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.

Happy Holidays to you from all of us up here

As you can see, Chunk is back in shape now that he has quit being a full-time chef and winter is upon us, making foraging just a bit harder. This shot would have made a nice photo for our holiday letter which I have already sent out.

Heidi was of the opinion that we didn't need a holiday letter this year and that I was only writing it to compete with the hoof-stock down at B. Bryan Preserve.

That's just silly!

Of course we need a holiday letter, regardless of what our cousins do or do not do. We are all about spreading good cheer, Peace on Earth, etc. etc.
 

The earth is very peaceful on the Mendocino Coast and we are so lucky to be so comfortable and cozy up here. It's not even raining at the moment! We are all just snuggled up with nog, and board games, and the Internet (of course we have Wifi!) and full of the spirit of the season.

Take that zebras!

Heidi checking in!

Happy holidays and shalom from Heidi.

I know Hannukah is long since over but it was too soon this year, don't you think?

I'm grabbing the blog while Monique is off composing our Christmas Newsletter to send the zebras and elk at B. Bryan Preserve, down the coast in Point Arena. I hope she's not going to be too wordy or heavy! She gets so competitive sometimes and I do feel that holiday letters can give exactly the wrong impression. They can be an opportunity to sort of blow your own horn -- especially if you are Very Endangered or just feeling that way this time of year...

But I do adore my cousins the Grevy's zebras down there. They are always having babies and they are chatty as the day is long. 

Here's a favorite photo of cousin Pistol when he was just a lad:

Photo by R.H. Carter

Isn't he sweet? I think so but of course he's family so I am biased.

Off to go check on Monique. I think there's nothing worse than a LONG holiday letter, don't you?

Note from Domino

Photo by R.H. Carter

We aren't the only hoofed animals with blogs on the Mendocino Coast. Did you think we were?

Our friends at B. Bryan Preserve have a blog as well, although the zebra and African elk (various kinds -- all very cute), aren't writing the thing themselves, obviously.

They are WILD animals, while we are domesticated -- board games, pedicures, scrapbooking, etc.

They have acres and acres to run around on and live just like they are in the wild -- and although their barns are very comfy they do not rival our beautiful Donkey Cottage.

On the other hand, they aren't too wild to send an e-mail every now and then.

Domino, an extremely endangered Hartmann's Mountain Zebra, likes to keep us on his Holiday e-Newsletter list, and even though he's barely two years old, I have to say there's a fair amount of bragging that goes on there.

Heidi says that being extremely endangered gives him an attitude, but I think it's more about being extremely adorable. That has to have gone to his head. Personally, I feel closer to the Grevy's Zebras but Heidi says that's silly. They are all our cousins and since they just live down the road in Point Arena (another hopping small town on Highway One, similar to our home town of Little River), we can't play favorites.

Watch me.

I heard they are getting giraffes soon. I am all over that! I love, love, love a tall man.