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Just before the newsletter deadline the community held another Zoom based workshop. Attendance, of course, was voluntary, but twenty five people participated. We began at 10:00 am, had a break from noon until 1:30 pm, and then continued on until 3:30 pm. Lunch was provided by the social team on the patio.

Karen Gimnig was again our facilitator. Karen is spending several months with Wolf Creek Lodge acting from time to time as coach and facilitator.

The workshop was about how we have different styles or behaviors and how people with these differences interact. We learned to attentively listen to each other.

To paraphrase Karen: When living in cohousing we have closer relationships with our neighbors than in other living situations so it's worth making these relationships successful.

Those considering joining the Wolf Creek Lodge community often ask us about the weather. We often reply "Mediterranean", although a usually reliable source claims this is nonsense. In this newsletter we try and do better. We certainly have four seasons. These strongly influence our day to day activities. Common Meals on the patio are a feature of summer - not in the winter. Summers can be hot during the day but the cool nights offer respite. Winters are mild while spring and fall are delightful.

As demonstrated by our "Flower of the Month" there are items of interest in the gardens at all times.

Fog rolls in as a winter day comes to an end as seen from the parking lot.

This is the time of the year to travel east for about an hour and enjoy snow shoeing all over, yaktraxing on the hard crust, cross country skiing at Royal Gorge or downhill skiing at one of the many ski resorts.

Wolf Creek Lodge mystery skier, February 22.

As we approach March, spring starts to take over from winter. Some great sunny days announce the transition.

In the Wolf Creek Lodge gardens daffodils appear in a variety of shades of yellow and white in many locations. The sunny bank along Freeman Lane bursts out with yellow forsythia, azaleas, and dogwood trees. The fruit trees all come into bloom.

Maybe time to go on a mountain bike ride in the Empire Mine State Park. Go anytime of the day and adjust your clothing to suit.

In late spring the Buttermilk Bend Trail in the South Yuba State Park offers many wild flowers and breath taking views of the river below.

Table Mountain in Butte County is another favorite wild flower excursion.

Just a half hour drive from Wolf Creek Lodge, Crystal Hermitage Gardens in the heart of Ananda Village, an intentional spiritual community, offers tulip lovers a walk through their gardens during non-Covid times.

Rivers and creeks can be dramatic as the snow melts in the mountains. This is Deer Creek in Nevada City.

As summer arrives we need to adjust to hotter days. Originally Wolf Creek Lodge did not have air conditioning in the individual homes - only in the common house. However, maybe due to climate change, most members decided to install air conditioning. On many days, by taking advantage of the cool nights to let in cooler air, the AC is not required but, for maybe three weeks, it's very welcome.

In summer the Wolf Creek Lodge gardens feature big shaggy iris, huge climbing roses, and heavily scented lilacs. Later we enjoy gladiolas, Asian lilies, butterfly bush, deep blue hydrangeas, and chrysanthemums

The South Yuba River Citizens League has a long history of caring for the river. Hundreds of locals join together for the annual cleanup event.

The Emerald Pools are a favorite South Yuba River swimming spot. We can confidently state that this picture was not taken by our staff photographer.

Pioneer Park in Nevada City, above, and the Nevada County Fair Grounds offer many outdoor music events. Walk or drive there with your low profile concert chair and picnic.

Here is Kelly on a Sierra back packing trip.

Hiking temperatures in the Sierra are usually a lot cooler than those in Grass Valley.

Nancy playing Corn Hole

Steve and Norma find a good lunch spot at Lake Angela. The trail starts at Donner Peak on I80 and ends at Donner Pass on US40, passing three lakes.

As cooler days take over this is the best time of the year for hiking. Nearby Empire Mine State Park offers miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Members have several times enjoyed the Spaulding Trail hike in the Grouse Ridge area. This is just over half an hour from the lodge at around 5,000 ft.

Norma captures the transition of fall colors on the walk home from SPD.

Grass Valley and the surrounding Nevada County is horse country. Although we show this in the Fall horses are there all year round. They need attended to in all seasons and riding can be a year round activity.

Honey is keeping watch over her 6-day-old foal, Mango, June 2020. Eight months later Mom continues to look after the fast growing Mango, who loves to be with people and the other horses. Irene and Sweet William taking a break from a riding lesson, August 2019, North San Juan.

Bob B enjoys time on Rollins Reservoir with his 14 foot Arctic Tern, that he made about 20 years ago from a Pygmy Boat kit,

We have a rain gauge. Here are the official records as maintained by Nancy M.

After many months taking direction from Dr. Fauci we are greeting the arrival of vaccinations with joy and anticipation. We asked those who had received a dose to give us a thumbs up - those who had two doses gave us two thumbs.

Daffodil, the reliable harbinger of spring, was selected by a majority of the votes of our members. Daffodil defeated Daphne, mushrooms, violet and leaf. FotM does not subscribe to consensus decision making.

Geoff takes his turn raking up dried pine needles on the North Slope.

With the pruning season in full swing, Richard rakes up cuttings from bunch grasses. He estimates it is between 7,500 and 8,500 hacks with a pair of hedge clippers to trim the 50 plants. Gayle checks the rain gauge and determines 1 3/10" of rainfall overnight.

The EV drivers at Wolf Creek Lodge have been enjoying the convenience of level 2 charging at home.

We celebrated another milestone when we provided charging to a visiting Bolt EV. Owner Lina dropped in with Gayle's son Craig for conversation, dinner and a few kilowatt hours.

The sky above Wolf Creek Lodge is marvelous. Throughout the seasons, we are treated to a kaleidoscope of light and color, the tones ever changing and variable. Below are some pictures I took with my iPhone that capture a bit of what surrounds us.

This last one reminds me of a passage from Turtles All the Way Down by John Green: “And I kept thinking about how sky is a singular noun, as if it's one thing. But the sky isn't one thing. The sky is everything. And last night, it was enough.” 

Want to know more about cohousing? See the products offered by our architect, especially the video "The Best of Both Worlds - Cohousing's Promise." This features members of Wolf Creek Lodge.

If you are really serious you will want to consult our Project Director at: