With winter quickly approaching– pretty laughable coming from someone who lives in the Bay Area– I had to post these images from our recent vacation to the Northwest to visit our family. My in-laws have a small farm and my father-in-law tends to his vineyard and harvests pinot grapes each fall. I had heard a lot about it and I was delighted to see part of the wine making process. There is so much precision that goes into making a fine wine. For example the grapes must not be picked until they reach a certain acidity. If there is the threat of rain, it’s sort of a ready or not situation (a rain or frost will damage your crop). The grapes are pressed and then sit in tubs and ferment for quite some time, again until the chemistry is as it should be. Once it is ready, the wine is then extracted and ready to sit in large jars until they are ready to be bottled. My Father-in-law’s wine makes me think of the experience of the Philosophy Professor in the old film, The Bishop’s Wife. The angel, played by the lovely Cary Grant, has touched the professors wine so that it inspires yet does not inebriate regardless of how much the professor drinks! My Father-in-law makes some of the best wine that I have every tasted and I don’t end up with a headache or feeling queasy. While we missed the harvest by two days, we were around for the second half. Here a some photos from the event. Cheers!

I was called back last Saturday by a family whose wedding I photographed this summer. This time it was to take a few portraits for the Father of the Bride’s 50th birthday! The photos of Jim and his mother made me teary because I saw myself in them. Myself in my 70’s! Will my son (now just a toddler) someday tower over me and kiss and embrace me and make me blush? Oh just the thought gives me goose bumps! I hope that you had a wonderful celebration surrounded by your beautiful family and friends. Enjoy this sneak peek!