Season of the Witch

I was reading an article online about Salem, Massachusetts. This was the place in American History where witches were burned at the stake over allegations of people casting spells and the like. So much suspicion has risen up in recent history where the country is practically polarized as people express or choose to hide their individual politics and beliefs.This reminds me of what it must have been like living in Salem in the sixteen hundreds. As a Freedom loving country, I think we forget that we have in the past, and will certainly again in the future,continue to pay a dear price to enjoy such freedoms.

The social and political climate of today kind of reminds me of the TV Show “Survivor” . This begins where everyone is trying to form alliances in the hopes of winning favor with their particular brand of leadership. This is all done in order to be the last one left on the island, thus “WINNING" as Charlie Sheen would say, the illusive title of being a sole survivor.

These are trying times, and at times I feel like the wolf in the image above, howling at the moon. This would probably be a very therapeutic practice if a group of people went up into the hills during a full moon, just to howl for awhile . Halloween is just around the corner so perhaps that evening would be a great time to just go out and howl.

Larry returns !

I didn’t recognize him at first, but Larry J. Nowlan is someone who I had given a tour of the Greystone Campus well over a year ago. Larry is a world famous sculpture who was responsible for all the relief sculptures of all the luminaries of the wine industry in the Napa Valley, which is showcased in the barrel room at the CIA. It was so great being recognized by him. He and his wife, Heather stopped by and purchased a few Spirit Rocks for their kids. He was in good spirits and we both discovered that we have more in common than just the fact that we are both practicing artists. We have a mutual friend named Bill, who has helped us both live much fuller lives today. Heather took this picture of us on Saturday afternoon. They were both in town to attend a function being held at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone that evening. It was wonderful seeing them. He will be returning again in February of 2012. I look forward to hanging out with them at that time.

What a week

It’s Sunday and I just got back from Tucker Farm. My day began with mass at the St. Helena Catholic Church. Then I go to the N.V. Coffee Roastery for a cup of joe and a Jalapeño bagel with cream cheese and butter. I know, cholesterol and fat for breakfast. This is my comfort food treat for the week. Then I hit the 10:30am meeting at Tucker Farm.

This week has been momentous with the passing of Al Davis and Steve Jobs. I was most taken by the passing of Jobs. I felt as if I knew him personally and that he was instrumental in my staying up with the technology and all things Apple. I drank the Kool-aid and am proud of it. Steve was a visionary and innovator. I was truly inspired by the lengths this guy would go to; to get his products launched.Being a Mac guy from 1996 to the present, their are not a few things I haven’t drooled over when it comes to I-anything.Thanks for everything you have made available for us, Steve. As I type this, the IPhone 4S is about to come out with a new operating system which interacts with the ICloud. Another reason to save my shekels.

Speaking of shekels, I had a great day at the Farmer’s Market yesterday. I came home with the grand sum of $370. ( nothing to sneeze at) after selling a number of beautiful Spirit Rocks. I even had a few Lady bug rocks that I made for a lady after a special request. She showed up, and probably was surprised that I had listened to her and took action. One of them sold ( not to her ) which pleased me, and reminded me to make more of them. I am beginning to see peoples partiality about certain animals, birds and symbols. I sold a few “Recovery Rocks” to a lady from Reno who was in town to share at a local meeting. You never know who will be touched by these things.

a Work in Progress

Somewhere between Gratitude and Acceptance do I find a semblance of sanity and serenity in my daily life. If I don’t have Gratitude, I’m hurting. It is that simple for me. It is so easy to forget when I am struggling to force my will in a situation. Somehow I find myself trying to change the things I can’t accept, as if this time it will be different. Surrender does not come easy. I am a “Yes but” person. I am always trying to find an angle or a way to assert my will. The irony is that sometimes I get away with shit and I am left with the idea that I have power. Lack of power was the dilemma. Just when I think I am on easy street, my Higher Power pulls the rug out from underneath me and I am flat on my butt again. Acceptance is the only tool that gets me through during those times, because nothing else will suffice.

The Spirit Rock shown above is a work in Progress, like myself.

