Wolf Creek Lodge Newsletter

Wolf Creek

Lodge Newsletter

Adult Cohousing in Grass Valley, CA

November, 2017

This month we celebrated the Wolf Creek Lodge 5th anniversary. Suzanne celebrates in song below.

We also saw the installation of our Solar Photo-voltaic system. The panels are on the roof, connected to the inverters and ready to switch on.

There are currently no homes available at Wolf Creek Lodge but there are homes that we know will come on the market. By the time you have properly investigated the Wolf Creek Lodge community and got your existing home ready to sell there will be a home available. See "Available Homes" below. Contact us if you are interested so we can be more specific.

Bob Miller,

Editor.

Cohousing Neighbors

We welcomed a large group from Truckee at Wolf Creek Lodge. They are a forming cohousing group. See Truckee Cohousing. They have a "Getting it Built" workshop on November 4th-5th.

Another neighboring group, "Fair Oaks EcoHousing", have their ground breaking ceremony on November 3rd. See Fair Oaks Ecohousing/

Our Solar Photovoltaic System

In the June newsletter we described how the Solar Team had investigated the feasibility of installing a solar photo-voltaic system to generate electricity for the common areas. They received approval to proceed from the community at a General Meeting.

Since then the team selected a vendor - California Solar Electric Co. - located in down town Grass Valley. They have completed the installation. We now await "Permission to Operate" from P.G.& E.

The Installation

First racks are installed on the roof. They used four different locations on the roof.

You cannot have electricity without wires. Here four wires are combined to provide the required connections.

Here is Laura from England high up the roof working on the wiring.

Here are some of the panels - now ready to go.

Here are three sets of panels on the roof. There is another set on the end roof to the right making 4 sets in all. We have a total of 55 panels that, when the sun is shining and in the right position, will generate 24 kW of electricity. If that's more than we need then P.G.&E. distributes it to our neighbors and gives us a credit.

The solar cells in the panels generate less than a volt of electricity. By connecting them in series they deliver 350 volts. However, this is DC (direct current). The electric grid operates on AC (alternating current) thanks to Westinghouse. The two inverters above convert the DC current to AC. They also report power production information to a server on the internet.

We are ready to go when P.G.&E. gives us "Permission to Operate". The Tesla and the GM Volt will be first in-line.

Why solar at Wolf Creek Lodge?

Some were motivated to reduce the carbon dioxide emitted to produce our electricity, others to save money. Most probably motivated for both reasons.

As we were finalizing the project we received a special bo nus. The family of Wayne Vasey (who passed on July 27th) provided the funds for the installation of the solar system in Wayne's memory.

So rather than paying off the capital cost of the installation over 10 years we will immediately enjoy low cost electricity.

The Witches Return

Long time readers of these columns will be familiar with the three witches who appear every Halloween. They were there again yesterday.

Now we thought it was all good fun but these witches seem so dedicated to their task that we are beginning to wonder.

We are checking the web for a test to determine if someone is a witch ... more next month.

Travel Section

Members continue to travel far and wide.

This month we feature Sandra's journey. She went on a pottery trip to Japan. We see her here at Imbe, the home of Bizen Pottery,

Her group is examining items of pottery they have just bought. The potter is in the center.

Letter from #104

Suzanne Marriott

Five-Year Anniversary

Oct. 6, 2012 to Oct. 6, 2017

It was twenty years ago today (actually five)

That Sgt. Pepper came to see us play

We’ve never gone out of style

And we’re guaranteed to raise a smile

So may I introduce to you

The act you’ve known for all these years

Wolf Creek Lodge-es Happy Hearts Club Band

We’re Wolf Creek Lodge-es Happy Hearts Club Band

We really do enjoy our show

We’re Wolf Creek Lodge’s Happy Hearts Club Band

We celebrate and love the flow

It’s wonderful to be here

It’s certainly a thrill

You’re such a lovely audience

We’d like to take you home with us

We’d love to take you home

Anniversaries do come and go

But I thought you might like to know

It was our Fifth Anniversary

Since we moved to our community

And we want you all to come along

And be part of our cohousing song

We’re Wolf Creek Lodge-es Happy Hearts Club Band

So come ye all hand-in-hand

And join us in our Happy Heart’s Club Land

(Apologies to Billy Shears.)

Jacque displays the 5th year birthday cake.

Suzanne gave a slide show of the years from 2006 (the group formed) to 2012 (move-in).

Digging in the Dirt

Claire Miller

Grass Valley has two outstandingly colorful events – the sunsets, which happen very frequently, and colored leaves, the last ‘hurrah’ of every summer.

There is one tree in particular that’s a real eye catcher. It grows in the middle of the patio- a maple whose leaves turn a brilliant red. Now, in its fifth year, the top of this tree is above the level of the third floor, with a spread in proportion.

Summer evenings we enjoyed meals, chatting over nibbles and drinks, and just ‘being’- sitting under its shade. For a few weeks there was the intense color, visible from every front window.

Now the color is fading, and leaves are falling. If you’re quiet, you can hear them whispering as they come down. You can hear that discussion continue as the wind swirls them around the patio. Then when you sweep them up, they crunch under foot and in the bag, giving off the clean warm smell of fall.

The leaves are almost all down now. Just a few more cling in determined fashion. We considered trying to hold the process back – glue? Forbidding the wind to blow? But even if it worked, it somehow wouldn’t be the same ;-(

Meanwhile, 20 feet away, the daffodils and hyacinths have sent up the first shoots of spring!!! Whatever are they thinking?!

Available Homes

There are no homes currently available at Wolf Creek Lodge. However, if you are interested in cohousing and Wolf Creek Lodge we encourage you to find out more. This should be a deliberate process.

By the time you have decided you want to join our community, have downsized your possessions and prepared to market your current home chances are a home will be available at Wolf Creek Lodge.

We try to keep the latest status on our website. By checking on these links to the website during the month you will get the latest updates. Here are the links:

email: info@wolfcreeklodge.org

For details of Open Houses and much more visit our website at:

www.wolfcreeklodge.org .

Grass Valley and Nevada City

Want to know more about

Grass Valley and Nevada City?

Here are some links we have found useful:

Down Town Grass Valley -

www.downtowngrassvalley.com

Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce -

www.grassvalleychamber.com/

Visit Nevada County -

www.visitnevadacounty.com

Sierra Food Wine Art

www.sierraculture.com

Bear Yuba Land Trust

www.bylt.org

GIS Receational Viewer -

gis.nevcounty.net/MyNeighborhood

Go Nevada County -

www.gonevadacounty.com/

YubaNet Calendar -

yubanet.com/cgi-bin/suite/calendar/calendar.cgi

Grass Valley Travel Guide -

www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/California/Grass_Valley-752833/TravelGuide-Grass_Valley.html

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