CURRENT MISSION I barely escaped the grave (Cancer) a few years ago, and want to live every day to the fullest ABOUT ME I live in the wine country on a 7 acre ranch. I am semi retired, so I have a very flexible schedule. I am about 15 minutes west of Santa Rosa, and about 15 minutes east of Bodega Bay, and about an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge. I love to socialize and meet new people. I seem to keep busier in "retirement" than when I was working: traveling, socializing with groups I belong to, doing community service work, and helping others when I can. I belong to the Sebastopol Rotary, several Tall clubs, the local Harley Owners Group, SIRS, and participate in a few Meetup groups as well. Spring of 2011 I rode my motorcycle from Sebastopol to New Orleans as part of a fundraiser for Rotary's Polio Plus project to eliminate Polio from the face of the earth. I'm proud to have raised over $3500 myself, which will be matched by the Gates Foundation! I was afflicted with an incurable strain of Lymphoma (Cancer), and nearly died in 2009, so I'm taking advantage of my current good health and staying involved in LIFE. I'm so lucky to live in the most beautiful place on earth, and love to share it with others! PHILOSOPHY I'm lucky to be walking on the grass and not pushing it up, and to have seen my only son have his first child, a daughter, after my near death experience with cancer. 3 years later a grandson joined the family, and I am so lucky to be watching them grow up!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING Have lots of guest space for visitors. I have a large home that I share with roommates. Many Couch Surfers and others loved my dog Vicky who passed away Sept. 1 (2012). She loved everyone that came to visit, and we will never forget her! My next dog, a Black Lab mix named Moka, Greeted everyone who came here, and asked for, and shared her love with all who visited here, and was loved by all. Mokas loss. was a blow to all who met her, and took me a year to get to a place where I could adopt a new best friend. Now my canine greeter is Holly, a super friendly black lab that loves people and other dogs. She will bark hello to you and then vie for your attention. You can see the sights, then have the solitude of the contry to relax if you wish. I am close to many activities and restaurants. I go out for live music and dancing almost every night, and when the weather is nice we have many free outdoor music venues nearby. I am happy to have my couch surfers along for these adventures. There are about 500 wineries within 25 miles of my home if you want to investigate them. I love to travel in the US and Canada primarily, but have friends in Mexico and Europe as well. I love to travel on my Harley and host other motorcycle riders, espescially if you want to take a riding tour of my area. I welcome all couch surfers who are able to get here by their own means. If you have references on this site, all the better. If not, be prepared to provide a photo of your drivers license and a link to your Facebook page. If this somehow offends you, then you should not expect someone to risk offering to host you in their home. If you are a first time couch surfer, this is your opportunity to start into the world of couch surfing with an experienced host, and leave with a reference from me. I offer couch surfers a safe, clean, quiet and comfortable place to stay at a country estate. I hope you enjoy west Sonoma County, I think it's the best place on earth, and welcome you to experience this place that I am so lucky to live in! COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE I joined CS a few years ago, and though health issues slowed me down for a while, I'm in pretty good health now and I love to travel and participate in life as much as I can. I have enjoyed the hundreds of CSers I have met through this wonderful community! A friend who couch surfs got me interested, and since joining I have hosted a lot of folks from many places and truly enjoyed those experiences. Almost everone who has surfed with me has extended their stay beyond their original plans because this area is a "destination" with so much to do and see. My town also has a tremendous sense of "community" not often found in California. I have hosted over 200 surfers in my home, and have surfed a couple of dozen times. I look forward to meeting new CS friends, and sharing experiences with them. Here’s a fun video from Russian (Moscow)
guests Mila and “Art” that surfed with me for an extended visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYWAJJGHdIw

Interests

Music, motorcycles, Corvettes, travel and making friends.
I love to learn about things that I know nothing about and share what I have learned in my life experiences with others. I am looking forward to traveling roads I have never been on, going to places I have never been, and meeting new people to share time with along the way.

• dogs
• dancing
• wine
• walking
• clubbing
• motorcycles
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• live music
• outdoor activities
• surfing
• business

Music, Movies, and Books

I love music, though I have no musical talents myself. I try to take advantage of the amazing talent in Sonoma County, and take advantage of the many free live music venues in the area.
My favorites and Blues, Rock, and Jazz, but I listen to a wide variety in addition to those.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The people in my life are the most amazing part of being alive!

Teach, Learn, Share

We all have had different life experiences that make us who we are. It's great to share what we know and where we live with others.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am a safe, clean, educated man. I have worked at NASA, taught in High Schools and Community Colleges. Started and ran a business for many years. I have been in the Rotary Club since 1981, a member of the board of directors of several non-profit organizations that serve my community and beyond.
I love people and the opportunity to share time and experiences with one another if that is comfortable for all concerned.
I am a self sufficient traveler, and don't require much myself, aside from bathroom access and a comfortable sleeping surface....that will accommodate a tall man.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Mexico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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