Our Garden at Olompali, 1989--90

We lived in Marin County for several years--right in Olompali state park where there is so much very colorful history that it's hard not to mention some of it--this is more than you need to know, but having lived there, I feel compelled, so hold on, we're going for a quick history ride!!!

In 1776 a chief from a Miwok indian tribe built an adobe home, which is the site of the Battle of Olompali in 1846, also known as the Bear Flag Revolt. The chief's son, Camillo Ynitia, sold the adobe to James black, who's daughter, Mary, acquired the home. Mary married Galen Burdell, one of the first dentists in San Francisco. Mary and Galen's son, James Burdell built a mansion around the adobe!
The mansion and land was eventually sold to the University of San Francisco, to be used as a Jesuit retreat. The University tried to sell it a few times. During the 60's, the Grateful Dead lived there for a time, creating a meeting place where other musicians, like Janis Joplin and Grace Slick, came to play.
In 1967 Don McCoy bought the property and leased it out to a hippie commune called, "The Chosen Family", where " The Family's" children attended "Not a School" run by a nun, who I believe was ousted from her former job for smoking pot? (not sure about that piece of info)
In 1977 a fire burnt the mansion, but parts of the mansion and adobe remain standing--the land was bought by the state to become Olompali State Park.

Whew! Something about that land up there--it is so full of spirits--(the ghost that roams Mary's garden and the child ghost that lives in the old servants house), that if I start telling any little bit about the history, I just can't leave anything out! (I'm sure I did)--like opening a can of worms...oh no!! oh yes!!---just down a little dirt road from where we lived was an old dilapidated red worm farm! Which brings me back to my gardens at Olompali....

About ten years after that mansion fire, My family moved out to the state park--we lived in a mobile home and had a few great gardens. The weather is hot and dry in the summers and cold only freezing occasionally in the winters. My kids ages were 9, 6, and 2 years.

For a few years our garden thrived, but then the gophers got news of the new garden and that was that!

My son at three--you may have read my previous post about his garden now. the deer were actually jumping over this wire fence, so I had to rig up the funky strings above the fence to keep them out!