We spent three days at Len & Cyndy's just relaxing and doing whatever we felt like doing. We were with Bob and Jenny, so part of our days were embracing their current passions which are flowers and birds (and a butterfly or two), respectively. I thought it would be easier to write about our time in Napa, based on themes.

The first five images are by Jenny. The one above, the Pileated Woodpecker, took Jenny's breath away and made her very giddy. The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Seeing him was a true treat.
I delighted in the small yellow ones, playing.

Jenny saw, photographed and identified 31 different bird species. I chose some of my favorites to share. Needless-to-say, my neck hurt looking up into the trees with her. Way fun.
There were other things flying, too. This was the first time I had ever seen a pure white moth. In superstition, this moth is said to embody the soul of a loved one. That was something to ponder. What a cool find.
There were numerous butterflies flitting about but it was as if they were on high levels of caffeine. They were hard to capture, but Jenny photographed these two beautiful ones.



Oh and let's not forget some of my favorites- the bees! We truly need bees and the beekeepers here are serious, hence the large number of these flying fuzz balls. In a grape growing monoculture (the cultivation of a single crop in a given area), it is doubly important that the Napa Valley beekeepers do what they can to make sure that bees have the resources to succeed. I love that goal.