Hooky

The fog has laid like a thick blanket over Southern Marin the past two days. The idea of walking in the fog is less than exciting when you know there is summer on the other side of the grey. Patti and I decided we would change scenery and hope for an earlier burn off in Sonoma.

Our original plan was to go early and walk until lunchtime, then come back to work. But something happened on the way to the winery.... oh yeah, we took a side trip.

How can you not stop and taste a little wine in the heart of wine country?

We started with good intentions. we walked down Broadway into the town square passing some truly amazing cactus flowers.

Patti deposited money in the bank... that is a good thing to do...

We headed out for the bike path by walking through the square and over towards Sebastiani.

Along the way we passed all those great "town" homes I would really love to live in... or own as a second home. I have this vision of me as a little old lady, walking into town with a pink hat topped with a big white flower. People would say..."There goes that crazy walking lady." They may already be saying that for all I know!

The houses and landscape close to towns like Sonoma always seem more interesting that the monochrome newer towns.

And somehow people with some wealth seem to enjoy that.... Ala Bentley

Or those with grand places like this.....

This little house just sold... I need to find out how much and how unrealistic all this dreaming I do is.

All decked out for the 4TH.

The little bridge over the creek looked vintage, but I am supposing it isn't. That little dribbling creek most likely roars after heavy winter rains.

The carved wood doors at Sebastiani..but we were still being good...

We window shopped and ...

Used the loo....

And left without spending a dime.

Off we went further up the road past vineyards being tended....

Past majestic stone gates...

The new green grapes beginning to take shape...

And then to Ravenswood...where we didn't take any pictures, but our resolve wore down. 6 bottles of wine later (we had them hold them for us to pick up later...) off we went back toward the square....

Abandoned houses...

New houses...

Down the bike path - past a soccer game (at the exact time the semi finals were being played in the World Cup). Then we walked on... through more vineyards and had a great phone call from our friend Greg Kalal, who said we could expect he and Joyce for Wine Wars!

Then somehow we found ourselves at Hawke. This is a relatively new place, although they have produced grapes for over 30 years they have been bottling their own only since 2005, I believe. GREAT Cabernet meant, ahummmm , we had to buy more to pick up later.

Time to eat... and enjoy a little refreshment at the Sunflower. Yummm

All in all a great day. Along the way we had to get money out of the cash machine though... and on the way home we stopped at the Sonoma Market to scope out Truffle salt. Chuck had used this on his french fries and they were delicious. But.... it was out of my price point after the unexpected, wonderful Sonoma day I already had. So we left it on the shelf.

By the time we got home it was 5 pm. The good intentions of working today out the window and we had a better day for it. It is a great thing on occasion to throw out the rule book and just enjoy life. ESPECIALLY with your great friend. Thank you Patti for putting up with me and my...shall we say... quirks. It was a blast. Let's do it again!