Amador Week-end Winetasting

Last week-end we went up to Amador County with our friends Shankar and Usha Prasad. They brought their 15 year old son Thajus and their neighbors Ron and Eunice. I don't think I ever did catch their last name. After a few winery stops for tasting (www.karmere.com and www.wilderottervineyard.com) we pulled into the Amador Flower Farm. We found countless varieties of lilies of all colors in bloom. Except for the 106 degree temperature, it was a beautiful site and a lovely walk (watch for rattlesnakes the sign said). Our final winery at the end of the day was Mt. Aukum, www.mountaukum.com. We had to travel about 3 miles up a steep hill but beautiful view of the valley and great wine. Well worth the detour off the wine trail. Dean and I purchased 4 bottles, 2 of the 2006 Malbec and 2 of the 2006 Syrah. While our friends were purchasing wine by the cases, we were playing it pretty conservatively.
Sticky and sweaty from the heat of the day we needed to find our accomodations. Shankar had a colleague who had retired and opened a Bed and Breakfast on the Shennendoah Wine Trail called Lucinda's Country Inn, http://www.lucindascountryinn.com/. What better idea than to wine taste all day, stay at a lovely, new B&B and dine out with friends? We ate dinner that evening 3 miles from the B&B at a delicious restaurant called Gold Vine Grill, www.goldvinegrill.com. Two in the group had the salmon special and I partook in the chicken marsala. I have forgotten what the others had but we all agreed in was yummy and we would definitely go back. The next day I was somewhat hung over but was revived by a great breakfast at the B&B of homemade waffles, sausage, muffins and fresh strawberries. From there more wine tasting ensued and I think we stopped 4 more times. We had fun tasting "futures" from the barrel at Perry Creek, www.perrycreek.com. We finished the day off with a fabulous lunch at Bocconato Trattoria, www.bocconato.com. Dean and I both had the pork ravioli which the chef makes fresh the minute you order it. It was the best pasta I have ever had. Except for the heat it was a nice trip and a treat to get away for the week-end. Much cheaper than Napa and not any further to drive. Each place we stopped gets a high recommend.

Through The Original Looking Glass

I came across these magnificent photos of Disney's new "Alice In Wonderland" movie due out in the Spring of 2010. Johnny Depp looks, well, beautiful as the Mad Hatter. These costumes and the make up are amazing and inspiring. These characters are beautifully created. I can't wait to see the full set and of course, Alice.

Sometimes we don't realize the true beauty of a tiny flower until we get down on the ground with our extra special camera lens and zoom way in on it. Only then do we realize that little, tiny, pink star fish are right there in the Amador County foothills.

Another Hero of Mine, Daddy

In honor of Father's Day I post this picture of my father and I. He has always been my hero. I don't really know a man that compares to him. He has taught me everything I know about how family matters, how to treat people, how to laugh, how to love, how to live. He turned 80 years old this year and he still continues to be the man I seek out for advice, meaningful conversation and a down right good time. I love you so much daddy.

3 Weeks until my soldier is home fishing

Last September Ryan and Sadie drove from California to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and set up residence there for the 3 short months before Ryan was to deploy to Iraq. Grabbing leisure time when he could Ryan fished the muddy waters of the South. I won't say fast forward because the time has gone by anything but fast, but now 10 months later, Ryan will come home for 2 weeks of R&R. That means "rest and relaxation" for us non-military types. Yosemite here we come.

Birds do it, even ladybugs do it.

Make A Joyful Noise

I love family gatherings and my nephew Dalton's graduation celebration was no exception. Here is a rare moment of father and son, my daddy and brother, serenading everyone. No not really. They aren't really singing but this photo makes me laugh because it looks like they are. Truth is, neither one of them can sing. Well, not that I know of anyway. If you knew these two gents you would laugh too because normally in a crowd they wouldn't dream of being the center of attention like this. But when they are with family their silly, comedic, fun loving side comes pouring forth and you get the Simpson duo, The Silent Minstrels.

Update. This link takes you right to the source of "Operation Iraqi Stephen"

http://www.colbertnation.com/home

Stephen Colbert, my new hero. Loving his show broadcast from Iraq. Also, check out Newsweek this week, he is the visiting editor, very funny. More thoughts on Mr. Colbert and "Operation Iraqi Stephen" tomorrow.

June 10, 2009
Having heard some of the stories from son Ryan's Basic Training experience, Colbert's footage of his experience was hilarious.

Tomatoes for Raphael

There really is nothing like the taste of home grown tomatoes. That tangy, sweet, juiciness is the taste of summer. My father-in-law, Raphael, planted a small garden every year and of course was very proud to share his tomato bounty with me. I'm not much of a gardener but one summer he challenged me to try and grow some tomotoes. There isn't a lot of space in my yard for a garden so I bought some large containers and a couple of those tomato cages. You know, those metal wire towers that support the lushious, green branches of the tomatoes as they grow wildly in between and all around? With two Big Boy tomatoes planted neatly in the center of my containers the war was one. By the end of July I still didn't even have one blossom on my plants. Truthfully I wasn't tending to them very well. They were on a drip system for watering but I never fed them or checked them much for disease or worms. One day rather unexpectedly Raphael was visiting and we were in the backyard. He walked over to my tomato plants, looked down at them and in his very low, gravely voice said, "Well, I can see that I'm not going to have much competition this year." He was right, they were pathetic, poor excuses for tomato plants. By the end of August I still didn't have one tomato and ultimately my plants produced nothing.

In October my dear, old, gruff father-in-law passed away. The following year, as a commitment to him, I was determined to grow tomatoes. I bought 3 heirloom tomato plants from the farmers market and planted them in my containers with their wire towers. I fed them and watched them religiously. I can't tell you how excited I was to see blossoms in April and tiny round, green bulbs by June. Raphael had been watching over me and my tomato plants. I enjoyed luscious, dense heirloom tomatoes until October of that year. It was 2008 and the one year anniversary of the death of my beloved father-in-law. I just knew how proud he was of me. I post these photos today, June 2009, as evidence that our loved ones who have passed are never really far from us. Their memories grow in our backyards and sprout out like joyful tomato blossoms. I will never grow or eat another tomato without thinking of Raphael. While I sit at the supper table this summer and sprinkle a little salt and olive oil on my beautiful "Black Krim" heirloom tomato, I will raise my wine glass and say, "Here's to you Raphael."

Bad Moon Rising

I took a whole series of shots of this moon last night. The cloud movements were ever changing and each picture is just alittle different. While shooting these photos I started thinking about an Annie Lennox song, "Fingernail Moon." Beautiful lyrics and melody.

Small World