A Day Away

Judy called early in the morning with an invitation to join her and Joel at Colibri Ridge for that winery's anniversary party.  "Let me check my social calendar."  No, the Queen of England wasn't due for a visit.  No, I wasn't on the agenda to present my solution to the budget problems in front of Congress.  I could DVR NASCAR.  By golly, I was free for the afternoon, and said a resounding yes!  The weather was perfection, even a little chilly.  John throws a good party.  Grilled cheeseburgers with a topping of mushrooms in a Merlot reduction and other goodies, and of course the wine-tasting bar was open.  Joel selected a bottle of mourvedre to go with our lunch.  I don't pretend to have a sophisticated palate when it comes to wine, but I've certainly learned a lot since moving to grape country, and can at least "talk the talk."  I've learned to appreciate the spice, fruit, and floral notes in wine, but really tend to go with, "Oh, yum!  I like that!," when it comes to picking a bottle.  Mojo, the guitarist/singer who has performed at all John's functions, was there.  You know how good he is when his music can interrupt an in-depth conversation between grape growers about the effects of this bizarre weather on the vines, and he gets a round of applause every time.  Any afternoon in the company of my friends is a good one, and yesterday was no exception.

Jeans and a tee-shirt constitute formal attire up here, so I took advantage of getting dressed up to throw both pair of bibbies to wash while I was gone.  Hanging them to dry after I got home meant I stayed in my party duds...and felt disinclined to do any more work for the day.  Oh, what the heck...I was on vacation!