March Sonoma County Barrel Tasting,

On March 1-3, 2013 we joined some friends from Santa Fe, up state New York, and the Bay Area to barrel taste some of the 2012 harvest wines from the Sonoma area.  In total our tasting group numbered 18. 

We enjoyed numerous Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels, and Cabernets from both the Russian River and Dry Creek Valleys.  On Saturday night ten of us had a wonderful dinner at the Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, California with some of the finest wines we provided from our cellars.

Georgia and Bonnie Spear at Hook & Ladder Winery

 

Mike & Bonnie Spear at Hook and Ladder Winery

 

(Mike is a classmate of Hugh's from the US Naval Academy and was raised in Sebastopol, California. He is a wine aficionado, and is known by the group as the "Chief Grape".)

 

A picture of the 2013 barrel tasting group at Hook & Ladder

 

 

 Tasting Pinot Noir at Siduri Winery in Santa Rosa.  The winery had about 20 different pinots available for tasting from the barrel.

 

 

 

 

February Skiing in the High Sierras

 

 

 

The first week in February we went to Lake Tahoe to enjoy some winter fun.  Staying at the Sunnyside Resort, it was a stone's throw to the slopes at Squaw Valley.  We enjoyed the sun and snow for two days before returning home. 

Pictured are Georgia and I with Lake Tahoe is the background, traversing over to the Shirley Lake lift.  The last picture is looking at the Siberia Express lift on a "blue bird" day.

 

 

On The Road To California Quilt Show

The "On The Road To California" quilt show was held in the Ontario Convension Center January 25 to January 27, 2013.  Georgia, being quite a quilter, attended Thursday, Friday and took a quilting class on Saturday.  On Friday, I accompanied her to see some of the wonderful quilts on display.  One that I found most interesting was a five quilt display of old Route 66.  In front of one of the five quilts was a Harley Davidson motor cycle.  We took the opportunity to have Georgia get on it for a "photo op" session.

Below are our pictures of the motor cycle and some of the fasinating quilts on display:

Georgia and the Harley

 

"Best in Show" Quilt titled "Feathers".  It won a $5,000 prize.

100% Silk Quilt including the batting.  My guess is that it is valued at around $40,000.  It took about one year to make.

 

Beautiful design for a quilt with the sun light coming out from the clouds.  An example of the quilter's creativity

Southern California Visit

Georgia and I rented an apartment for six months in Upland, California starting December 12, 2012, so we could spend more time with Melissa, Keith, and our grandsons.  Christmas was at Melissa and Keith's house.  On New Years eve, Georgia and I had dinner with my brother, Roy and his wife, Em.  Since the first of the year, we have been spending lots of time relieving Melissa of her child duties and enjoying it most of the time.  We have taken the boys to the La Brea Tar Pits, out to eat, the Ontario Reign hockey club game, and playing some tennis.  Below are some of our memories:

The Grand kids with the Christmas Tree

 

Christmas Eve Dinner at Melissa's

 

 

Roy and Em at New Year's Eve Dinner

Georgia & Hugh at New Year's Eve Dinner

Kellen and Carin at La Brea Tar Pits

 

 

Georgia, Kellen, & Cairn at La Brea Tar Pits

 

Melissa with her New Christmas Ski Helmet

 

Cairn with his "build a bear" he calls "Fluffy-Fluffy"

Cairn at Claremont

 

Georgia and Lain at Claremont

Terrible Tenth Reunion, Charleston, S.C.

Georgia and I flew to Charleston, South Carolina on October 13th for Hugh's annual reunion with his "Class of 1963" company mates from the U.S. Naval Academy.  Neither of us had spent much time in Charleston, so we came in early for the reunion, to enjoy all of Charleston in an unrushed fashion.  While in Charleston, we were able to meet some old friends, Mary Lynn and Randy Conway in Columbia, SC.  Mary Lynn and Randy were our neighbors for four years in Antioch, California in the early 1970s.  The reunion allowed us to see Charleston by horse carriage, eat wonderful meals (one of which was on a river cruise), and the connect with all of Hugh's classmates, that were able to attend.

Georgia at Waterfront Park on the Cooper River

The Charleston City Market

Georgia with Mary Lynn and Randy Conway

River Cruise Dinner Showing Bill Earner, Hugh's College Roommate, Georgia, Ollie Doherty, and Jack Donegan.  Both Bill and Jack Are Retired US Navy Admirals

Middleton Place Plantation Gardens

Middleton Place Plantation Sunken Garden

Alligator by Middleton Place Rice Pond

Drayton House a Preserved Plantation House Next to Middleton Place Plantation

Grandson Cairn's "Camp GG & Papa Hugh

Earlier in August Melissa, Keith, and family flew to Cleveland for a Church family reunion.  Since grandson Cairn is not fond of flying at this stage in his young life, Melissa and Keith let Cairn stay with us for "Camp GG & Papa Hugh.  We had a full week of events, including swim lessons, day camp at the Rolling Hills Club, and trips to the Discovery Museum, Marine Mammal Center, the California Academy of Science and the Train Museum in Sacramento.  After his swim lessons, Cairn was awarded the "Frog" level certificate for his swimming abilities.  We had a wonderful time and think Cairn did.

Pictured are:  Cairn receiving his "Frog" award, Playing with trains at the California Train Museum, Cairn at the dining car in the Train Museum, Cairn after another busy day, and Cairn with Lucy, YY and John's new lab.

Cairn receiving his "Frog" swimming award

At the California State Train Museum in Sacramento

Cairn in a Dining car at California Train Museum

After a busy day on the road

Cairn and Lucy

45th Wedding Anniversary

On Saturday July 28th, we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary.  For the celebration, we hired a limo to take us and members of our wedding party to the Depot Hotel in Sonoma for dinner.  Champagne flowed on the way to the restaurant and at the restaurant besides wonderful food, we enjoyed a variety of red and white wines picked for the occasion. 

Our actual anniversary date was Sunday, the 29th, but with the celebration and the fact that some of the party had to work on Monday, we celebrated the occasion early on Saturday night. 

Joining us in the festivities were:  Yvonne Young and her husband, John Park (Yvonne was Georgia's Maid of Honor), Meme Hurd and her friend, Gene Bomotti, (Meme was one of Georgia's bridesmaids), and Jake Skaer (Jake's wife, Pam, was also one of Georgia's bridesmaids.  We miss Pam, as she  passed away three years ago after a courageous struggle with breast cancer.) 

Below are pictures of the wedding party in the limo, arriving at the Depot Hotel, and at dinner.
 

From left to right: Hugh, Georgia, Jake Skaer, Gene Bomotti, and Meme Hurd

From left to right: Hugh, Georgia, Yvonne, John, Jake, Gene and Meme

From left to right: John, Hugh, Meme, Jake, Gene, Georgia and Yvonne