The Stanford Inn by the Sea - Eco-Resort

Cardy died last Thursday, She was surrounded by those who loved her: Dana, Skye and Ryan caressed her while Mark, Barney, Mark's dog, and I watched. Mark, his wife and dogs are regular guests and had returned to the Inn the night before. Mark has always felt a special connection with Cardy and happened to be walking Barney to say hello to her, when he came upon us.

Since the last post, Cardy had a few good days. She hung out by an apple tree which she could lean on or spent time with the other horses adjacent to her paddock. She quit trotting away from me, when I quit serving her bute which did not seem to provide relief. Cardy ate, but it was clear that she was weak and early Thursday afternoon, she lay down and could not get up. Cardy left us with a gentle wind.

Later that afternoon Dana brought me a bird's nest which had fallen out of a tree. It was empty, of course. It was constructed in part with Cardy's hair, which Dana had combed out more than a month before. Birds collected her hair to create a soft bed for their broods. We need no reminders: Cardy is a gentle and attentive being, a horse who like most horses is so much more than what we normally expect of a horse. Guests related to her, were concerned about her.

Cardy was brought here to die, but she lived nearly six years longer than her previous owners most likely expected. She loved watching guests and their dogs and perhaps the always changing flow of people as well as Scooter, Storm and Badger - the other horses here invigorated her life.

We have had a series of small miracles.

It is so beautiful here, the depths of greens the thousands of blooming plants - the shapes and textures. The joy of animals running through the grounds, of birds circling over the gardens and of our guests who find themselves surrounded in beauty. All of this is miraculous to me.

I was stunned by Cardy's death, though expected and natural. I did not experience the beauty here then. Yet, while speaking with guests a couple of days ago about sustainable lifestyles, I found myself suddenly and ecstatically in the moment of the beauty here. Nothing theoretical. No thought - just magnificence - the magnificence of beauty, of nature - and of the people I was with who didn't notice. All beautiful!

Can Do, Can Too, and Can So, three 9 month old baby llama boys came to join our older llamas and horses this week. They are stunning. And this picture does not do them justice:

It is wonderful to have young llamas again and we hope that they get the older llamas more intensely interested in life. At this point, the older llamas are pretending the three boys don't exist.

The three llamas have reminded all of us of the miracle of life - of birth... and, of course, death.

Houston is back! Many of you who know us and have been to the Inn probably met Houston a tabby cat with white paws who appeared here about 1992, jumping on the back of Matt Jenks, wrapping herself around his neck. I was interviewing Matt for a summer job at Catch A Canoe. Houston arrived here on the same day one of our favorite cats was killed on Highway 1.

This past weekend, Houston found Dana who was en route to the East Bay and who named her Clover. Clover was a stray in a gas station in Cloverdale. Dana is director of the nurseries and assistant manager of the Inn and she didn't mention that Clover might be Houston - reincarnated, a phenomenon we have experienced here, before. I walked into the room Clover was staying in yesterday and was overwhelmed by her "Houston-ness" and I was not expecting anything. It was the behavior, the energy of the cat. I mentioned this to Dana and Dana noted that Clover has the tendency to wrap herself around your neck. Before walking into that room, had no idea that this cat was Houston, returned

Some of you may not believe in reincarnation. And that's all right, of course. I believe that animals particularly horses, cats and dogs are manifestations of spirit helpers, or guides. They love us usually without condition, they help heal us, they carry us, and they sacrifice their lives for us.

(Pictured are Clover and Zack.)

The week has been one of miracles that bring meaning and joy.

By the way, below is a link to sign up for emails regarding health tips that we have learned and believe are worth sharing, news of the Inn, events, and particularly information regarding the new Mendocino Center for Well Being, Catch A Canoe, Massage in the Forest, and & Bicycles, too!

Whatever I write here is of little consequence when considering the Iranian people's use of blogs, Twitter, Face Book to help let the rest of us know what is going on in their country. The Daily Show has recently reported on Iran - remarkably portraying Iranian's awareness of the rest of the world and their compelling passion for American ideals. Barak Obama's carefully crafted comments seem to me gauged to help shield pro-Democratic, pro-western, and particularly pro-American Iranians as targets of the Mullahs' anger about the protests to the irregular election.

Lately my blogs have concerned the lives of our animals. I haven't dealt with issues concerning the environment, health, and well being that dominate the newsletter we hand to our guests when they check-in. I haven't felt compelled to write in these areas - due to lack of real interest in so many of the people that are coming to the Inn. Many are interested - the "choir" as it were
- there are some who question our restaurant and ask why The Ravens' is vegan and give it a try. And there are far more who are uninterested or demonstrably annoyed by our "greenness." Many people won't stay because our amenities are costly and we are slightly more expensive than other inns - our food costs are two to three times that of inns buying standard commercial products; we have a heated salt-water pool enclosed in a heated greenhouse, we have extensive gardens, offer organic, house made desserts at Afternoons at the Inn. The average cost per guest is $20 per breakfast!

We recently provided complimentary accommodations to a travel writer. The writer had requested dinner at the inn and walked in declaring, "we are carnivores and don't understand the food." The staff sensed this statement to be ridicule not a joke. Perhaps they -we- are oversensitive. But we gave them information, spoke with them, providing opportunities for them to ask us to explain the cuisine. The point, and they didn't get it, is that the only sustainable diet is a whole food vegan diet and our job is to help make this diet accessible - easy to prepare, and a joy to eat.

I am whining about the lack of awareness of some of our guests and a writer. In the meantime, some news casts are covering the separation of Jon and Kate, who apparently have eight young children, and some very fine people have been killed or jailed in Iran. But just because these events are mentioned in the same paragraph, they are not equal.

Perhaps if we, I, can maintain perspective our, my, life will be less conflicted - i.e., no upset regarding guests and writers who don't get what we are about. It isn't important, except of course, with regard to oil. The American (and, for that matter, European and others) addiction to an animal based diet in part creates the context leading to the death of Iranian students on the streets of Tehran. Nearly half of all energy used is in the service of the production of animals for food - beef, fish, pigs, chicken. The American presence in the Middle East is a direct result of our need to control the flow of oil and our presence intimidates much of the leadership in the area.