Summer’s end

A friend and fellow seeker, Fred Pothoff died over a week ago. We had his memorial service yesterday at the Catholic Church in St. Helena. Fred was a great guy. He came to visit me on more than one occasion when I was still working at the CIA. He clued me in on several aspects about Greystone that really brought the building to life for me. He and his work crew were instrumental in the remodeling construction that took place between 1995 and 2001. When you walk in to the building and look up, you will be struck by the beauty that brings the light from the third floor down to the first. Their would be no Atrium if his crew hadn't cut away the floors and ceilings that enclosed the former Christian Brothers Sparkling wine and brandy cellars. Fred’s crew also secured and sealed the caves that went way back into the hillside behind the Culinary Institute of America.  Many suspect that the Chinese laborers that originally built Greystone had a network of tunnels that extended beyond the property. To date, no one has really determined how far back they go. Historical record says 300 feet. A series of pylons were driven into the hillside during the retrofit that anchored the building from the back. Fred also explained how epoxy was injected into the cement floors throughout the Barrell room to solidify them. Otherwise, they would surely crumble in an earthquake.After our visit, Fred gave me a “Christian Brothers Greystone” sweatshirt that had been given to him by Brother Timothy who was the cellar master. It is a collector’s item that I will keep until the day I leave this world.

R.I.P Fred Pothoff.

Eating Weird

The picture you see below is of some pretty healthy stuff. Cale, Tomatoes, Garlic and the like. This is not my regular diet, but it is a direction I am heading. I eat weird, but healthy. Lately, Quinoa is my staple. I cook it like rice and add stuff to it after I take it off the stove. I add cranberries, dates, chopped carrots, celery and a large dollop of tahini for good measure. I may even add a few crushed almonds to boot. What do you think? Is this normal ? This morning I took a rice cake and slathered it with Sunflower seed butter, bee pollen, Organic blackstrap molasses, cayenne, ginger and cinnamon. Oh yum ! Actually, I have no set diet, but I can tell you that I eat weird. My favorite is something I concocted that I call a “Chipoltelini” which consists of melted sharp cheddar on a rice cake, a layer of tahini and Chipolte sauce from Trader Joe’s, then topped with a slice of heirloom tomato. Don’t knock it until you have tried it ! Anyway, I would be curious to know about your favorite weird snack that you are reluctant to let anyone know.

Labor Day Fun

I went for a nice hike with my pal, Dave and his girlfriend, Kathy. We started at 9:30 AM and got back around 1 PM. It was a gorgeous day ( not too hot, not too cool ). The creek had water running and the view from Coyote Peak was awesome. We thought we heard a mountain lion growling and it turned out to be a crying kid who was about 50 yards back. The picture above is of me inside this stump that was hollowed out a long time ago. I thought that it was the perfect photo op. I Hope that your Labor day was fun for you too.

New Poster

This poster contains rocks that I have painted, photographed, scanned and have modified in Photoshop. I inverted some of the images for that ghosting effect. I only imported one image with the glow-in-the-dark effect to illustrate that particular feature.
Right now the entire image is around 8X10", but I plan to output it to poster size 18 X 24 ".

Waiting for the BLING

Today was cool as I sauntered out the door at 6:30 AM to set up my stand at the Saturday Farmer’s Market. I stopped into a bakery downtown and bought a cup of coffee and paid for it with a twenty. Now I had some one’s to make change for the rocks I planned to sell. The sun finally broke through around eleven, and the foot traffic picked up a bit. My neighbor’s umbrella kept me shaded, but it also blocked the sun when it finally came out. It wasn’t until 11:30 AM until it began to shine on my display which really makes the Spirit Rocks BLING ! I sold a few rocks to some regular customers but it wasn’t a big day for sales. Thankfully, I got everything up and down with ease and came back to my apartment around 1 PM to nap for a few hours. I enjoy napping since it is rare that I get a full night’s sleep anymore. I hear that is pretty common for people my age.

