show menu

North Coast Winds by Robin Joy Wellman - April 2017

April represents spring cleaning for many of us. And I love to purge the unwanted ‘stuff’ that I tend to accumulate each year. The more I can let go of the freer I feel all around me. It truly frees the mind and spirit of only what is essential to live, enjoy, and think about the here and now. I know this sounds like a hippie sort of thing – and it is. Call it minimalist or call it hippiness – it’s all good. Try it! The winds and storms of this past winter cleaned out all those dead branches, dust from the past summer, and cleaned out our creeks and rivers too. Spring!

Moving on…Time to CELEBRATE!

Exciting news for me personally is my departure from Fort Ross State Historic Park after 27 years. I have met tens of thousands of beautiful children, thousands of amazing teachers and hundreds of wonderful volunteers and community members – many of who have become lifelong friends. I think of my beginning days to the times of this past year and I have memories that are forever in my heart with Kashaya, Alaskans, Yakutians, and many other people represented. I remember the time we had the archpriest here with the church and that day the fall of communism in Russia was real. The Archpriest stood on the table and danced. What a site! An Archpriest dancing! And the time we hosted the Russian Ambassador Kislyak which was a changing moment for Fort Ross. And the Bicentennial will always be big and beautiful in my heart. My first days were with Bill Walton and Dan Murley – those were the best of times (I love you both). Please join us for my Farewell Celebration April 22 at Fort Ross SHP starting with a church service at 9:00 and moving on at 11:00 with song and dance by Kitka and Kedry – then blessings by two of my favorite Kashaya elders, then a few words and the bench dedication followed by a potluck. It would be my honor to have you so I may thank each and every one of you for shaping an amazing career at Fort Ross.

MUSIC on the Coast: The Whale and Jazz Festival begins in April in Gualala and Mendocino Coast. Presented by Gualala Arts, Arena Theater, Mendocino Chamber and others, this highly regarded festival captures original jazz art work, whale education, jazz films, poetry and jazz, an annual Chowder Challenge and tasting and live music in atmospheric and beautiful settings which is a truly wonderful coastal experience. Please visit the web for more info: gualalaarts.org/category/events/whale-and-jazz-festival/. At the Point Arena Lighthouse also celebrates the Whale and Jazz Fest with special full moon tours. The Point Arena Lighthouse also celebrates the Whale and Jazz Fest with special full moon tours. Please visit their web at pointarenalighthouse.com/visit/calendar-2/.

Family Fun on the Farm:Several months ago I wrote about the Cassari Ranch along the Point Arena coast. They are hosting spring farm-to-table events as part of Mendocino County’s Almost Fringe Festival, a new month-long festival celebrating creative happenings countywide. The Cassari Picnic Day takes place April 29-30 on the Farm from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. The ranch is located at 42900 Curley Lane, Point Arena, CA. This special event will be filled with family fun (think ranch bocce ball, bobbing for apples, burlap and wheel barrow races, horse shoes, egg toss), a BBQ with food and drink, walks on the sheep field trail, and visits to the country store/farm stand. Costs range from $10-$20 for food and activities - www.casariranch.com.

Spring Celebrations:Several other holidays and celebrations in April are of course, the 1st –April Fools Day – but did you know this is also‘Have Fun at Work Day’. A prank or two on a co-worker seems fitting. April 7 is ‘no housework day’ (who decides these dates).

April 16th is Easter where I also tend to celebrate color. I always gave my sons a hand beaded crystal to hang from their window which they still have and love. And for all my artist friends April 23 i s‘Talk Like Shakespeare Day’.And last April 30 is ‘National Honest Day’ (let’s get all our politicians out on stage and see if it works). Really!

Hug a friend, love your pets, call your family and count your blessing each and every day and don’t forget to spring clean with a PURGE.

Find me around town please. I love staying in touch with people I have come to know and love at work!

We've moved our commenting system to Disqus, a widely used community engagement tool that you may already be using on other websites. If you're a registered Disqus user, your account will work on the Gazette as well. If you'd like to sign up to comment, visit https://disqus.com/profile/signup/.
Show Comment