La Familia.  In addition to getting our Jeep up and running again, including a few “modifications” I've needed, the past 2 months have been spent visiting friends and family along the west coast of Oregon and California.  Although we did miss a few on this trek, we also managed to locate a couple of others we had completely lost track of.  Welcome back, Tom & Jackie!!

A couple of days after the wine blending and tasting event for Jeff & Jenny's wedding wine, our erstwhile hosts, Jerry & Sandy, took off for a week in Kentucky to supervise the training of their race horse, Ole Dinglewippus, and left the two of us in charge of Happy Bottom Estate, winery, tasting room and their noble canine, Short George AKA Shorty...

In no time at all we had broken him of all the non-doggy habits the Zimmermans had been pounding into his tiny head.  He was soon roaming happily atop the furniture, sitting in laps, barking whenever he damn well wanted to, occupying his own place at the table where he would enjoy people food with the family including coffee ice cream covered with Port wine for dessert and playing “Grab the Nose.”  This is a game in which one player tries to grab the nose of the other player before having his hand or arm ripped to shreds by canine canines.  (I first played this game with our Rottweiler, Chaka, and, although I do have a few scars, I still have both hands and all 8 ½ fingers.)  We drew the line at having him sleep with us but we did allow him to sleep in the Zimmerman’s bed with his head on Sandy’s pillow and furry body under the covers while cuddled up with Jerry's teddy-bear, Howard.  

(I wanted to include a picture of this but my Bride thought Jerry might use it as evidence.  He’s still fretting about all the dog hair on Howard.)

The wardens returned the following week and Shorty soon found himself facing a stricter regimen of behavior with his owners, the Zimmermans, than he had with his pals, the Bryans.  I do believe he likes us best.

Unable to sit idly by while Shorty was being treated like a dog, we decided to take our newly rebuilt Jeep out for a road trip to visit our kids and grandkids in the Bay Area.  As it happened, our grandson, Nick, was playing football that weekend…

  La Familia                                                               November 8, 2013

Unfortunately Nick's team lost to the Forty-niners but the Jets' cheerleaders were much prettier than the “Niners’.”

We decided to take the scenic route home which included a return visit to the northern California coast and the Timber Cove Inn...

The view from our room was spectacular...

I see that same flash at every sunset!

We left the coast by way of a winding road through a forest of large ferns and a canopy of California Redwoods...

Although it was a rather quotidian sunset that evening, we nevertheless managed to capture a picture of that elusive green flash which, according to sailor's lore, occasionally accompanies an ocean sunset when you are in the arms of a beautiful woman...

I just don't understand how, at EVERY wine tasting, I end up with a camera in my hands while my Bride, our OFFICIAL TEAM BRYAN PHOTOGRAPHER, stands around with a wine glass in hers while sampling the wine!  I may have to file a grievance with my shop steward.  What union represents oppressed husbands nowadays????

Welp, that about concludes our activities during the past month or so.  We are “on the road” at this writing (That’s actually somewhat redundant considering that we are always “on the road”) en-route to Los Angeles for a visit with more kidlets and grandkidlets as well as a herd of medical professionals whose sole purpose is to prescribe the drugs we need to compensate for the lives we live.  Thus far they are doing one hell of a job!  I only wish Dr. Avakian would stop yelling at me all the time... “blood pressure, A1C, cholesterol, diabetes, malaria, nitrogen narcosis, leprosy...”

Sheeesh!!

See y'all next time...I hope. Hugs. C&K

and our granddaughter, Bella, was cheerleading for his team...

Unbeknownst to us, this road also passed through the Alexander Valley, home to the Fieldstone Winery, one of our all time favorites.  (Okay, I lied!  I knew this was the road to Fieldstone and I took it anyway!  I am sooooo bad!!)  Naturally we had to stop and sample their latest concoctions and buy a bottle or two to enjoy with Jerry & Sandy back at the olde homestead...

This is the destination my new Bride and I scurried off to nearly 30 years ago to spend our wedding night prior to departing for a honeymoon in the Caribbean.  We have made several return visits since that memorable day and always indulge ourselves with a wee bit of pampering...