover Dog

It’s not a Halloween event, but dog-loving wine drinkers can bring their pooches to Topel Winery tasting room in Healdsburg Saturday (Oct. 31) for the second annual Dogtoberfest. The event benefits the Healdsburg Animal Shelter, which will receive profits from the sale of a dog-centric calendar. Tasting is free. The calendar ($20) feature photos of  40 dogs submitted by fans of the winery, which is located in Mendocino.

//

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091026/articles/910269976

Julie Higgins is an artist currently living on the Mendocino coast. If all goes well with FedEx, she is going to receive a package from Skylark Images tomorrow.

Julie’s vivid pastels have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums. Many will recognize her art having seen it at The Girl and the Fig Restaurant in Sonoma, California.

Julie regularly orders her Giclée prints on Fine Art Paper and frames them behind glass, but recently had a request for a canvas reproduction.  Because Julie had her image on file at our studio, we were able to print “Garden Paridise” without delay on our new Lyve™ Aqueous Canvas at 22 x 32″ with gallery wrapped mirrored borders on 1 3/4″ stretcher bars.  See more of Julie’s art by visiting her website.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091026/articles/910269976

Latest update about the trial 24th October from Facebook about Aaron from his sister Mindy…

‘There wasn’t a ruling at the pretrial last Friday. Another hearing was scheduled for Nov 6th at 10am. We are supposed to get a ruling on evidence and testimony that will be included and excluded from the trial.

Nothing was done at the pretrial. We were not happy that the court didn’t make any rulings. They keep wasting everyones time.’

News coverage of Aaron’s case.

 Go to the site and click on UVTV News 10-20-09 in the upper right corner. The segment on Aaron is 4 minutes and 40 seconds into the video.

http://www.ukiahvalley.tv/

END THE SILENCE OF CHILD ABUSE

www.facebook.com/AaronsCause
www.saveaaron.com

October 25th, 2009 – Old-timers in Mendocino County may remember Bruce Perlowin – a guy who got busted in the 1980s at his compound-like home on Robinson Creek Road.

Appearing in CNBC’s “Marijuana, Inc.” documentary, Perlowin described his journey from Floridian hippie to marijuana kingpin – the mastermind of one of the most successful drug-smuggling enterprises in history.

Perlowin did his time, got out of jail, took up network marketing and was at the right spot during the birth of prepaid phone cards, saying his company, GlobalCom 2000, became “wildly successful.”

He was intrigued about changes in California’s marijuana laws. “I said jokingly to a colleague, if they legalize, I will network market marijuana.’” He did some homework and decided it was time to buy back his former Ukiah home.

The former super smuggler and his business partner decided, in Perlowin’s words, “to position ourselves in the marijuana industry.”

They changed their corporate name from Club VivaNet to Medical Marijuana, Inc., or MMI, and in March launched what he calls “the first publicly traded company based on the medical marijuana industry.” The Pink Sheet stock split 10 to 1 shortly after its initial offering; 1.3 million shares were traded on Wednesday, with the price climbing a dime to 37 cents per share. Perlowin estimates there are currently about 3,000 shareholders.

“MMI will provide turnkey solutions for an emerging industry,” says Perlowin.
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Conceptual graphics feature a satellite-tracked supply chain network – with closed-loop systems incorporating seed suppliers, cannabis kitchens, a testing facility, home delivery and more.

Perlowin’s brainchild is the tax remittance card patients would use to purchase medicine from collectives. State, local and federal taxes would be funneled directly to the government. “We have signed on 28 collectives,” states Perlowin. The system platform is being beta tested, but MMI literature clearly states real-time implementation requires governmental technology upgrades to accommodate “a very high level of daily transaction volume.”

Collectives working with MMI seem excited by the possibilities, but on a few cannabis websites, individuals urge a closer look at the structure and history of MMI. Perlowin invites the inspection. “We’re building the rails for the industry to ride on. We must be transparent.” To that end, Perlowin is holding free informational seminars Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 until 9 p.m. in the Discovery Inn’s corporate room.

Are Perlowin’s proposals right for Mendocino County? Matt Cohen, Cooperative Director of Northstone Organics, also seeks ways to regulate medical marijuana production, but unlike Perlowin, Cohen’s puts the county at the center of the structural circle.

“My organization has standards in place,” notes Cohen, who feels grower and product accountability will be created when marijuana production regulations close the industry loop. He is committed to a structure that will help the marijuana community to enact positive change and operate freely – like any business.

Northstone incorporated as a Community Supported Agriculture model, providing patients with medical marijuana, and if desired, organic produce and free-range eggs. His years working with dispensaries, he says, taught him the importance of consumers’ rights to safe, quality medicine.

Cohen is not daunted by working within the system. He and other cannabis colleagues converse regularly with government and law enforcement.

He feels county Supervisor John McCowen’s proposed changes to the county’s medical marijuana ordinance are best suited to the needs of Northstone and the county – in contrast with the Mendocino Medical Marijuana Advisory Board, which endorses Supervisor John Pinches’ proposal. “MMMAB has been the voice of the cannabis community. It’s good for people to realize there are other views,” says Cohen.

Cohen wants to “take the Wild West and bring it through a regulatory scheme.”

Perlowin says, “MMI will create a compliance committee to bridge the gap between government, dispensaries and growers.” Cohen feels that Mendocino to cannabis is like Kentucky to whiskey.

“We could be positioned for a boutique industry before tobacco moves in.” Perlowin says, “It’s either us, giant agribusiness or tobacco.”

“The war’s over,” says the former kingpin. “Grow plants, pay your taxes and be part of the system.” Cohen says, “In the future, I hope people look to Mendocino County as the standard bearer for sustainable industry.” By CAROLE BRODSKY. Source.