October 2012 Archives

Harvest Celebration

We had yet another fun gathering take place at the Sunburst Sanctuary last week-end during the bright and beautiful October Harvest moon. The autumn is such a wonderful time to gather when the days are sunny and warm, and the nights are starting to get cold. There is something about the contrast when the temperatures drop forty degrees between day and night when one can really feel the power of the changing seasons. Fall on the central coast is so beautiful with the many vineyards and local native trees changing colors, and many pumpkin patches are within visiting distance in the nearby towns of Los Olivos, and Santa Ynez.

Patty leads a relaxing and restorative yoga class.

Some of the activities for October’s Celebrate Life were two classes of yoga, a restorative evening class and a more invigorating morning class, and a wonderful Autumn hike in the afternoon. Dinner was served on the outside patio where we could observe the incredible beauty of the landscape complete with wandering groups of deer and other wildlife. Our meal, prepared by Core Foods chef Kira, was complete with all the warming foods of the harvest- potatoes, squash, kale, and other delights were served. A view of the setting sun to a long and luxurious day at Sunburst was an added bonus, followed by an evening of sacred songs….such a nice way to celebrate life!

The glorious full moon over the mountains blessed the end of our day.

Full Bloom

The Sunburst garden is in full bloom and production now! A new wind break for the garden—a wonderful cob wall—has almost been completed. It will also provide the garden with a built-in bench and tool room.

The wall’s material, cob, is a natural building medium composed of sand, straw and clay soil. Mixed with water, it is applied over a small rock foundation, then formed with one’s hands as it grows in height. It will be covered with a slight roof to keep off excess rainwater and prevent erosion. Helge and Heiko are among the people who have been working to complete the project. A big thanks goes out to Steven (running the tractor, below) and Rita (in hat, below) who made the long journey many times to assist with this project.

In the garden, sunflowers are beginning to bloom. These and other brightly colored flowers attract bees, aiding in pollination and Sunburst honey production. Jessica is now caretaking the garden, keeping it weeded and planted. The brunch teams have been using the vegetables for their meals on Sunday. This last weekend featured zucchini chocolate chip cookies and a lovely pasta salad with veggies from the garden. Feel free to take a look around the garden on your next trip to Sunburst!