Poster Project

This picture is a prototype of a poster I am in the process of creating. I have used color inverted copies of pictures I have taken of my Spirit Rocks to form this checkerboard pattern which is visually pleasing. I have stretched some of the .jpg files to fit the Square as I saw fit. Many of you who have used Photoshop can spot the filters I have employed to create the background effects. The poster I hope to create will be approx. 18"X24" . If i comes out according to spec. I will have a glow rock instead of an inverted color rock image which will not be modified in the final product. I will probably have six squares across and down instead of the four you see here.This stuff is fun.

Rocks galore

Every weekday now, I have been painting more and more rocks to replenish my inventory. I have been selling between 20 to 30 rocks every Saturday for some time now. I have to remember to take pictures of the ones that are the most attractive and the big sellers. I honestly cannot say that I have been at all bored doing this. The only thing I find challenging is coming up with different ideas to paint. The picture above is of a 45rpm symbol from the days when people played 45 records on their turntables. It harkens back to the days of rock and roll. I think this symbol is cool and looks visually pleasing on the surface of a round rock. I bejeweled it a little just to add the bling factor to it. I would be surprised if this one does not sell this weekend. If it doesn’t, it will be a display rock because I really dig this one.

Hot Day

Today it felt like summer. The sun is out and I am inside to protect my sensitive Irish skin as I update this blog. The image above are the hills of Sonoma looking west from a view at a turnout on Skaggs road going towards Healdsburg. This was taken durning a day trip with my friend Reid Bennett about a month ago.

Today is Sunday (appropriately named ) in the middle of August and I went to mass at the St. Helena Catholic Church this morning. I usually have a morning coffee at the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company along with a Jalapeno bagel with cream cheese and butter. This is my end of the week indulgence and I usually work it off physically in the next day or two.

Lately, I have been leaning towards being a vegan and I won’t eat meat unless I am put in an awkward situation to do so. Eliminating it from my diet is a progressive thing and I applaud anyone who keeps pushing forward in their attempts to affirm a long life.

Saturday was another good day at the Farmer’s Market in Calistoga. The Spirit Rocks are a hit and they keep selling. Nevertheless, I have to replenish my inventory every week. Sell thirty rocks… Paint thirty rocks. That is just the way it is. Tuesday is my get-away day, when I drive up to my favorite spot in Lake County for rest and relaxation.
I hope that your summer is turning out to be everything you wanted.

So far, mine has. Love and hugs…

The return of Television

The above picture was taken at my niece Marian’s house after we arrived there for the Grand Fallon over a week ago. Since that time, I have been on the computer and rearranging furniture since I’ve been back in Calistoga.That trip was just what I needed to realize what I’ve been needing more of in my life.

I swung a deal with Comcast on Friday and got a reduced rate on my internet connection along with Cable TV after signing a two year contract. Oh joy! As if I don’t enough information flowing through my brain these days.I moved my computer from my bedroom to the living room and put my TV in the bedroom so that I don’t have to run a coaxial cable all the way from the bedroom to the living room. I don’t want to pay extra to have the Comcast guy come out and install another cable. I have an Airport Extreme network on all 3 of my Apple computers so I am fine sitting on the futon typing away without tripping over wires and such.

Now with the local stations back, I will be able to understand references to commercials, shows and other things that have made me feel “ out of the loop “ for around ten years now. It’s funny, when I had a TV I thought that everyone else in my social circles had a TV. Today I know that in many households, TV and Computers are not only optional… but avoided unless absolutely necessary. I think that this is a good thing.The video of Marian on her computer below made me think about how tethered I have been to the whole digital world,

The Grand Faloon

It has been a few days since I’ve returned from Oregon to Calistoga. The trip went well and it was great seeing my family. It was heart warming to connect with Grand nephews and nieces as well as the next generation of family members. We played horseshoes, barbequed, swam, petted goats and horses. went for a bike ride, and stuffed our faces with food. The ride up there and back was a bit long ( 10 hours ) , but passing by Mt. Shasta is always a wonderful site. The video is of my grandniece Cooper who is as cute as a button. She and the others were so much fun to watch.

