About

Here's the part where you learn more about your blog author, the legendary El Gaucho.  In real life I go by an alternate moniker - John, son of John.  If you subscribe to the psychology of birth order (I'm a middle child) and also believe the folk wisdom of ancient cultures regarding the virility of red-heads...well you know all of the essentials.

I was born and raised in San Diego and am currently living in my fifth state (Idaho) with Alycia my vegetarian, Celiac Disease having, college professoring companion of many years spouse.  I've been cooking and baking gluten free/vegetarian meals for the last fifteen plus years and am pretty dang good at it.  I've been a gardener and lover of the outdoors for as long as I can remember.

For some reason I've always enjoyed writing and I think I'm actually pretty good at it.  I fancy myself a professional writer since the site currently generates an impressive $0.04 per month in advertising revenue and I have links to various articles at The Wisdom of the Gaucho.  Yes I realize I could probably make more money by simply staring at the ground as I walk in the hopes of locating fallen coins, but this way I get to delude myself into thinking I'm a paid writer.

The Deaf Dogs and Benevolent Gnomes blog was created not only as a medium to pass along North Dakota and Idaho stories to my friends and family back in California and across the country, but also to fulfill the strange desire of mine to feel like a writer.  Here you will find stories and pictures about life with deaf dogs, gluten free cooking/baking, organic gardening, life in Idaho, urban homesteading, canning, and making cool stuff.  It's all here, thanks for stopping in for a visit.