Salmon Film Festival Anyone?

 Even though we are miniature donkeys who blog, we still think salmon filmmakers are pushing the envelope. The first ever salmon film festival is on in conjunction with nearby Fort Bragg's Annual World's Largest Salmon BBQ, this July 2nd.


July 4th is best experienced in small towns and villages such as ours here on the Mendocino County coast. Not only is our food fantastic (and July 4th is all about the food, isn't it?) but we have the best weather (warm in the day, slightly cool at night) and a rich history all around us that reminds you what the founding of our country was all about.


I believe our Inn is running some type of July Special Deal, so call and get all of the details.

We are standing by for your call!

Oh, and there are fireworks too, of course.

Continuing to be delicious...

Our Creekside Restaurant here at the Inn has been open now a couple of months and the raves are in!

People love the intimate, peaceful atmosphere, the beautiful setting -- and of course most of all, they adore the food.

Our rich soil here in Mendocino yields the most wonderful bounty.

But don't take a miniature donkey's word for it, come up and see for yourself.


Summer is our season here on the Mendocino Coast, with festivals devoted to film, food, wine and so much more!


Visit Mendocino, our official website, is one easy way to learn what's going on: http://www.visitmendocino.com/festivals-events.

Or just call us at 800-731-5525 and talk to an Innkeeper. They love to chat!

Babies!

How's that for a beauty shot?

Courtesy of our African hoofed friends at B. Bryan Preserve down south of us in Pt. Arena. This baby antelope is a honey and by now, I bet they have some baby Hartmann's Zebras running around too. This preserve is dedicated to caring for rare, vanishing African hoof stock, and they are doing a terrific job, from what our cousins there tell us.

Check out a whole album of fresh photos from B. Bryan on Facebook and stop by and visit them on your way up to see us. You have to book ahead for a tour, but it's worth it -- especially at this time of year!

Up here at the Inn, Google has alerted us to enthusiastic blog posts from Inn guests about the baby bunnies who join us for breakfast each morning. Chunk has just about had enough of these little cuties, because he doesn't appreciate having pastry crumbs whisked away just when he was on the verge of enjoying them, but really, that's just sour grapes. It's nice to have happy babies popping around at this time of year.

And no, the bunnies don't come inside at breakfast, but this is what it would look like if they could! They have a few dedicated stumps outside the Farmhouse window where they dine instead, very happily.

Heritage Days in Mendocino County

All this month, our proud county celebrates the history that is never far from us, with the Heritage Days event.

Heidi and I are very historically-aware donkeys, by virtue of our surroundings.

For instance, did you know the Ledford Farmhouse, which is the main building of our Inn, is an important historical structure and that our Inn was the first resort on this stretch of the coast?

We equines have always played an important role in the history of Mendocino -- as you can see above -- and we continue to be a key part of life in this still rural and breathtakingly beautiful corner of the world.

Check here for some of the events that have been scheduled around this wonderful month of reflection on Mendocino's colorful and sometimes surprising past.

Heidi and I are surrounded by this rich history every day.

Come up and join us this month and learn more about the goings on and characters who shaped our county.

Apparently, now it's summer here in Little River

The Mendocino Coast really has the best weather on earth. It's supposed to be in the 70s tomorrow! Heidi and I can hardly wait. We are basically sun-loving donkeys, due to our Sicilian roots, and we are looking forward to some nice long sun baths tomorrow.

Chunk and Punk's niece, Lovey, took this photo. She's quite the little shutterbug, isn't she? This is a view from our pen, that surrounds our lovely Donkey Cottage, here at the Inn at Schoolhouse Creek. 


Perhaps we are biased, but we do believe that our ancient trees are the most majestic, our ocean views the most pacific, and our food, of course is the freshest in the world!

Here's a shot of the new onsite Creekside Restaurant, courtesy of Lovey's busy fingers.

Gorgeous, yes?