My sister Tara had suggested this gathering and my niece Marian and her Zany husband Colby hosted ( Colby was non-stop entertainment ). Everyone seemed to pitch in with whatever was required to pull this thing off. Initially, Tara wanted to meet with everyone to pass along her collection of Children’s Books which she has used as reference materials for many years doing her work as an illustrator. The kids loved this, because they all got a great collection of books which they can later trade when they are finished with them. Most of the days were spent catching up or reminiscing about past family events. My only regret is that is went by too quickly and I wished that more of my family members could have been there.

The Potato turns 200,000

I woke up thinking it was Monday, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. I got up around 9:00 and suddenly remembered that it was Sunday. I already missed mass so I made a pot of coffee and started painting rocks. Around 10am I still hadn’t accomplished much so I thought I would get dressed and go to the meeting at Tucker Farm. Scratch that idea, as it is now 10:30 am. It seemed that I could not get my Mojo working today. I downloaded some old 60’s songs like Crystal Blue Persuasion by Tommy James and Kind of a drag by the Buckinghams which described this day aptly.

Next thing I know it’s past five and even a hike is out of the question. I took a second nap and my body was still recouping all the energy I had expended on Saturday was a great day both financially and Spiritually… however draining

6:30pm rolled around so I forced myself to make the meeting in St. Helena. Then in a moment of Spiritual enthusiasm, i took off for Berkeley to make the 10pm student mass at Newman Chapel. I drove south for an hour and a half and arrived in Berkeley just around 9:00pm and went to Bongo Burger on Euclid for a Hummus plate and a “Lassie” ( a cold yogurt soda ). They had never heard of it and corrected me calling it a “dook" or something like that. I said that I had ordered a Lassie there for years and the clerk looked at me with some suspicion. I think Bongo Burger changed management from Indian to Pakistani Vegetarian and didn’t switch the menu… only the NAMES of things like their stupid yogurt soda.

I drove from north Berkeley to mass, after which I spotted an old friend Tina who was surprised to see me there. She said that I was the reason for her attending the student mass at Neuman initially. We both still wanted to get home early enough after services, but agreed to meet each other on Wednesday at 2:30pm in San Raphael at Cafe Gratitude. I look forward to catching up.

Lastly, driving through American Canyon I got pulled over because the CHP said that I was going in and out of my lane. He ran a check on my license and then asked me if I had been drinking. I said that my car was out of alignment which was true and he let me go. I drove ten miles further and pulled off the road in Yountville. The Potato’s mileage had just turned 200,000 ! Good job, and great way to end the day.

Trip to Gualala

My friend Reid and I drove from Santa Rosa out to the coast for a five-hour trip to Gualala. I have never been there before and the route we took was great. I was especially impressed with the emergency access route on the return trip. We went through Redwood forests, small depressed areas, scenic vistas and long winding downhills.

Skaggs road in particular, took us back towards Healdsburg and close to the Dry Creek Winery district of Sonoma. The reason for the trip was to deliver a famous picture to a gallery that specializes in Ansel Adams photography. Reid had won the picture in an auction a long time ago and was now ready to sell it. The gallery owner knew what he wanted and so did Reid, so they agreed on a fair price and the picture of the “Sonoma Hills” which will be displayed and hopefully sold sometime between now and December. If not, it will be returned to Reid.

This was a time when we could have a long conversation about many things, to get current with each other. Now that he is a dad with three boys, he hardly has any time to himself. It was fun just to cruise and talk.

The picture above is of the coast as it looked just outside of Gualala looking south.

Ceasar and Monica

Here are my neighbors children, Ceasar and Monica Ayala. This is a picture taken of them after their First Holy Communion at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Their mother, Sylvia invited me to attend the reception afterwards which lasted from 3pm to 10pm in the evening. I am certain that if I drank Coronas and spoke fluent Spanish I would have been entertained the whole time. For better of for worse, I left around 4:30pm. I had given Monica and Caesar an envelope each with cash. I put ten bucks in Caesar’s envelope and only nine bucks in Monica’s envelope. I told her that I owed her a dollar because I used the twenty to buy a pack of Juicy Fruit and could not divide the money evenly after that. She held me to my promise to provide another dollar when I got home. I folded one up into a “Dollar Ring” and surprised her by putting it on her finger in front of her entire family. Then in a moment of ridiculous abandon, I asked her to marry me...Quite naturally, she refused.

