The Second Wave

Another storm has arrived in time for our Napa Valley Vintner's to breathe a brief sigh of relief.The Farmer's Almanac has predicted rains for March, and they haven't arrived soon enough as far as most people are concerned.Water rationing has begun in areas like Cloverdale and Healdsburg, and Calistoga is right inline.Amazingly, the mustard is in bloom and fields of yellow are sprouting up between the rows of vines.

The little brown Buddha you see below was a gift I gave my sister Tara some years ago. I had forgotten about it until she showed me that she still had it after all these years. The figurine still reminds me not to take myself so seriously. I mean, check out that cute little smile!

Now more about the weather;Although it is nice to have some moisture in the air, it is better for me to stay inside and tend to the rock business.Even when the sun is out, I tend to burn pretty easily and don't like to have my skin wrinkle any more than is necessary for old age. Yikes! did I just say old age? Disregard the rest of this post.

Happy Heart Day !

I've prepared this little video to put a smile on your face for Valentine's Day. I hope you have a sweet one. Enjoy!

Happy Valentines !

Getting Gratitude

Sometimes it may seem hard to find things to be grateful for during these troubled times.It is important to keep our eyes on the prize, which is where we are all going ( i.e. heaven ).This is what I believe, and I take comfort in this belief. Some may ask how can I believe such a thing when all evidence is to the contrary.I have to answer with a resounding,"I don't know!" but my faith in a higher power is forever.

Today I've been watching a lot of movies online. In the past three days, I've seen "The American Hustler", "The Wolf of Wall Street","August,Osage County" "Her", "All is Lost" and "12 Years as a Slave". The first two I mentioned were intriguing but I have to take issue with the gratutious violence and sex. I didn't find that entertaining. It was at times very painful to watch.The same can be said for the last movie, "12 years a Slave". It was atrocious and painful at every turn. Even if this was an accurate depiction of slavery in the deep south, it was still a movie I would not recommend anyone see.I have seen "Philomena" and "Nebraska" in the theatre and of all of these movies, I would have to say that "Philomena" was my favorite pick for the Oscar.Judy Dench gives a stellar performance.By the way, the picture below was taken last October at Russian Gulch. I left that heart-shaped rock there at the beach.