The Puna Coastal Trail

 

 

The soil, in return for her service, keeps the tree tied to her; the sky asks nothing and leaves it free.
- Rabindranath Tagore

January Blues?

 

 

The days have been beautiful, sunny yet crisp during the early January days I was visiting Northern California.

 

 

Its beautiful to think that even on the west coast in Northern California, they can have such wonderful and moderate winters so you can actually enjoy being outdoors. Today there were clear blue skies, rolling hills and miles and miles of vineyards.  (Or is it just the days that I was lucky enough to have perfect timing to visit?)

 

 

 

Spending the day up at Sonoma County up at the Russian River Valley at Martinelli Winery for a simple gathering  and potluck is a wonderful way to spend the day and visit with old and new friends.

I really enjoy the day visiting, eating some delicious foods and drinking some amazing Sonoma Valley wines and just admiring the amazing views on this day.

 

 

It’s fun trying out all the old farm equipment, even if most are antique and rusting away.

 

 

Wild turkeys roam the entire county, even though these are family pets.

 

 

Ah yes, eating is a fun pastime and the cup cakes were too good to pass up!

 

 

Such a nice visit, I’m glad I got to visit and enjoy the day here at the Russian River valley.

 

Feels like the Blues, A Visit Back to the Mainland

I made a visit over the holiday season back to the Bay Area / San Francisco to relive some of my old haunts, see friends and devour any exciting food cuisines that I have missed out on. I arrived on an icy cold night and the next day was no better. Since I had the day off mostly to myself, I though that a trip downtown to see the holiday lights and cheer would be the perfect anecdote to my gloomy mood.

Well, it didn't work, the drizzly rain turned into a cold downpour and the icy winds made me remember why I hated the bay area during the winter time. It got worse when my flimsy coat got completely soaked, the crowds were pushy and window shopping really put me in an off mood considering that I really didn't need anything but still had to buy a few presents for family.

The pictures I tried to take around Union Square, shops and windows were really too contrived, touristy and the rain spots didn't help either. So I decided to post these photos that I took on the same trip to convey the same feeling I had on that first morning downtown.

On a good note, I met up with an old friend and had a nice meal of Hot and spicy Thai food to forget about the blues outside for a short while, and it put me in a better frame of mind for what the holiday's are all about.