There's a new hip beer place in town, that is really so much more than that. Recently opened and owned by a local boy done good, it's a fun place to just 'be'.

And it is a very unique (and dangerous) system of dispensing one's own beer and wine. When entering, every drinker is issued a wristband.
You then go, read each of the many choices and pick and pour away, all with the activation of your pre-charged controller (no more than 32 oz before having to reload- a good way to have your drunkenness monitored by the AleWorx's helpful staff).
I have to admit that I found the wine to be a bit expensive, for my pocketbook. At $1.39 an ounce, it added up way too quickly. But it was worth the experience. Next time, I would chose to order a bottle, which is very reasonable. I appreciated having choices!
We had an exceptional pesto pizza that came out of this beautiful woodfired pizza oven. 
I loved AleWorx's summation on their website, "We are all Tahoe lovers who thoroughly enjoy the daily adventure and endless opportunity to harness that inner drive to get outside and explore a new corner of our backyard. Craft beer lovers share many of the same qualities as Tahoe lovers."  Sitting in the outside space with friends, envisioning warm summer nights with live music, we have plans to be here often. We have found a new corner to hang out.

This is my favorite way to spend the 2nd Monday of the month.

This was the review I sent to Karen, who couldn't be there.

I had a great time at Mail Art and I was so happy I went. Janet, Paula, Kim, Lynn and Marilyn (two people I didn't know) made a nice, easy group. I was given a small box of books, for my Little Free Library, and in it was a small, cool, map/atlas book of Swiss towns. It was too little for a real envelope so I made a template from cards I had, and created little inserts to stuff in other letters. So dang cute! Everyone loved the size and made their own templates.

Lynn, a birder, had an amazing collection of Audubon calendars that were huge so she crafted a large envelope that was spectacular. Janet copied that template and took one of the large bird images and made a sweet card. They will be pricey to mail but they were stunning. It was simple fun, being creative with friends.

I met Peter almost two years ago, at WordWave, and invited him to speak at our South Lake Tahoe Library. I missed his last presentation on his newest book Lake Tahoe Rustic Architecture so I wasn't about to miss this one.

I loved Peter's disclaimer: "Although I am fascinated by American architecture and have written a couple of books on the subject, I am not an architect, nor am I an architectural historian per se. I am a historical geographer interested in what is commonly called the built environment, or the cultural landscape. I am also a reader and a writer, and naturally someone who worships Mark Twain" [hence our friendship- he's just a cool guy].
Peter shared a recently published journal article he wrote, while attending a research fellowship at the Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies. During his presentation, he showed us various architectural works and paired them with Twain's witty opinions about them. The talk not only shed light on American buildings and homes but on Mark Twain himself. The quote that made most of us laugh out loud accompanied an illustration of a sod house, “It was the first time we had seen a man’s front yard on top of his house” (Roughing It). Funny stuff.

This was an interesting, informative morning with a very knowledgeable and delightful Twainiac. I ♥ Our Library for all the amazing presentations it shares with our community!

This Wine Country 'weekend' was one of just relaxing and wonderful camaraderie. It was just what we wanted.

Len and Cyndy's home is nestled in the hills of Angwin, a town of contradictions. Named in 1874 for Edwin Angwin who ran a resort on the land the town now occupies, it has been home to a large number of Seventh-day Adventists, since 1909. Although many of the residents refrain from drinking alcohol because of religious beliefs, the area is becoming a popular area for winemakers to plant vineyards and build wineries (and for guests to drink wine).
And their home, La Maison du Coucou (the house of the cuckoo), is spectacular... cozy and elegant, all at the same time.
Over the course of our stay, there were frequent visits to the very well supplied wine cellar.

 This photo was titled "Decisions, Decisions".

Hours of eating, drinking, laughing, discussing, and some dancing, passed in their tranquil backyard. Being elevated over the lush gardens, we felt we were in a treehouse. So perfect.


We belatedly celebrated Len's birthday and played games. Fun right?
Okay, so we left our little slice of heaven a couple times. Once was to look for wildflowers at the Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park. This park is the site of a water-powered grist mill that was built in 1846. It was once the center of social activity as Napa Valley settlers gathered to have their corn and wheat ground into meal or flour. The owner of the mill was Dr. Edward Turner Bale. He received the property in a land grant from the Mexican government and lived near the site until his death in 1849. The mill remained in use until the early 1900s. It is now the home to some pretty spectacular foliage.
On the way into town, on a shopping errand, we spotted this adorable Little Free Library. The owner was out and we had a delightful chat. She shared all her fun library stories. What a sweet discovery.
And while Len & Cyndy have an amazing guest cottage that we were offered, Steve wanted to camp in Napa in his Arctic Fox. This was our fabulous campsite.

For three days, we were in the company of great friends and exceptional hospitality. Unforgettable memories!

Spring had fully sprung and we delighted in all the color bursting forth. These photos are my favorites. I hope you enjoy them. Wow.

A total new wildflower to me was the Collinsia heterophylla, known as purple Chinese houses or innocence.
When looked at in just the right way, this lily looked like Yoda. So cute and whimsical.












Almost more fun than looking for flowers is watching Bob photograph them. He's dedicated and fearless.

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.