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North Coast Winds by Robin Joy Wellman - May 2019

I made many promises to our Mother Earth on Earth Day. I hope you did too! I know we all talk the big talk and we think about all the things we want to do to defend and protect our planet, which is mind blowing when you think of the finest and smallest of intricacies as well as all the majestic beauty. But how far are you willing to go? I might be ‘preaching to the choir’ as many of our west coast residents are very in touch with all this but it never hurts to get reminded. I PROMISE to: not buy poisons to use in or around my house and yard, to go organic every chance I get including with food I eat so that in the long run we are supporting the right folks, to shop local at our farmers markets, to make sure the bees have water, to buy nontoxic hoses so our pets are happy for a long time, to stop and appreciate the smell of the roses or lilacs or all of those amazing plants around us, growing. I PROMISE to never ask for a straw, and to share with those around us about the harm plastics are doing to our amazing grand oceans, rivers, lakes and thus the harm in the many creatures that live in them, to pick up trash on my walks, to find a way to protect plants and animals that need protecting, to encourage my grandchildren to see the amazing beauty of this earth (call them and ask them to look at the full moon and remind them it is the same moon I am seeing and share the ‘wow’ of that), to take them to all the wonders of the world, and to give back by giving my time energy and resources. Mother Earth you have provided for millions and millions and millions of people. Please be patient as we all sort out how to be better stewards and to love one another.

Loving one another comes in many shapes and sizes. If you plan on attending the Mother’s Day Breakfast benefit for the Timber Cove Fire Protection on May 12th, you will certainly be surrounding yourself with a whole lotta love for one another. The breakfast/brunch is at Plantation Farm from 9:30 to 11:30 on Kruse Ranch Road. This is hometown food, and everything is perfect including the flowers and service. It is a great way to get out and see the coastal area and see friends. While you are on Kruse Ranch Road it is totally worth a visit to the Kruse Ranch Rhododendron Reserve. The trails are beautiful and full of rhododendrons blooming at this time of year. Wild beauty! Here is a link for more information https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=448.

On Saturday May 18th up in beautiful Annapolis, Baku will perform at the Annapolis Winery. Baku features the talents of Harrison Goldberg, saxophones and percussion, Chris Doering, 7-string guitar and guitar synthesizer, Tim Mueller, 6-string guitar and guitar synthesizer, David French, upright bass and percussion, and Nancy Feehan, cajon and percussion, Baku is known for their unique jazz, Afro-Beat, Middle Eastern, and other World Music influences and rhythms. Plus you can do some wine tasting at the family owned Annapolis Winery and Tasting. They were one of the first wineries in the area. I remember my boys going over to earn an extra dollar by helping to harvest. They have included the community and supported many events. Check them out at http://www.annapoliswinery.com/

In May the Gualala Art Center will host four different exhibits of works in oil, acrylic, and several different mediums all worth visiting. And lots of music events too! On Friday May 10th at 7:30 PM the “The Sea Ranch Songs”, DVD Screening and Discussion with Kronos Quartet (David Harrington, John Sherba, Hank Dutt, and Sunny Yang) in attendance and local residents Donlyn Lyndon & Alice Wingwall, moderators. The Sea Ranch community commissioned this work of The Sea Ranch’s past, present and future by videographer Andrew Lyndon that accompanies a lush contemporary soundtrack written by composer Aleksandra Vrebalov and performed by the two-time Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet. Kronos has become one of the world’s most celebrated and influential ensembles. And they will be there. Wow! What is very special about this is the opening of the musical is the song and drumming of Lorin Smith Senior, a Kashaya Elder, who recently passed away. All together this entire piece of music reflects on many aspects and people of our coast. I will be there for this special show. The Coastal Singers will perform “What A Wonderful World” for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12 at 4 pm $15 advance; $5 more day of event; youth $5, 17 and under free with adult.

One event that is very close to my heartis the “Yakutia Culture Evening” sharing stories, songs, and food of Sakha Culture” on May 16th at 7:00. What or who is the Sakha culture you ask? The Sahka are the tribal members from Siberia that were once here on our coast under the Russian flag and the Russian American Company at Colony Ross. If you have ever walked out to Gualala River Regional Park and the Gualala Art Center, you will have noticed the Sergeh Tuhulgete poles. Now is the time to ask questions of Vera, a Sahka tribal member living in Washington DC, and enjoy an evening of one of Sahka’s most famous singers, Siberian ethno-singer Saina (Savvinova Ekatherina Arkadyavna) an indigenous person from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russian Federation. Saina has mixed heritage of native Siberian people—Sakha and Evenk—and has represented the culture of her ancestors all around the world. She is an Honored Artist of the Republic of Sakha, Russia, and her performances are seen all over the world. Saina is a unique vocalist, who performs with traditional musical instruments like the Khamus (jaw harp) and a drum, and her repertoire range from traditional ethnic music to jazz. Thank you to Global Harmony Series and Harmony Susalla.

Wait – there’s more. At the Point Arena Lighthouse on Saturday, May 18 at 4 p.m. Dr. Nancy R. Morin will present “Plants of the Mendonoma coast–what have we learned, and what mysteries remain?” as part of the Lighthouse Lecture Series. The Mendonoma coast is home to a surprising number of rare plants and plant communities and yet little has been know about the flora of the region. To help develop a management plan for the newly added Point Arena-Stornetta Unit to the California Coastal National Monument, teams of botanists from the California Native Plant Society and the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley were contracted to undertake vegetation and plant surveys. This talk will explore the results of their work. Stick around after the lecture for the Flower Full Moon tour. https://www.pointarenalighthouse.com/visit/calendar-2/

Promise yourself to get out and about to enjoy our coast. Blessings

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