Sunrise, Pt. Mugu

I am an early riser, but not usually an early..."out of the house" riser. Different story when this guy is right out your front door waiting to greet you every morning. Feeling blessed and thankful. 
Good Morning Pt. Mugu.










 


Pt. Mugu at sunset

Each evening, as I watch the sun set on another day at the beach, I wish that I had captured it just a little more so I could mark it in my memory bank. Tonight I grabbed my camera and walked the mile or so down the beach road to a point where the birds gather. I wait......and watch.......as they settle in for the night. The sun sets on the horizon, the winds are gentle and the quiet is just what my soul always needs. The ocean meets the wetlands. The day meets the eve. The shorebirds find their nest for the night. Memory bank full.




Mt. Whitney bound

Mt. Whitney, rising to 14,497' is the tallest point in the contiguous United States. Not one to be able to climb to its top, at least at this point in my life, I can sure park myself at its base and marvel at its beauty. The drive in was easy, the roads passable and well maintained, we set up camp at the Tuttle Creek Campground outside Lone Pine. Quiet and peaceful there were only two other camps set up in the massive park. Hiking was over large boulders and down massive washes, and the sounds of the creek lulled us to sleep at night. The stars filled the night sky as we listened to the coyotes off in the distance. A beautiful start to a southern trip.  
graffiti as art????  art as graffiti???

creek side that we parked along



 hope to return some day in the Spring and see the wildflowers in all their glory




 between a "rock and a hard place"
 this is the guy that got me here, thanks Bob

clouds

my husband loves the desert...........

and I...........love clouds.

So, when the universe lines up just perfectly....we get this.




 life is pretty grand...... isn't it?
driving home from Susanville last week, this is what guided us, the clouds.....out the trucks front windshield they changed by the minute and each direction was a different type. Once he gets driving, there is not a lot of stopping with Bob behind the wheel.....these were taken with the Iphone rather than with the new Nikon5200 (gonna change that mentality in the years to come.....yep, guarantee you..... I'm gonna do it)

Fungi Perfetto!

Last Thursday, my last day as owner of The Flower Tree, was one of those life changing events. So where does this "always a garden girl" choose to go on her first week as a "part timer". To a nursery of course. Bob and I packed up the apartment and off we went. My good friend Melissa who owns Every Bloomin' Thing in Susanville has been my mentor, partner in travels and very dear friend for the last 12 years. She had just returned from a three week trip to Italy, so over a fabulous dinner and some amazing vino, we viewed the many photos and a couple videos from her journey.

Right now I want to talk fungi though. Dinner tales. Mel has been growing this giant oyster mushroom for awhile now. She has already taken many cuttings off of it, and there are new starts on it now as well. I think this little kit may be on my Christmas list this year.
Get the recipe from Ms. Martha here, 
Roasted Potatoes and Mushrooms with Taleggio Cheese


 the SIZE of this thing was amazing!!

added some extras for contrast
some people bring back souvenirs of Murano glass or silk fabrics from Italy~  Mel.......cheese, olive oil and wine. We substituted this Pecorino, a cheese made from sheep's milk, for the Taleggio. The entire outside was crusted with peppercorns and it was layered throughout. Melted up beautifully in with the fungi....yummmmmm!!


Mel, a certified foodie, always comfortable in the kitchen
long walk before dinner just as the sun was setting, it was a beautiful way to remind me that I will have plenty of adventures to fill my time 

Churchill does BRANDY

First full day of being semi re-started, Bob and I take advantage of me having a Saturday free and we decide to head out of town seven miles or so to the farm land where Churchill Vineyard resides. Today is the first day they are sampling their new brandy to the public. Available only since yesterday, November 1st, we already have an order in with our distributor so we can carry it at Red Zinnia.

FIVE long years in the making, it is now ready to pour.
Ashley takes us on a tour of the original fields of grapes that were planted more as an experiment than a commercial venture. I have fond memories of the days back in 2001 when Charlie would come out to The Flower Tree and we would spend an hour or so talking about the huge undertaking that he was creating. He was so passionate about the future of the crops and how much less water it would take than alfalfa, the main crop here then..and now. Churchill County Grape Growers, a non-profit, was formed and we sold their excess plants for them at the nursery the first couple of years. 
In the midst of our tour of the vineyard we hear that a flatbed truck is in the process of unloading the massive new parts needed to start their next endeavor, SPIRITS. Whiskey, Gin and Vodka are in the plans and we made our way around all the packing material and watched as Colby, the epitome of "A Kid in a Candy Store" tore through the plastic to unravel the beautiful shiny copper parts underneath. From my understanding, this machinery is from the same company that supplies to Jack Daniels, and the truck driver told us a story of delivering to them several years ago.  It was an amazing time to be there for the arrival of this new part of Churchill Vineyards expansion, and all of us at Red Zinnia look forward to pouring their latest.   

