08/11/2026
We are happily manifesting our best lives here in California, as karma and serendipity seem to be opening up new opportunities, even as we work through the many challenges of starting our lives all over again. So... here's the much anticipated update!
-Arrival!
Mon June 22nd: we arrived at our new place around 9pm and crashed in the Yurt.
-Puttin' the Goats to work! (Actually, they are just eating all the time and getting fat!)
The next day we took the goats to stay with our friends at a local farm, where they've had a couple acres of brush to clear... and they have done a great job over the past several weeks!
-High Sierra Music Festival!
We volunteered at the High Sierra Music Fest in Grass Valley! Ashley helped with food prep for staff/volunteers before the festival, and James helped clean up and pack out after the event. All three of us enjoyed the fest, and added a handful of bands/artists to the list of great performances we have seen, including: Balthus, the Word (Jon Medeski, Robert Randolph, & North Mississippi Allstars), Cymande, Boy Golden and quite a few more!
-Yuba River cool!
As daily temps often exceed the high 90's and low 100's, we have found a variety of swimming holes that allow us to find some cool during the hottest parts of the day.
-Trip #2
James flew back to PA on July 13th, picked up a Uhaul and our Food Trailer, loaded it all up with the rest of our stuff at Fernwood, and set out on a solo 2500+ mile cross-country trip back to Smartsville, CA. This was crazy, and James does not want to do this again any time soon!
-Ashley's trial by fire!
The day after James flew out, a local wildfire incurred an evacuation of our property. So Ashley loaded into the truck Gus, the dogs Rema & Shadow Boy, the cats Sq**rt and Bob. Then, in 103 degree temps, with some assistance from the Sherriff and a Detective, hooked up the old camper to the truck with three of our goats and hauled everyone to safety! Everything was fine, and all parties were able to return home the following day. It was a wild experience, and now Ashley knows she can haul a 22ft trailer with our truck in an emergency!
-Exploring!
We have taken some opportunities to explore our new surroundings, including the northern SF Bay Area and Lake Tahoe, among a handful of other local spots like the Sacramento historic district, and of course scouting great places to eat around Grass Valley and Nevada City. We are very happy to have so many beautiful and fun places to eat, hike, swim and explore!
-James' sweet new job, Gus' new school and Ashley's food endeavors!
James is very excited to announce his new position as Operations & Maintenance Tech at Boxpower, a very innovative Renewable Energy Solutions company that builds 'Micro-Grids' in shipping containers that can be deployed to bring power to remote locations. Check it out at boxpower.io
Ashley is well on-track to start hustling her 'Artisanal Farm-to-Jar Salads' at local farmers markets, with the creation of our new LLC, Poison Oak Farms! This involves the purchase of a small, refrigerated van, leasing space in a kitchen at the Bodhi Hive in Nevada City, developing relationships with local farmers/suppliers, and a host of other obstacles to clear... but it is going well and we are excited about the prospects!
Gus will start at Ready Springs school next week, and he is so excited! We will be attending the Nevada County fair this week, where we plan to get him started with the local 4H chapter, and hope he can start raising/showing some of our goats this coming year! Gus is also glad to have many nice rock shops around, and to regularly collect gold flakes from the local waters!
Overall, we are very happy and settling in. There have definitely been challenges like replacing the septic pump, running out of water because our 2x 2500 gallon water holding tanks were not filled in spring. Adapting to yurt life and settling a property that was only used 'on the weekends' by former tenants takes patience and grit, but we continue to adapt and overcome. We found a swamp cooler at a thrift shop for $500 and after a little redneck engineering to get it ducted into our space, it makes the yurt comfortable during the heat of Summer.
Other than that, we are working to clear brush and build several hundred feet of fence. This is so that we can bring the goats back here and make more 'defensible space' by having the goats eat the underbrush which better prepares us if we ever face a wildfire threat to our property.
So, we are busy, busy, busy... but also happy, happy, happy! Hope everyone reading this is doing well, and we are grateful for the love and support!
