Since it has been several months since our last post on the blog there are lots of things we have done here at Candlewood Retreat. The vines have been planted since May and 7 out of 100 did not survive the summer but the others took wonderfully. There are Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Malvasia Bianca, and our own rooted Petite Syrah & Negro Amaro for our varietals. In a few years we will be making our own house Chianti for our guests!
Because of well timed rains, many yellow blooming wild flowers and tall blooming grasses soften the hillside around us. The cooler nights bring good “sleeping weather” and the abundant sunshine and cooler days are perfect for hiking and exploring.
We’ve recently hosted a beautiful wedding ceremony at the Stone Circle in Mescal Canyon, with a reception after in the Cedar Studio & the newly weds stayed here with us at the bed & breakfast for a few days after. Thank you Nathan & Kira for honoring us with such a mile stone in your lives and it was a pleasure hosting such a unique, sacred & blessed event.
There have been some interior renovations on the Caretakers house and we also have a new Caretaker, Brandon Brooks, coming to us from the Lake Tahoe area. He’s helped in some of our fall projects such as turning the garden beds in preparation for the winter gardens, some of the work on the renovation to his cottage and just learning all there is to do here at Candlewood Retreat that makes us self sustainable. He has also agreed to do a monthly Caretakers Blog for us, so please come back to see what it takes to maintain a self sufficient property for off the grid living from the Caretaker’s point of view. You will be able to learn cool things too, like composting and gardening tips!
We started planting the fall/winter garden September 1st and have been doing successive sowing of cold-hardy veggies! We’ve planted lettuces, spinach, kale, chard, fennel, carrots, beets, turnips, cilantro, collards and brassicas! Already we’re enjoying salad ready thinnings of micro greens.
The nine hens are a colorful, harmonious flock and are giving us 4-7 beautifully colored eggs every day, which our guests appreciate in their breakfast omelets and frittata’s.
Blue Dragon Belly Dance is gearing up for our fall/winter season of performances with new moves and new look; lots of feathers! We’ll be opening for the Major Lingo Day of the Dead concert at the Cottonwood Civic Center on October 29th. Architecture Works Green is holding its own through our economic downturn and looking forward to some future prospects.
Best of all, we welcomed our third grandchild into the family. Congratulations Maya & Jesse, on the birth of Silas Blue! Silas was born on September 24th, peacefully at home.
This is a good time to come and stay with us at the Bed & Breakfast to see a vineyard in its infancy stages, while exploring the up & coming Arizona wine country in Jerome and the Verde Valley, just one of the many things to do in the area.