One of these days I’ll go with you. One of these days I’ll do it. One of these days I’ll stop there – I’ve always wanted to see that place, but…
…something always gets in the way. Habit. Hurry. Procrastination. Eventually you have to drop the excuses and give in to your natural curiosity.
So Saturday was the day to stop at Pie Ranch. We’d passed it dozens of times on our way to and from Half Moon Bay. From Highway 1, a weathered barn, a few sprawling trees, and a pie slice icon on a simple painted sign are visible. The pie slice finally did it (all you pie lovers understand!).
This small organic farm tucked inside a redwood canyon valley grows veggies and wheat, raises chickens, mills its own flour, and provides the strawberries, olallieberries,* and raspberries for Pie Ranch pies, made with lots of TLC at a San Francisco bakery and brought back to the ranch for sale. Once a month during the summer the public is invited to pitch in and work on the farm, stay for a BBQ, and join in the fun of an old-fashioned barn dance. During the school year, kids come to Pie Ranch to learn about farming.
Guests were already arriving for the festivities when we pulled up around noon. Those grilled onions in the outdoor kitchen sure smelled good. The farm crew was busy eating, working in the fields, building a brick oven, and tending the goats and young calf, Dulce. An old California family dairy brought back to new life.
This pink rose beauty ~ rt ~ was shot right next to the stump of a giant redwood near the main farmhouse. In the heat of the afternoon its fragrance was rich and sweet.
Just think: had we again repeated our habitual mantra – One of these days – we would have missed this amazing adventure.
*A cross between the loganberry and the youngberry, each of which is itself a cross between blackberry and another berry (raspberry and dewberry, respectively)
To learn more about Pie Ranch, visit: http://www.pieranch.org
If you liked this, you might also enjoy: Five Ways To Benefit From Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
