Into The Woods :: Into The Farm

Have I mentioned how much I love staying new places with Airbnb? It's not like they're a sponsor, or give me a coupon when I type their name... trust me, this is genuine appreciation. When I was looking for a place to stay near UCSC, something to make us feel like we did something special over our summer vacation, something affordable, and unique, I was delighted to find a cabin in the woods, on a horse farm. And not just horses, but cats and dogs, goats and chickens! Redwoods. Cabin. Twinkle lights, farm fresh eggs, comfy beds, and friendly hosts? Yes, yes, yes! The real bonus is that we were only minutes away from my brother and sister-in-law, and the cousins! I cannot credit Airbnb with that, but it was certainly extra sweet that they were welcome to come by and meet the animals, hang out with us.

Danza was the first horse we met, and Princess was getting all the adoration she deserved... such a mild and good horse. The farm is a co-op, and the members share in the duties of caring for the animals, making it lighter work for all. Now, I wish I could say I remember all the animals' names, but maybe this means I need to go back until I can get them all straight. In the barn was Gigi the cat, and she was thoroughly and wholly affectionate. Maria and Marissa were utterly smitten. The new baby goats are Anna and Elsa... I did not get the reference until we were already driving home, which was very amusing to Maria. Up in the tree is Sandy, a compact love of a cat, who, unfortunately, hunts the birdies... oh kitty! We thought Sandy using the oak tree as her personal scratching post was endlessly entertaining, so you can see why spending the night here was our idea of awesome. We were into the woods. We were into the farm!

Maria and I were up early, after a cozy night's sleep, and Cyndi welcomed our help getting everyone fed. Chickens, then kitties, Mama goat, then horses, then all four goats get hay. The novelty, and good company made it a pleasure, but that's a lot of mouths to feed, and I felt certain that feeding our two goats and chickens would feel a whole lot less like lots to do!

The rest of the day was dedicated to visiting another school, and we got to see Dominic, Marissa and Bill, again... meet their new kitties, too. We even managed to visit our favorite bakery, where there was still some Ollalieberry pie. Our six days of road tripping were good, successful for our purposes, while still feeling like we made special summer memories... the cabin in the woods-on-the-farm made that especially possible.