Special Concert in Montclair

Plans for our fall tour are underway - we'll keep you posted on the details as they are finalized. In the meantime, we'd like to invite you to a tour of another kind. Joy will be in Montclair on Friday, September 18 for a flute and piano recital. The concert is at 8 PM at Grace Presbyterian Church in Montclair, right around the corner from us on Grove Street. No tickets needed. It is a benefit concert, with proceeds going to earthquake relief in Pisco, Peru. All are welcome and we'll be going back to our house afterwards for dessert and wine. Please join us.

Home Again

Arrived home this evening after a uneventful flight from San Francisco. The plane left on time, there was no turbulence over the Midwest, we didn't need to circle Newark six times before landing, the plane was early and our bags were there - and intact -when we got to the baggage carousel. Who could ask for a better return home?

Actually all the excitement was reserved for the SFO airport. After waiting in the security line for more than 30 minutes, we finally went through the metal detector and Alan - as usual - got pulled over for the individual search in the little glass cage. Just like a kid who knows there's no Santa Claus, but refuses to stop believing, he clutches his hip replacement card, continually hoping that it will be his "get out of jail free" card. Instead, it is always his "go directly to jail, do not pass go" card. His optimism is refreshing. We have it down pat - I go through security first so I can collect his belongings and wait for him while he has the individual "wand" search. This morning's was particularly thorough - I won't go into the details!

This is the view of sunrise from our hotel when we left for the airport at 6:15 or so. We stayed in Burlingame, right by the bay. Great walk along the bay last night. Lovely way to start the day.

Yesterday we left Santa Rosa and drove over the mountains to Napa, starting in Calistoga and then winding our way down to the town of Napa. The highlight was stopping at the Folie a Deux winery, which makes our favorite wine, Menage a Trois - great blends that come both in red and white. Apparently we are not their only fans.

We ended the trip the way we started - with dinner at sunset at the Waterfront Cafe and Restaurant.

Russian River to the Pacific

Drove along the Russian River west to the point where it meets the Pacific Ocean at Goat Beach, a little north of Bodega Bay. Beautiful trip with exotice scenery through redwood forests, over winding roads, along steep hills with patches of fog that open suddenly to reveal incredible ocean views. Wonderful beaches - Schoolhouse, Gleason, Shell Beach - all along the rocky coastline. Saw baby seals sunning themselves on the beach far below. The color of the ocean changed constantly from deep blue to green to aqua.

Stopped on the way to walk through Armstrong Woods, a redwood forest. Amazing quiet, deep shade, fragrant smell of pine. Didn't know that redwood roots are very shallow compared to the height of the trees - only about 12 feet deep, yet supporting a 300+ foot tree.

Enjoyed some wine at Kendall Jackson Winery on the way back. Had a picnic lunch in the lovely gardens at the winery and tried a new blend of white wine, Summation, which is about to be distributed to the east coast for the first time.

Finished the day with dinner at Cafe Citti in Kenwood, another recommendation from Amanda. Lovely day.