She's a very talented chipmunk. We have high hopes for our Lovey!

She's growing up into such a nice girl too. She's a real asset around here, greeting all of the guests at breakfast.

As you can see, she's a real morning "person."

Bleeding Hearts and Tiny Donkeys!

We get a weekly (or so) "Bloom Blast" from our fabulous Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. They include photos of what is just coming out, flower-wise, in these e-newsletters, as well as events and other items of note.

This week's gem is called Bleeding Heart. Isn't it exquisite?

The gardens were recently named by AOL's Shelterpop as one of America's Most Fascinating Public Gardens. Do you suppose it's because you can whale watch right on the premises (it's the only coastal garden of its kind in the contiguous United States) or might it be the fact that dogs are welcome -- and there's even ice cream for them in season?


Speaking of new things blooming this spring, our Creekside Restaurant here at our Inn is open now to rave reviews.

But get here and try it before Chunk eats everything in site!

Mendocino Sunsets

Hi!

Heidi here!

It's not often that Monique lets me have access to the laptop (that's a topic for a whole other post), but while browsing around today while she got her pedicure,  I discovered this great website that has a camera pointed at the ocean in Mendocino Village:

http://weather.mcn.org/

There are also complicated weather maps and the actual temperature on this page, but as a mostly home bound donkey, it was the live view that interested me. It occurred to me that this website could be used to observe the stunning, justly famous Mendocino Coastal Sunset, from anywhere at all on earth.

Of course I can see the sun set over the Pacific every single day from right outside Donkey Cottage at my Inn.

But maybe you aren't so lucky?

I would recommend that you come up here before the busy season hits us. Chuck has been raving about the dishes they are cooking at the new on site restaurant that opens April 15th, and I believe they are running some kind of a special to encourage people to come try it.

You'd be silly to miss out on something like that, at such a beautiful time of year up here.

Heidi over and out!

Creekside Restaurant Opening Soon!

Chunk is so excited he can barely contain himself.

The new restaurant at the Inn at Schoolhouse Creek is opening up this month. Even though he's not the chef (weird "no chipmunks in the kitchen" policy!), he's still very excited about the menu.

Here's a sample of the appetizers:

Scampi Prawns
Garlic butter sautéed wild-caught prawns with extra bread for dipping

Scallop & Bacon Towers
Pan seared scallops, layered between crispy bacon in a red wine reduction

Crab & Artichoke Dip

Mushroon Artichoke Sautée with a Garlic, Shallots & Sherry Reduction & Bread for Dipping

They are open nightly, starting April 15th.

Chipmunks will be dining well!

Real Spring on the Mendocino Coast!

Heidi here!

How lovely it is. This is a current photo, from our beautiful Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. Almost dog ice cream time there too.

We are so blessed to live here.

Even Monique is enjoying all of the adorable little birds surrounding us right now.

And the blooms! Wow. What lovely sweet smells too. All that rain has made this one of the pretty springs we have ever had.

Here we are, reveling in nature.

Happy spring!

--Heidi

A little rain makes the frogs grow fonder

OK.  So we are having a little bit of rain. Chunk is refusing to go out -- except for breakfast of course.

Heidi and I are becoming Parcheesi Ninjas.

It's hard to complain though when everything is getting so nice and green. At least it's a mild rain -- and all of the moisture is wonderful for the flowers.

You know what really loves rain? Ferns. We have many, many types of native ferns here on the Mendocino Coast and I'm betting that right about now, each and every one of them is extremely happy.

Van Damme State Park, our local state park, right here in Little River, is famous for its multitudes of various types of fern.

Even in this misty weather, it's an awfully nice place to be.

Some guests at our Inn tell us that it's been years since they heard a frog. Can you believe that?

I can almost guarantee that if you come to Van Damme State Park this week, you will hear not only lots of frogs -- but some very happy frogs.

