Fall in Sonoma

Mike and I were given a special wedding gift back in March - gift certificates for a weekend away at an inn in Sonoma in the heart of the California wine country. The Four Sisters Inns are group of Inns along the west coast that are welcoming and comfortable with homemade cookies in the cookie jar in the lobby! When I first started looking at when to go I soon realized it was a very popular place and had to book our weekend many months out. So needless to say I had been looking forward to this weekend for a long time.

I'd been missing the Fall lately since most of the trees in our area don't change colour and it's still pretty warm. Well this was just what I needed. The trees were beautiful, all full of colour and the air was crisp just like it should be in the Fall.

It was a very relaxing weekend. Sonoma is a quaint little town with more wineries than you can imagine within just a few miles. I would definitely go back and most probably will!

This is where we stayed....

This is the Ledson winery.

A beautiful shot of the leaves in the vineyards changing colour...

Through the Fog

Until we moved to California my experience with fog consisted of the odd morning in the spring or fall when the fog rolled in and swirled it's way through the trees Jackson Park.

Well here it's called a Marine Layer instead of fog and it's a whole different experience that comes in almost daily right now.

Mike and I decided to go for a drive down the coast on Sunday since it was such a beautiful day. About halfway to our destination we saw what looked like smoke rising above the trees up ahead. Moments later we were totally engulfed in a thick layer of fog. It also dropped the temperature significantly. On our way back we realized it was moving north so the majority of the coast was now covered. You couldn't even see the ocean anymore. It was kind of creepy, especially since we didn't expect it.

This is what I deal with on a daily basis right now. The fog rolls in at some point during the night and hangs around until about noon the next day. It's horrible on my sinuses!

Here are a couple of pictures that we took on the weekend. The ocean is out there somewhere...

Sharks!!

Ok - not the real kind, the hockey kind!

One of my co-workers put together a package deal so on Friday night we attended our first hockey game since arriving out here. It was the San Jose Sharks vs. the LA Kings.

We were in what amounted to a box with plenty of room and tables and chairs instead of tiny little stadium seats. We had table-side food and a private bar. It was definitely my preferred way to see a game.

Four of my co-workers who attended had never been to a hockey game before (how is that even possible??). So my hockey knowledge was tested as I tried to explain the rules and why the play kept stopping, and what are the big circles on the ice for and why isn't the puck illuminated like it is on TV?

The Sharks lost. But it was a good time.

5.6!

Well after being in California for 15 months (has it really been that long already??) Mike and I experienced our first (and second) earthquakes this week.

We were just starting to watch the "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and at first I thought someone had slammed a door in our building. I soon realized it wasn't a door and the whole building was moving. We both realized at the same time what was going on and jumped up to stand in the doorway. The floor felt like it was rolling and it lasted for about 13 seconds. Fortunately there was no damage or injuries. One of my co-workers who lives much closer to the epicenter said all of the cans fell out of her cupboards and all of her dresser drawers came open. I think I would have been much more freaked out if that had happened here.

We had a 3.7 aftershock which didn't last quite as long but was just as nerve jangling.

So now we're waiting - the sizmologists say there is a 10% chance that a larger one will hit within a week. I've secured as much as I can in the apartment so now we just have to sit and wait.

Mike's boss gave him a lecture about not having a survival kit together. Apparently a crowbar is the tool of choice to have in your kit. If the building shifts, the doors will probably get wedged and then you can't get out. All the other normal survival stuff is supposed to be in there too: water, battery operated radio, can opener etc.

So we're going shopping for a crowbar this weekend.