Suisun Valley, CA

How does Valentine's Day in the vineyards sound? Most wine lovers in the Bay Area flock up to the Napa Valley to indulge in winetasting; however, there are other valleys full of award winning vineyards. One is the Suisun Valley near Fairfield where small family-run wineries dot the pretty countryside...

The center point is Manka's Corner, where you can grab a bite to eat in one of the small restuarants...

Just around the corner is the Vezer Family Vineyard...

Farther up the road is the colorful Blue Victoria winery, which blends in with the beautiful blue sky...

Then as you head back toward the freeway, you come across Wooden Valley...

There are many other vineyards besides these and as the produce season gets into full swing, the roads will soon be lined with small farmer's markets selling fresh fruits and vegetables. This is how I spent my Valentine's Day. How was yours?

Crazy Skies of San Ramon

Here's what the skies looked like over Summit View Trails in San Ramon late last Friday afternoon ...dramatic, wild, and crazy!

The rain was just getting ready to start back up again as I was leaving.

Old Faithful

Lush Vancouver Island, mountainous Whistler, scenic Coeur d'Alene, desolate Four Corners, sizzling Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Big Sur, Phoenix, Mt. Constitution, Coulee Dam, Moab - those are just some of the many destinations our trusty silver Volvo sedan has safely taken us. We've lost count of how many times she's hauled us up and down the length of Interstate 5, her large trunk packed full of suitcases, backpacks, camping gear, and coolers, not to mention over 12 years of commuting to our jobs in San Jose and Hayward. Yes, our trusty '98 Volvo S70 has been one of the best traveling companions we've had...

...and hubby was there to capture an important moment in her life:

On 1/6/10 at 11:57 pm when the temps around San Ramon were a bit colder than usual, she clocked in at 222,222 miles...all on the original engine, transmission, shocks, muffler, AC, body parts, sound system and more... and still not a scratch in the paint or a tear in the upholstery.

Sure, she's gone through a number of brake jobs and sets of tires, but for that many miles, I think she's still looking pretty darn good!

With the family teenager behind the wheel now too, will she make it to 333,333?

Memorial Park - After the Storms

In between the storms that have been sweeping through the Bay Area, I made a quick pit stop at Memorial Park in San Ramon. Once there, I was captivated by the dramatic skies, the emerald green hills, and the brilliant sunlight that peeked periodically through the cloud covered sky. The park was deserted except for a few hardy dog owners letting their pets run wild around the rain-soaked enclosure. Take a quick look and enjoy Mother Nature's powers...

Snowcapped Mt. Diablo...

Looking southeast...

Looking northeast toward Mt. Diablo...

Benches and puddles...

Oaks basking in the late afternoon sunlight...

Bare trees and charcoal gray skies...

An established oak...

The flags at Memorial Park...

Two Canadian geese frolicking in the flooded baseball field...

The lone oak...

A cluster of oaks...

Decomposition at work...

The last glimmer of sunshine...

Want to see more images of Memorial Park? Click HERE.