Celebrity Mini Donkeys Salute Fellow Famous Equine

Courtesy of NBC TV

Guess what? A mini horse was the virtual *star* of an episode of one of our favorite comedy shows last night. Lil' Sebastian, a grand old man at 25-years-old, stole the show, even from the very talented Amy Poehler, who plays an extremely lovable bureaucrat on the zany ensemble show, Parks & Recreation.

Heidi and I have been watching the show since it first premiered and we are pleased to report that it went from being spotty initially to being hilarious consistently now. It's one of the few shows Heidi and I can both enjoy. Usually, I'm more of a hard news and documentary donkey and Heidi follows the PBS costume dramas and increasingly, some of the shows on Starz, which have turned into a sort of PBS lite, with historical dramas and such.

But I digress. The purpose of this post is to send our very warm congratulations to our fellow celebrity equine, Lil' Sebastian, on his brilliant performance on last night's Parks & Rec. We wish him many, many more.

Victory Gardens on the Mendocino Coast

Things are so chaotic all over the world right now, what really calms and centers us is to get back to the earth. Yes, it might sound sort of clichéd, but Heidi and I do take real consolation from the simpler things and it's hard to stay worried, no matter how much bad news we see on TV, the way all of the gorgeous bulbs are coming up right now.

We spotted this amazing event at our local Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. They are doing a Victory Garden growing class, showing folks how to grow wonderful edible gardens in our coastal climate.

Details here!

The gardens are so lush and wonderful right now. You don't even need an excuse to go, but it couldn't hurt to learn something. That class is March 26th from 1 - 4.




Shiver the dog loves the Gardens at every season -- even though the dog ice cream doesn't start for a couple more months.  By the way, he looks 100% Podengo to me. I wonder if he's even aware of it himself. Oh, Shiver.

Nautical Life for Mini Donkeys

Here's our beautiful Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, just up the road. It's an ideal spot for watching whales and they even have a docent to help you spot them during the Whale Festivals going on right now. The Lighthouse warrants a visit at any time of year, given that it's home to a museum and exhibit about the roots of our county and a fascinating wrecked ship called the Frolic.

Heidi has heard that the Mama whales shelter their young in the Cove directly under the lighthouse while they browse for snacks. But as I have mentioned, Heidi is mad for whales and whale watching and she's  in her element right now -- during our annual whale celebrations.

Our turn this weekend -- the Taste of Little River comes to our Inn. Stop by our Donkey Cottage if you get the chance. We will be holding court. If we like you, you can scratch our backs but don't get ahead of yourself. Only if we offer.

Taste of Little River This Weekend = More Whale Fun

Heidi has asked me to do a plug for the upcoming Little River Whale Festival. She gets so excited about this stuff! You can't keep her down.

Apparently, March 11 - 13th there will be a passport you can get stamped as you swan around our tiny hamlet, sampling delicious foods from our local chefs, sipping local wines, chatting with historians, enjoying art, and of course -- watching whales! The Festival benefits our beautiful local Van Damme State Park.

We're even having an event right here at the Inn at Schoolhouse Creek.

Go to www.mendowhale.com or call (707) 961-6300 for more details.

I hope Heidi's happy! She's off peeking at the whales as we speak. She can't get enough of them.

Early rhododendrons on the Mendocino Coast

Heidi here!

I have to say, I'm not a patient donkey, and thank goodness our wonderful rhododendrons are in bloom at last at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens.

Did you know that rhododendrons only grow in very specific spots on earth -- and the Mendocino Coast is one of those rare spots in North America?

We are so blessed -- between our temperate weather, ocean views, fertile soil that ensures the best cuisine on earth, ancient trees that tower over us, and I could go on and on!

According to Monique, I frequently do.

It's not my fault spring is so glorious in our home!

I am so looking forward to popping up to the Gardens to take a peek at the whales and visit the rhodies at the same time. They are planning very special whale watching walks at the gardens, in conjunction with this year's whale festivals, starting this weekend!