A Friendly Fourth

My neighbors, Dick and Carol Uschyk hosted a lovely BBQ in their backyard over the fourth. They served ribs, chicken, frittatas, potato salad, beans, rice and assorted plates that the guests brought. Now that I am foregoing meat, I satisfied my appetite with frittatas and smiled pleasantly as others devoured flesh ( no judgement, mind you ).I also provided Dick with a bottle of Alacante Bouche from the grapes harvested atop the entrance to Greystone. I can’t and won’t be able to tell you what the wine is like because I never sampled it. A Chef by the name of Lars Kronmark gave it to me after an event at the Culinary Institute one year.Since my memories of the CIA are bittersweet at this point, I am passing along all those items that I have collected over the years.

I spoke with Dick’s friend, Peter as we discussed some of the history of the Napa Valley. I did not know for instance, that many people had snubbed Francis Ford Coppola’s opening party at the former Inglenook Winery ( I have learned that they are now planning on restoring the name, and abandoning the name Rubicon Estates ). Over 200 guests were invited, and only the Mondavi’s showed up. Robert Mondavi inspired Francis to start processing some of the classic grapes of that area.

After dinner, we gathered across the street to watch the annual fireworks display after sunset. It turned out to be an enjoyable evening. Earlier in the day I had spent three hours swimming at Bothe State Park ( which has been slated to close at some point ) and received a righteous sunburn on my face,neck, back and arms. The image above is of a thistle that was discovered during my hike with Don Freeland.

Getting out of Dodge

Not me, not yet. I will be traveling to Oregon sometime before the end of July and perhaps to Mineral King for four days in the middle of July. We shall see. My friend Raphael, who you read about in the last post is now with his mother in Mexico. The family here in Calistoga is here indefinitely. Sylvia, Caesar, Monica and Jessica are living next door with no daddy to support them. I am making myself available for rides, groceries, etc. but right now they are taking matters “One day at a time”.

I went for a hike up to Sugarloaf Ridge yesterday with my friend, Don. The hike started at 1:30 PM and ended at 5:30 PM. It was an intense scaling hike that was uphill from the start. Luckily, the temperature was not unbearable and I found a way to stay cool and comfortable. We reached the summit or saddle of the mountain around 4PM. We ate a simple lunch and made are way down the hill after that. It was a first for me in this area, and I hope to visit it again in the future. The picture above is of the view looking west from the summit.

Everything is okay…

Today I got up early and heard some crying outside my window. My next door neighbor Rapahel was being deported for not showing up to court for a minor traffic infraction which was not even his fault. His two daughters, his wife and son were all sobbing as he was handcuffed and brought to a police vehicle parked out on Lake street. I immediately went to talk with Sylvia his wife. We held hands and prayed quietly to Our Lady of Guadalupe for guidance and direction. Sylvia explained the situation through her tears and it was clear she was very distraught but had faith that everything would be okay. The children were the ones took it hard.We called Father Manuel from our local Catholic church to see if anything could be done on the short term. He is a strong influence in the Spanish Community here in Calistoga.

Because I don’t speak Spanish very well, I was only capable of picking out certain words as the phone was passed onto Sylvia as she was consoled in her grief. It was Tuesday and I went to bag up groceries at our local Food Bank. Thankfully I was able to get a few bags for the Ayala family. When Wednesday arrived, I learned that Raphael was transported to a San Diego Immigration office where he awaited extradition.He spoke with the family and explained that he was being treated fairly, and that he was fed during his trip south. This was the month where Immigration sweeps usually take place in the Napa Valley, according to the secretary at the Catholic Church in St. Helena.

When the weekend came we learned that Raphael had made it safely to his mother’s house in Michoacan, Mexico. The family is now seeking legal help to get him back with his family here. If not, they may all return to Mexico.

Father Brinkle who is another pastor around here who has dedicated most of his life as an advocate for the Hispanic Community ever since the days of Ceasar Chavez. He is a good resource for these type of situations I have learned. Since this happened, I have been invited to attend a meeting with all the parties concerned to be held at the church on the 28th of this month.