Wisdom

"Wisdom begins in wonder."

New Grapes

Hi all,
Took a drive up to Napa this weekend to pick up our wine at Alpha Omega. They have remodeled their winery and it's looking quite nice and upscale. While we were there, we decided to take a jont over to two new wineries: Salvestrin and Darioush. Salvestrin is private (by appt. only -- which we didn't have but they were kind enough to share their wine with us); Darioush is beautiful (see enclosed photo of columns); very upscale winery with beautiful grounds. We didn't have time for tasting but will go back again. It was a beautiful day in the Napa Valley; one of the best that I can recall. It's always pleasant to be driving through vineyards realizing we live in such a beautiful part of the country.

After our new discoveries, we headed to San Francisco for a Giants game (yes - they lost AGAIN)! It was a gorgeous night in SF and the game was quite enjoyable. I also had my 10 seconds of fame on the wed cam as I was dancing in my seat to a Michael Jackson song.

It was a long day but very refreshing and fun.
V

Toughin' it Out

Hi all,
Had a virgin experience this weekend! Attended the Stanislaus County Fair to see the Tuff Trucks competition. Let me tell you -- it was very entertaining! It's incredible what you can do with an old beat up Ford. We had a few good laughs as some trucks' windshields completely popped out, some did some somersaults, and one even rammed straight on into the guard rail. Very entertaining stuff! It might be my next sport of choice! The girls also compete in the Powder Puff section. I guess it's never too late to start!
Keep on truckin'!
V

James, Peace and Ocean Fancy

This weekend presented us with a variety of goodness. We paid a visit to the San Juan Bautista Mission. This property had a lot to offer: a lush courtyard, an amazing church, and beautiful grounds. Although we arrived too late for a tour, we did frolick through the grounds on our own and captured some good views. You can see a sampling of what our eyes found in this post.

As we continued our journey, we ended up in Monterey. We spent quite some time at the beach, climbing the rocks and digging in the sand. We witnessed quite a few sea lions relaxing on the rocks and hybernating on the ocean shores. As we continued exploring, I spotted James -- a sea otter which we named after visiting for a while. James had encountered some type of ocean battle and was wounded; his nose was gone and he had some damage to his head. He had found a little nesting area away from the rip roaring tides. We were able to approach him and even pet him (now you know he must have been quite immobile otherwise this would have never happened). I felt horrible for this little creature and was hopeful that he would recover and find his way back to his natural habitat into the big blue sea joining all his friends. I still think of James and hope he was strong enough to make a good recovery. Along the 17-mile drive we spotted some giant pelicans, noisy seagulls, and quite a few crows. The ocean brought us a splendor of attractions such as star fish, sea annenomies, crabs, and sea urchins. Attached is documentation of my findings.

We ended the day by attending a drum/bugle corps competition. It's amazing the formations they demonstrate while playing their instruments. I will forever be a Concord Blue Devils fan! They rock!

I hope you enjoy the mix of photos recapping my journey.
Happy trails,
V

Camel Races

Something just doesn't seem normal. Camel races? We went to the Salinas Rodeo (largest rodeo in California) on Saturday and were surprised to see camel races. It was quite entertaining! This rodeo also offered bull fighting (man against bull), skill exercises, and muton busting (which is quite comical -- little kids riding bare back on sheep). It was our first time at this particular rodeo and we are sure to go back next year.
V

12 Rules to Live By - Robert Louis Stevenson

Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.

Make the best of circumstances. No one has everything and everyone has something of sorrow.

Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Don’t let criticism worry you. You can’t please everybody.

Don’t let your neighbors set your standards; be yourself.

Do things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.

Don’t borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder to bear than actual ones.

Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish enmities and grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.

Have many interests. If you can’t travel, read about places.

Don’t hold post-mortems or spend time brooding over sorrows and mistakes.

Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.

Keep busy at something. A very busy person never has time to be unhappy.

Frolicking Thru the Flowers

Hi all,
Just wanted to send an update on my weekend. Had a lot of fun and it went by too fast (of course).
1) Friday night -- went to the A's game and watched the fireworks after the show. The A's won so it made the night exciting.
2) Saturday - Went to San Francisco and frolicked through the SF Botantical Gardens; I had not been there in 20 years. I really enjoyed the variety of flowers and greens in the garden. We were lucky enough to spot a hawk that had just killed a rat; it was devouring it's prey; what a sight! I was only 10 feet from the bird; it was amazing. After roaming the gardens (and lots of picture taking), we had dinner at Bucca de Beppo; very filling and yummy. We then went to see "Get Smart"; not my favorite but it had funny moments.
3) Sunday - Took the Pan Toll Hike (8 miles) to Stinson Beach and back. The hike down was a breeze but the hike back always takes longer. We spotted two snakes, many banana slugs, and lots of birds. It was refreshing to be outdoors and enjoying nature.
4) Monday - back to work.
Happy trails,
V