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| I have to get some goats someday. |
By Tuesday I had mostly completed
my Mom's website . She rewarded me with a drop dead gorgeous drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to Pescadero. This is where, or how I would live. The beach is marvelous, but I would want a farm, or at least acreage. This was an agricultural town, with a tiny main street and a few charming little houses with nice gardens and fun architectural accents. We went to
Harley Farms; a goat milk farm nestled into a green valley about 2-3 miles in from the coast. The skies at the beach were a heavy low white, but here they shared at least half of the sky with idyllic blue.
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| the view from the top of the barn |
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| The youngest kids this late in the summer were in a smaller pen, and getting lots of attention |
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| Beside the goat pen, a flower and herb garden to flavor and decorate the cheeses |
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| The sign says it all |
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| I was completely smitten with this little fellow |
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| Every inch of this farm was meticulously maintained |
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| There was an awesome soundtrack for the farm coming from the barn: classic rock, heavy on CSNY |
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| Farm-to-table dinners are held in the hayloft of the barn. |
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| Whatever the goats give, the farm uses; a respectful, inspiring approach to animal husbandry |
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| The goat shop had classic (and prize winning) cheeses; I bought the sun-dried tomato blend |
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| Before leaving Pescadero, we had a snack at this gas station/taqueria |
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| I had the carne asada; but the chile and cheese burrito was even better |
The drive home was delightful, the spectacular coastal vistas and the farmland stretched out before us. I was greatly inspired by Harley Farms. We joked about how in the world could I add goats to my menagerie; I already haul 4 hens and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks back and forth in a car. One day, there won't be any "back and forth" and I can flesh out my little homestead with a few goats. I learned how to make goat cheese a few summers ago at the
Sustainable Arts Society and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was shocked at how hard I had to tug on the teat and how forcefully the milk shot out. But even if they didn't give milk; I would love goats. They are beautiful creatures and loaded with personality; the crazy positions they would get themselves in cracked me up. I never got a photo I was truly satisfied with, because I couldnt get in the pen with them. As it was, if any other visitor came, I would leave for a little while and only return to the pen when I had it to myself. I wanted to be "alone" with the goats.
I cannot wait to get back to Chickory and see my own garden again. Im sure that all I have left growing are winter squashes and watermelons. Im guessing the tomatoes have burned up and that the summer squashes are exhausted. But I look forward to prepping the soil for fall crops and finally getting the long overdue garden shed built. One day, I hope a visit to Chickory delights guests with the sweetness and goodness of life that I felt at Harley Farms.