From that excitement it was on to the tour of the foundation for the new building that will not only house the newest productions of spirits, but also the visitor center. Rising high into the sky the front window will showcase the bright shiny copper "bubbles" of liquid.  And we love how Ashley has plans for a shady awning and "lazy day" rockers on the expansive front porch. It is obvious that her background is in marketing. She is not only skilled in presenting the winery at its finest, but she also knows how to make it so comfortable, we don't want to leave.

We listened as Colby described the cycle ......they plant the corn, harvest it, grind it, distill it, extract the alcohol, THEN IT GOES TO THE DAIRY right next door to feed the cows, (apparently the feed is so special - ethanol extracted - that the dairy has had to have shipped in from Iowa) then it comes back as manure to FEED THE FIELDS FOR SPRING. The excitement as Colby describes this full circle can only happen here, on a farm, and not in the city. Makes this nursery girl very happy! 



  one of Colby's next projects....VODKA, this one will be infused with cantaloupe from Workman Farms here in Fallon and onions ????? from Yerington. 
time to sample the brandy....warm and wonderful, look for it on our shelves next week!

 Colby and Ashley.....join us on December 11th at Red Zinnia when they will be pouring their wines, and brandy, during our "Evening of Wine".


Maiden Voyage

This was the maiden voyage for what is now known as "The Apartment". Bob and I spent months and months and MONTHS trying to decide what we wanted to do with part of our upcoming re-started life. He retired in May, after 31 years of military/federal service, one of our businesses sold this month, and we knew that the time would come when we wanted to just set out and explore this amazing country of ours. ....and so begins "The Maiden Voyage".

I came to the realization over the last few months, that much like you hear in life, you sometimes really do end up being a lot like your Mom. Lucky for me I had an amazing and encouragingly kind soul for a Mom. My Mom and Dad spent 12 years full-time on the road before they settled in the little house on the river behind the nursery. It was some of the best years they ever had in their life's, and marriage, and I always marveled at the stories and photos they shared of their travels. We owned an Airstream for years, but always found it while ~ WAY up there on the COOL factor, it was WAY DOWN there on the practical side. Hence we didn't use it very often, other than short trips out to the desert close to our home. After stepping inside and trying out what seemed like 1000's of  different styles of RVs over the last year ~ we hit the right one. We are set. We are going. Often. Join along, I promise to show you some sites that may seem a little off the beaten path......after all.......I will be traveling with Bob.

Lake Tahoe, up to this point in my life has been one of my "go to" places to relax and reflect. When we planned our first trip in the apartment it was to go to Susanville, Ca. But I came home last week and Bob said, "How about we take it up to Tahoe for a day or two and make sure we have everything we need before we head off for a big trip" ....really....was I going to say No!

Couple of hints for the future....check the weather and come prepared. While we knew there was a slight.....storm forecast for the area we didn't really expect to wake up to 5" of snow on the ground. But all worked out for the best. It showed us that we could really spend three days in close proximity and survive. We still got in some walks, but the bikes never made it off the rack. It was a great first trip. The first of many!

 the BBQ grill didn't get much use...but it sure was pretty the next day

  Came home to find that Fallon also received the first white blanket of the year. I spent some time out in the garden cutting the last of the summers blossoms.



April in Autumn

Last night I got invited out to join in a "beet harvest" with Kevin and Jaime. They had given some seeds to a fellow artist and gardener in hopes that she would plant them for all to enjoy. April and Bob Oakden's rich garden soil produced a bountiful crop and we get to reap the harvest. Three bags full later, we wandered around their beautiful farm enjoying the late autumn light as the sun set through the giant cottonwood trees. Such a lovely evening.









  
April and Bob, married over 50 years, it is so obvious that they celebrate each day on this perfect little piece of paradise they have created. 


This bucket of rusty old tools and handle faucets fascinated me. Calling to me from across the yard, it sits posed overlooking an alfalfa field. I mentioned to April that I had one or two more to add to the bucket if she would like them ~  and that is when the story unfolded. Family history can be found in the most unlikely places. All of these faucet handles were from her parents old homestead. How many times must her Mom have turned on the water faucet to wash her hands after a day in the garden. There is no need to give her any of mine......she has plenty of memories of her own wrapped up right here.