Alexander Mountjoy - Blog & CV

Coffee, Baked Goods & Ambiance

© 2007 Alex Mountjoy

Brasserie

Across the street from the Underwood is the original restaurant by the same owners. Willow Wood was recently and tastefully remodeled.   The food is fantastic, though more modest, the atmosphere less formal than the Underwood.  Also offering beer, wine, great coffee to go and an eclectic assortment of fun gifts, the Willow Wood is the best place for breakfast or lunch if you are anywhere near the area.

© 2007 Alex Mountjoy

Restaurant and Bar

(707) 823-7023; www.underwoodgraton.com
Graton

One of the best restaurants in

Graphic Designer

With a background in advertising and product packaging, Rodger is—remarkably—as talented linguistically as he is visually.   His punchy textual strokes enliven whatever client-written-drivel is on the table.  His focus on branding will quickly become invaluable to you. 

© 2007 Alex Mountjoy

Metalworker (707) 763-9417

Born Hungarian, Edgar was 12 when the Russians violently quelled a revolt in his country.  He left soon after with his brother and mother, and landed in San Francisco, where he spent his youth. He is a creative and practical master. He works out of a riverfront shop in

© 2007 Alex Mountjoy www.alexmountjoy.com 

Sheep Shearer

(707)480-7185

Sheep shearing is a sort of Judo in which the weight of the animal is used against itself; by being overmatched in intelligence (for a humbling experience, you try it) and technique it is made to submit to a variety of often ignominious poses.  It doesn’t hurt the animal, and it is a wonder to watch.  Ruth has a balance and reserve and elegance that make it look very, very easy.  Did you know that if you sit a sheep on its butt it will remain there complacently? The trick is getting a 250 lb. animal into that position.

© 2007 Alex Mountjoywww.alexmountjoy.com

Chimney Sweep

Mike Silverman, (707)578-7483 

Top-notch service makes all the difference in the world.  Cheerful, respectful, intelligently responsive, reliable, and impeccably neat—the cleaning Mike gives your stove and hearth would alone be worth the fee.  An  unexpected and welcome extra service is that he schedules your next cleaning automatically—typically for one year from your last cleaning—and will send you a reminder postcard.  “I work the way I want people to work in my house.” 

© 2007 Alex Mountjoy

Gifts, Cards, Linens and Jewelry
(707)829-5006

French Bistro

(707)874-2436; www.bistrodescopains.com
Occidental

Great French food at reasonable prices in an intimate venue in downtown Occidental. The Magret de Canard (duck breast) is what I always get, and it is always superb, with

Gophers are the bane of Sebastopol, Occidental and indeed all of West Sonoma County. They feed on plant roots, and will eat grape vines, fruit trees and just about anything that you might want to grow in your garden. They seldom surface, making them difficult to hunt, and their instinctual wariness makes them difficult to trap. The Russians reputidely withdrew from the area in part because they lost the war against the gophers.

Gophers are solitary creatures: 1 per 40′x50′ square. In order to trap them, you need to identify areas of fresh activity, mounds less than 36 hours old, and also be able to distinguish gopher mounds from those of moles.

Moles are insectivores. They eat grubs, larvae and worms. They travel along just below the surface. They create perfectly round mounds. Gophers by contrast are herbivores. Their mounds are in the shape of a horse shoe, with a plug in the center.