not just sitting around pickin' berries

I've been painting amazingly and thanks to some encouragement from Carlton Tasting Room have put together an actual art show - it's been a while but I got he brushes dusted off.. the show will be about 50 give or take and is small paintings of --- well farm animals of course : ) I have had a lot of fun doing this show and I think the paintings reflect that... here's the details on the opening I hope all you locals can come see the show..

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copyright 2008 - please don't download any images on this blog with out my premission

Elk and Bounty!

The blackberries are going crazy everywhere - If I can get off the dang computer I could get out there and get them into my freezer.. I've got about 5 big zip locks so far but my goal is 16 bags... hum anybody wanna come help me pick blackberries... how about anybody wanna come in January and eat blackberry tart so I know how many bags to fill...

The garden is also doing great - much better than last year funny how much having two working arms helps manage a farm and garden... I'll post some photos of the garden soon... in the mean time last night I went out to the garden grabbed tomatoes for B's pizza and while I was there looked at the large amt of basil so I grabbed some handfuls and made pesto - amazingly the first one I made this year and damn it's good - If you haven't made pesto in a while and forgot how fabulous it is DO IT !! it's so easy and it's hard to mess up really!! and if pine nuts are too spendy try it with walnuts ... WAY cheaper and still VERY good!! my kitchen still smells good from it.. (well probably because the dirty blender is still sitting in the sink.. but still smells good non the less.. : )







(Brian's homemade pizza with pesto and tomatoes from the garden and left over corn and chicken from dinner this weekend)

The Elk gave a us a visit a few days ago I just love seeing them... I'm sure as soon as they destroy a vineyard fence (as soon as we have one to destroy) I will not love them so much... but they are just so dang huge and majestic...

Pete and Chloe visit

Pete Morris and Chloe are here for a long weekend and although ti's been a bit sweltering it's been very relaxing.. so far I think berry picking beats pony rides for chloe... amazing.. she also loves Virginia ...





last but not least the piggies are growing and are very happy in thier back pasture...

Seattle and beach road trip!

So I had a press check in Seattle for one of my wine label clients so I took Virginia with me. Virginia checked out Seattle while I did my work and then we met that evening thanks so much to Joseph for a evening sail on the boat he used to sail in Seattle "Obsession"... it was a fantasic evening we enjoed the sail and the incredible views of the city (and of the skppier his first mate) : ) ...and then we had dinner on the warf ...this was followed by a late night drive out to the oregon coast... we arrived at a wonderful beach house and where hosted by jospeh again we enjoyed the beach and naps and our books and just kicking around! it was a great day and VERY far from thoughts of the farm and work!! a much needed day off ...

"enjoy the life you work so hard to create"

the name of this post is advise given to me from my good friend Maia and man she's so darn right!!



so my thought on that for today!

when juggling many balls in the air at once sometimes you fall down from exhaustion and if you do may I recommend staying there on the ground for just a minute and breathing... Big Love

Cheers! to the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant & Wine Bar

So the only place to find our Rose in Ca is through the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant or Oxbow Wine Merchant in Napa - thanks to Peter and Jeff!

These shops (same shop two locations) bought our wine and have been great promoters they are pouring it by the glass and have written up a nice review of it on their web site!



(although in the review we do sound a bit like real estate land barrens if you are a frequenter of this blog and know us you know we aren't fancy or rich but we are having fun! : )

hope you've had a chance to enjoy the rose ! - get it now before it's all gone - cheers!

more photos from miss elsa's visit with her mom

Virginia was a great help with pitching in with the little one... and then needed to recover with the help of Clementine ...

what not to do with a bucket

A hook clamped onto the end of a stick, a badly placed green bucket, some pears off our trees, about 4 hours of bovine wrangling and damn did I learn some things yesterday...


Photo of the poor mis Josephine in her pickle Courtesy of Porter


#1 - Don't feed a cow out of a bucket with the handle still on it... that = one cow with her head stuck in a bucket while at first is kind of funny a hot day with a scared cow with her head in a bucket and no way to eat or drink is not good

#2 - you can't coerce a cow to you even if it is normally pretty friendly and even with nice pears when it has a bucket on it's head it's just a non starter

#3 - my dog in the end has now proven her self to be a useful herder

#4 - yanking one's husband out of bed first thing on a saturday morning with a freshman farmer manuver like that is NEVER a good idea

#5 - those round pen panels have MANY uses - and we will need to set up a cattle shoot after all

#6 that hut hut hut noise that cow herders make does actually work...

# 7- last but NOT least Do not I repeat do not throw ones self in front of a charging cow with a bucket on her head - the cow will win - so all is good the cow's head is bucket free and I have only minor bruises and scrapes - whew another day on the farm...

these photos below are also thanks to Porter who came up for a visit with the lovely mis elsa ! We also enjoyed Page and Albert and there two sweet kids who enjoyed Hummer before dinner last night...

no caption necessary

the apple dosn't fall far from the farm...

My niece Virginia has been out here on the farm now for about 4 weeks and it's been so nice to have her out here.. she fit's right in right down to the blisters that match mine ... she even didn't seem that mad at me when I stabbed her in the face with the goat hoof trimmers.... you see she was wrestling the goat to the ground and I was trying to help while holding the very sharp trimmers in my mouth - let's just say she's healing nicely... (warning to parents who think sending there child to my farm is a good idea) -





Virginia has also become the dairy queen of big table mastering butter and ice cream making from scratch with the wonderful raw cream we've been pulling off the milk for the pigs...





We also enjoyed a day trip with our friend Johnathan to hood river and stopped by the maltonoma falls! It was a super nice day! ...







and happily we both share a passion for all things horseyand have been having a great time with Huston and Hummer : )



Virginia has also been very open to jumping into the foodiness around here from wine appreciation right down to enjoying the head cheese from the party.

Who's bright idea was this..

We've been labeling our Syrah and let's just say we are close to mutany againt the label designer - uhh I mean me - the labels are hand printed letterpress and are hand glued and hand applied and then put into "slings to dry" this is then followed by the back label application and then the bottle is wrapped in tissue to protect the art label - yes it's a ton of work but I will say it's a pretty nice package ... now we just have to get our release letter out to everybody - coming soon

The last day and the party that insued!

I've been in recovery for the last week or so hence blogging has been a bit delayed - it all started or perhaps I should say ended with the pigs - from there we had food and friends and a bunch chef's who showed up and really uped the anti - I was blown away - special thanks go to Johnny G, Jason French, and Dave Padberg ! These guys where the pro's behind the scenes who helped us butcher and prep the pig for our sausage making as well as get our procuttios ready... not to mention cooking countless amazing meals during the course of the piggie weekend!! Thanks guys!! John G you where epic1









tparty was a great celebration and so many people chipped in in so many ways all I can say is one BIG GIANT thank you!! and I'll just let the photos tell the story!!! - special thanks to so many who traveled from CA !!


for those who don't want to see gory things I've made some of the more "graphic" shots sepia tone ... there are tons of slaughter shots if there is any specific internist in that process or the accompanying photos let me know I'll send them on -

(the pigs last meal)























































































not really sure why the shot gun was necessary at the end of the party weekend...