Sailing on the Columbia

My nephew Seamus and his wife Barbara are quite a team when it comes to sailing. We went out on a practically windless day and yet the challenges were still there whether you were tacking or pulling up the fenders when coming into port. We saw a beautiful sunset, lots of jets taking off, and several flocks of Canadian Geese.Portland winters are damp and cold, but I found the drizzle and rain refreshing after the extended drought here in California.I think the best conditions for vineyards are moving north.

My sister Tara and I had a good time learning about the benefits and pitfalls of casting with resin. We tried a few experiments, some successful,some not. We watched "Foyle's War" on her computer,had great food to eat both at home and out at the local restaurants. We went to a place on the first day called, Tara's Thai, which was fantastic.All in all, it was great staying with my extended family and my mentor Tara, who has been an inspiration to my art from day one.

Visiting the Castle

Today is the feast of the Epiphany.This was when the three wise men showed up to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and mir to the baby Jesus. Today is when we usually celebrate "Little Christmas". I received very nice gifts from my sister and my nephew. My brother in law, my sister and my grandniece went to visit the Castillo de Amorosa near where I live in Calistoga.I had been up to the castle, but never inside, nor had I ever had a tour of the castle. The nice thing was that locals get a fifty percent discount at the door. My grandniece Mila had a wonderful time, truly making it a wonderful fantasy environment for a princess. She took every opportunity to have her picture taken, and explore every nook and cranny of this wonderful building/winery. The best picture of course, was the one showing her dining room where all her royal friends would be dining.