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."

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!

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.

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.

Happy Happy from Heidi

Heidi signing on!

Things are fine and green in our part of the world and Monique is off having her toes done for the New Year.

We've been playing so much Parcheesi lately, it's nice to have a spot of sunshine. It's supposed to be sunny all week too!

We had a plethora of fun visitors up here for the holidays. Many, many adorable dogs. Here's one of the more memorable ones:

For one thing, he brought his stuffed koala and refused to let go of it for his first day at the Inn until he discovered how much fun he could have here.

For another, M. Remy Martin (as he is called) decided it was a great game to run into our compound and let Monique chase him out. He thought it was delightful! Monique, on the other hand, was not amused.

She adores dogs but she has a zero tolerance policy for dogs in the compound and I support her wholeheartedly -- although not to the point of helping her chase them out. I think that's far too extreme. Plus, the dogs enjoy it too much!

Bye for now. Off to enjoy some sun!

--Heidi

Beautiful Day at Buckhorn Cove

Did you know we have our own private beach? It's called Buckhorn Cove and because it is a Cove, it is frequently super-temperate down there. It's just across the street a piece from our place here on the Mendocino Coast and in addition to spectacular rock formations, there's just a lot of nice, clean sand and some smaller rocks that are perfectly formed for sitting on and reading a book. It's not even hard to walk down to, unlike so many of the rugged and inaccessible beaches on the North Coast. This one is positively accessible -- yet you have to know it's there (no signs -- it's private) which means it's also uncrowded.

This photo was taken two days after Christmas of a couple of teenaged guests at the Inn. Who says there's nothing for teenagers to do in Mendocino? There's plenty to do if they like to hike or kayak or explore or just hang out on the beach. This day was warm enough to wade and it was only two days ago! Wow! We are lucky in our weather.

Here is the mighty Podengo and his junior side-kick in training, Remy Martin, that same day at the beach. Dogs are allowed off leash on this beach and these two had a blast, I am told.

Podengos on Earth and Goodwill Toward Mini Donkeys!

Here is the Mighty Podengo, patrolling the deck of Rose Cottage, just across from our Donkey Cottage, here at the Inn.

Like most of our cottages, Rose Cottage has marvelous ocean views from the deck, which is why the Podengo is on patrol.

Whales probably can't walk on dry land, but Podengos are ever vigilant. Someone has to be.

Whales come very close to our coast here in Mendocino, something about the geography of the coastline. It makes us a mecca for whale watchers.

Here's the chest of pet perks and gear, which guests get, in addition to the Pet Welcome Packet, which is where you will find the tasty dog treats you crave.

If you are a dog, of course! We never raid the dog treats, even if they are organic and handmade.

We have our pride!

Fireplace days

Now's the time of year when I like the Inn the best. Our cozy cottage feels just right when it's a little bit nippy out. Granted, we don't have a Jacuzzi tub or a hot tub like the other cottages -- or a fireplace or wood stove to snuggle up in front of like they have in theirs -- but we've got games just like the bigger accommodations!

Heidi is partial to Parcheesi and that's just nuts. It's not even a real game. I don't think anyone will be surprised to learn that in addition to chess, I am a big fan of bridge.


Here's the Buckhorn Cove room at the Inn. It's named after the private beach (off leash for dogs!) just a short walk from our Inn. Isn't that nice?

I can feel Heidi reaching for the Parcheesi shaker...

Somebody...

....made breakfast even more delicious here at the Inn.

Well, I know who but I'm sick to death of braying about the chefs at La Petite Rive. They are just artists. Everyone says so who has eaten there.

And now every guest who stays is benefiting from their craft, because they are preparing the breakfasts for everyone up at the farmhouse daily, included in your stay. A savoury hot entree like eggs benedict every day, a sweet hot entree like French toast, plus eggs however you want them, lots of good, strong coffee being poured. AND yogurt, cereals, toast, bagels, pastries, etc., etc.

Is it any WONDER Chunk has a weight problem? My lord! He's up there every morning.

I think he took this photo after a sip too much champagne, which means it isn't a photo of breakfast at all -- it's a photo of dinner -- but you get the general idea.

Donkeys of peace and love...

Hi!

Heidi here!

I have said we are donkeys of peace and love but I can actually prove it.

I have written proof that at least one couple has gotten engaged...well...not exactly because of us, but certainly after spending time with us.

You can read all about it on this man's engagement blog:

http://allthingszilla.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/our-engagement-story-part-ii-of-ii/


And then remember to come visit us soon.

It might just help you come to the point in your relationship. At the very least it will be a fun time petting some very cute mini donkeys.

Here's a nice picture the blogger took of the meadow by our cottage when he got engaged.

Gotta love it right? OK. Stay sweet.

Heidi out.

I give

OK. I give. Even though there is no "donkey-seating" at La Petite Rive (just two seatings a night at 5:30 and 8 p.m.) even I have to concede that it's an awfully nice place.

And now that the weather is chilly at night, it's positively delicious in front of the fireplace in the farmhouse where they are located.

Five complete courses for under $40...wonderful local wines, homey, friendly, unpretentious ambiance...All set in this romantic, old farmhouse that dates back to the 1800s...

Not that Heidi and I would know anything about it! Not only don't we patronize the place (although we can smell it -- yum!) all we ever hear from the chipmunks lately is Pacific Tapas this, Pacific Tapas that.

Pacific Tapas. That's the name of the new place -- yet to be opened, yet to select a chipmunk sous-chef...Don't try to Google it. No website yet.

At least that's what those dizzy chipmunks tell me, between arguing with each other about the best way to braise!

They should be winding down, storing nuts for the coming cooler weather, and not fighting over sauces and reductions. Here's Chunk on a rare break. He's the favorite for the sous-chef slot at the new place, but don't tell him that.

We do love dogs!

Hi from Heidi!

Remy Martin Wildavsky

We just received this wonderful picture of a guest dog who will be joining us around the holidays. We love to get correspondence from our canine fans -- and we are so excited to meet this puppy, Remy Martin.

Like the French cognac he is named for, we know he will get even better with age, which is fortunate, since by the time he comes to us he will be about three months older than he is here.

Apparently, he likes to do laundry, and while all of our accommodations have coffee makers, fridges, and microwaves, and many even have full kitchens, only one house has a washer and dryer. Since he's not staying at that house, he's going to have to make due with romping in the meadow and off leash on the beach to entertain himself and keep his laundry fetish pent up until he gets home!

Who Said Diva?

Do you know what I like? I like the way the weather is right now -- with the cool mist off of the Pacific in the morning and the nice, strong sun on my back at noon and all afternoon.

I'm a creature of simple pleasures, no matter what anyone tells you. I do appreciate my view of the sea, the gardens, meadows, and redwood forest all around me here at the Inn.

I'm not high maintenance or difficult. I don't demand One Thousand Flower Aromatherapy facials in my cottage. Oh, I'm sorry. OUR cottage.

Heidi, don't think I didn't read the blog yesterday. I know what you are telling my public about me and it breaks my heart.

Because, in my heart -- my pure, happy, mini-donkey heart -- I just love the simple things. The scampering bunnies and little chipmunks outside our pen, the shining faces of happy guests coming back from the private beach, the taste of fresh hay, hand delivered daily...

I'm such a simple soul.  Don't let anyone tell you anything else