Toads, wine, training and good friends

I have something to share with you about which I am SOOOOOO excited! I will get to the walk later, but FIRST let me announce Toad Hollow will be at Cheers to a Cure and Jim will be pouring himself! Our friend that we met last year during training, Jim works at their Healdsburg tasting room. He is a great guy who knows personally how important out cause is. Jim's wife lost her battle to Breast Cancer. After that Jim even walked in part of a Susan G Komen 3 day with his daughters.

I am ecstatic that he has wholeheartedly said he would come. Thank you to Toad Hollow and Jim.

Check out more about their great wines and GREAT , affordable wine club at http://www.toadhollow.com/

YIPPEE!!! did I say YAHOO?? Well Yippee Yahoo!

My dear friend Barbara Bryant walked with us in in 2009. She was a room mate, a sorority sister and I was in her wedding to the one of a kind Curtiss some 30 years ago. Barbara and her daughter Alicia are going to be walking with Team:Are We There Yet this year in DC. And might I add with a little more spring in her step since she has retired from the taxing life of a financial guru for Lyons Real Estate in the Sacramento area.

Now she and Curtiss are back doing what they do best, exploring the world. They took off on a boat years ago to sail and live abroad for (I think it was 12 years). Alicia grew up "out there" and perhaps it was there she developed her love of the water. She is a graduate of the California Maritime Academy, works in the shipping world and races on a sailboat.

At the same time I am happy for them, heading off once again, I am jealous at the same time. But I am certainly glad that in the middle of this adventure they will be stopping in DC for the walk. That will be just wonderful seeing them and spending time together doing something so worthwhile.

Today may be the only day I get to train with Barbara, and Curtiss joined us in Healdsburg.

Barbara uses Curtiss as a bit of a pack mule... And he is really good at it!

We started off at the plaza and headed down Healdsburg Avenue looking for an open space park they heard about at the Chamber of Commerce.

We made a right at a newer housing development and walked up and down a couple of hills to reach the destination. Barbara had on brand new shoes, that is a recipe for mud.... and there was a little after all this rain. Today though, it was int he 80s and kind of humid for California.

Manzanita with its nearly burgundy red bark. Oaks..... studded the hillside.

Madrone. With its bark slight lighter...grows much larger than Manzanita.

Moss hanging from the trees.

Spring flowers blooming in the grass...

Russian River overlook... with vineyards

Friends

The Bryants

Heading back down the hill....

A nice little home on a knoll...

By the time we made it down the hill, we were sweaty hungry folks. So we grabbed curry crab rolls and a beer at Willy's.

Then I introduced Barbara and Curtiss to Jim and got the great news that he will there on the 29th! Barbara and Curtiss know good wine and good value when they see it ...the bought 15 bottles. Now you have to understand that was quite the purchase because everything that fits into a truck and their boat is all they are living with these days. I am betting they know that wine won't be there that long. Not with two birthdays to celebrate soon.

When we left each other we said goodbye for who knows how long. Hopefully Barbara will make it to our college girls weekend and I will be able to go too... if my schedule allows. I really hope she finds a way to come to Cheers to a Cure, but their schedule shows them in Minnesota right then. Maybe she can talk our other college friend into coming out with her.... If she does I promise I will have some Toad Hollow, a ride to and from the airport and a place to stay right here.

Keep checking our event website as we add items to our silent and live auctions. It is a dynamic site and there will be new information popping up from time to time...

Did you know we had a glider ride donated?! This is getting FUN!

http://www.cheerstoacure.com/

More items needed. Sponsors welcomed. Check it out!