The bounty is almost too much for me. If I were a donkey from an earlier era, I'd be tempted to swoon. But then Monique is always on hand to provide a reality check. We are modern miniature donkeys. Our dignity is everything to us. Next to our meals. And having our backs scratched.

Here's another rhodie photo from the gardens. Catch me if I faint!

Daffodils are up

Our gardens are alight with color again! Just a heads up.

I don't even mind a light, spring rain in temperate weather, even though it means that our days of being able to stay inside and play games are numbered. Heidi is champing at the bit to start her usual spring round of bird watching and attending endless whale festivals, so I'm taking advantage of our very last days of Parcheesi.

Chunk and his brethren are big jigsaw puzzle fans -- no idea why they find that interesting -- but they know that warm weather is just around the corner so it's time to find that final piece to the 1,500 piece puzzle they bought this winter online, depicting  George Washington crossing the Delaware. Chipmunks love history. Who knew?

Heidi is still pouting because she wanted James Franco for best actor. I told her and told her that everyone knew Colin Firth had it sewn up but she didn't believe me. I think it was more than enough that he hosted the show but she's obsessed with him these days. Come to think of it, next week's whale festivals will be a welcome distraction!

The Whales are Coming!

Well, actually the whales are here, but the annual whale festivals are starting and I can't wait!

Heidi here, in case you couldn't tell. Monique thinks I'm mental to get this excited about whale-watching, but I'm not the only one. Whale-watching is so huge here on the Mendocino Coast that they have designed a whole month's worth of events around it, changing towns each weekend, and every year more people get excited too.

What makes whale-watching in Mendocino unique is how close the whales actually come to our coast, due to the sheltered nature of our coastline, combined with really deep water. Let's be honest, the beaches are no good for swimming for that reason but they are perfect for the world's largest marine mammals.

Some favorite spots for spotting whales from shore include the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, the headlands in front of Pt. Cabrillo Lighthouse, and of course, our own ocean-view hot tub, right here at the Inn -- or one of the hot tubs in one of our private homes and cottages -- some of which are right over the Pacific. All of these places -- and more -- are having very special whale-related events starting next week. More on that in future posts or check it out at: mendowhale.com, the official home of Mendocino's whale festivals -- complete with whale sound effects!!!

Enough for now. Monique is nudging me because we are only half way through reviewing all of the films nominated for Best Picture and we like to start watching the Red Carpet pre-show early! Here's a final image to whet your appetite for whales. Happy Oscar Sunday!

Romantic Pet-Friendly Vacation Anyone?

Not to sound like a broken record over here, but I have just discovered yet another mention of our Inn in the media.

This one is on eHow.com, which I thought was for explaining how to do things -- such as get wine stains out of a shirt or put a chipmunk on a diet (OK, maybe I made that one up).

But I really didn't know that they also clarified matters as complex as "Where do we take our dog on a romantic (for us) Mendocino vacation if we also want to stay some place that features adorable and charming miniature donkeys?"

Did I make that last part up? I might have embellished -- a bit -- but can it be a coincidence that our home is suddenly popping up all over the place, right now, when we are becoming so justly famous for our witty and heartfelt blog?

There are no coincidences. That's what Heidi says, and normally I tell her she's being paranoid, but in this case, it's an excellent thing that we are infusing the zeitgeist with our tiny, teeny wonderfulness.

We're not trying to be furry, loveable AND famous -- it's just happening to us.

So deal with it, people.

Dog-friendly Donkeys

We are just getting more and more famous for our dog-loving ways.

Here's yet another write up of our pet-friendly accommodations in the popular press.  This time it's a blog with 500,000 readers called Petside.com on the iVillage network of sites!

Check it out:

Petside.com: Welcome Inn.

That's us! Welcome Inn. Doesn't that sound nice?

This photo is from the Inn's website. It features our "Pooch Parking" area near the front of the farmhouse. It's in our beautiful gardens. Any one would be happy to be parked in this paradise. And when they are done being parked, dogs can run the length of the meadow above our cottage.

 Here's one now!

We've already bragged enough about our private, off-leash beach. Or have we? Naw. It's not possible to say enough things about this gorgeous, pristine, sheltered spot. There are even interesting rock formations.

Let's face it. You can never get enough of the ocean. It calms the nerves. It soothes the soul. It reminds us all of our place in the universe. And dogs love the beach because they can chase waves, dig without being yelled at, eat shellfish remains that the seagulls have rejected, and generally enjoy themselves the way only they know how.

Chess Weather at the Inn

Nothing like a little spring rain to keep the flowers inspired and help me hone my chess game.

Here at the Inn we have a large chessboard, not too far from our cottage, and I keep sharp by playing matches in all weathers. The board is rubber and the pieces are plastic, so it's an all-weather pass time for me.

We recently hosted one of the top high school chess players from the state of Illinois, and we got some photos of him playing a Podengo:

As the world's smallest hunting dogs, Podengos aren't the best chess players. They are too easily distracted by prey -- or really anything they think might be prey. It just shows how patient this really fine chess player is that he's willing to play a match with a Podengo at all.

Here he is taking on an even bigger challenge -- teaching a puppy how to play! M. Remy Martin W. turned out to be interested in snacks but unable to think beyond his next move. Pity.

Is the Podengo helping Remy learn the moves -- or is he just after the treats too? We may never know for sure.

This dog-loving Illinois high school chess wiz wanted to play ME at chess too, but I didn't want to embarrass him. Sure, he's one of the best high school chess players in the Midwest, but I am the ranked #1 hoofed livestock chess champion in California. It wouldn't be a fair fight.

Short Films for Small Donkeys

Heidi and I are big fans of the annual Mendocino Film Festival.

It's only been going on for a few years now, up the road in Mendocino Village, but it's a great opportunity for us to see some pretty amazing films in a fun, intimate setting. Because the Village is so small and adorable (like us!) the Festival fills the town with excitement and people who love movies -- in a good way. There aren't any gift suites or pretentious parties or any of the other nonsense you find at the more mature film festivals.

Saturday, February 19th, the Festival folks are presenting an encore of the popular collection of short films from last year's festival, with screenings at 4, 6, and 8 p.m.

Go to the Mendocino Film Festival's website for more information -- and updates on this year's upcoming festival, June 3rd through 5th.

We do adore a good flick! I'm a huge Tarantino and Scorsese fan and Heidi, predictably, likes pap like the Sound of Music, Singing in the Rain, and the Wizard of Oz.

There's no accounting for taste but at least a selection of short films will give us enough variety so we can both find something to like -- or more likely, argue about.

See you at the movies!

Donkeys Love Baskets

Photo by John Palmer

You know that Heidi is mad for bird-watching and whale-watching and an ace at Parcheesi. She has told you about my obsession with chess and made fun of my love of scrap-booking. But perhaps what you didn't know was that we are also very big fans of Native American artifacts. How could we not be? Surrounded as we are by the same ancient trees as our wild horse ancestors and connected to the earth (due to our reduced stature), of course we feel very close to the beings that lived on our land before us.

The Grace Hudson Museum in nearby Ukiah (our county seat!) has a world famous collection of baskets and more by our native Pomo Indians, but now through February 27th they are also hosting rare and wonderful baskets from the California Indian Heritage Center. This is not to be missed!

Heidi is inquiring if we can be accommodated on the Skunk Train, a wonderfully scenic way to pop over from the Coast, which will take us from Fort Bragg (just 10 miles north) all the way over to Willits, winding all the while through gorgeous scenery, just as it has done for the last 125 years!

From Willits we will just need a quick ride down the 101 to Ukiah. Anyone have a nice big car? Heidi gets carsick. Just a word of warning.

Photo by John Palmer