December 2009 - New Vineyard

Ground breaking for the new vineyard. The vines have been ordered and we are ready to begin!

Thanksgiving 2009

Jesse has been stationed in Corpus Christi for quite some time and we have enjoyed several visits with him as part of our trips between San Antonio and Parras de la Fuente. As Thanksgiving approached, Stanley and I thought this would be the perfect time to get all the boys together. Jesse took on the responsibility of getting Sean to Corpus from Flagstaff and we used some Alaska Air miles to get Scott down from Anchorage. What a great time it was. What better way to start the trip than an excursion to the USS Lexington. Boys will be boys, no matter their age, and they all enjoyed playing sailor!

The boys took some time to hang-out and unwind at my mom's house. Jesse was working on some repairs to his sail and Scott was anxious to keep up his guitar practice. Sean just wanted to relax! We actually did some fun things with the boys including a trip to the Sunken Gardens and the San Antonio Zoo. At the last moment, we all got tickets to see the Christmas River Parade. It was lots of fun, but naturally I left the camera at home where it would be safe. I'll just have to keep those memories in my head.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with lots of family. My brother Frosty is the gentleman on the far right. He and Jill were the hosts this year. It was a real pleasure to have the boys there. Oh, how much we have to be thankful for!

On the last day of Sean's visit, the three boys took their dad out to sea on Jesse's sailboat. They had a grand time! I stayed on shore to act as official photographer and because - truth be told - I was a little unsure of the whole adventure.

Don's Visit - October 2009

Our friend Don flew into San Antonio. We picked him up when we took my mom back home after her visit. As always, he was a joy to be around. We tried to put him to work in the vineyard, but as you can see, he was mostly ornamental. However, with a smile like that he can pose in the vineyard anytime! Hurry back, Don.

What would a visit from Don be without friends, mariachis, and goat? Drab indeed!

Taking Don back to Texas, we traveled the old road between Parras de la Fuente and Saltillo. We stopped to visit the Dinosaur Museum. It was pretty much what we expected: not too much science; lots of mysticism.

Trish arrived, stylishly dressed as always, sporting a large pumpkin hat. Could it be Halloween?

The day was lovely for a walk along the river and through the Alamo.

Would you believe? Trish arrived celebrating Halloween and before she left, the river was being decorated for Christmas.

Trey's New House! October 2009

The proud new home owner! Lots of work to do, but commitment to match the challenge! Congratulations, Trey!

Frances Comes to Visit - October 2009

October was a busy month for us. We drove to San Antonio, spent a few days and traveled back to Parras de la Fuente with my mom. She stayed with us for almost two weeks. We had a great time taking her around, introducing her to our friends, and showing her our town. Unfortunately, the pictures were lost in a computer melt-down. After a lengthy period of procrastination, a mind-wrenching hike up a learning curve, and no small amount of frustration, I have scanned some of the pictures that
were printed before the melt-down.
We had a Mexican fiesta for her with all the trimmings. A sampling of friends who came to meet her: Dr. Felix and his family on the left, Dora and Antonio on the right.



The three featured attractions

of the evening were:

THE LAMB

THE MARIACHIS

BLANCA - who does

everything around here - with a smile!

The next morning, another group of friends came for brunch on the patio. My very good friend Estela is waving from the end of the table.

Solo Vino was still enjoying left-overs from the night before.

Her visit fell during the pecan harvest and she enjoyed watching the process. Can you imagine how tired these guys must be at the end of a long day of stoop labor? They still had enough good humor to tease me about selling their picture to some magazine in Hollywood. They were waiting for their bags to be weighed and counted.

Meeting Tonita is a mandatory stop on any tour of Parras. She makes candy the old-fashioned way: in a huge copper kettle over an open fire. She wasn't actually in production the day we dropped by, but she was more than willing to pose with her new friend.

Santa Maria was another favorite on my mom's list. Santa Maria resides in her namesake church on the principal square of Parras. She is the town's patron and guardian of the grapevines.

We enjoyed every moment of mom's visit. It's always fun to show her new places - it makes her eyes sparkle.

Santa Tomas

And so it went . . . one great winery after another. At Santa Tomas, even though grape harvest was underway, the winemaker, Laura Zamora, met with us and gave us a tour of the facilities. The size of the equipment and the production capacity were daunting to say the least. However, the best part was the special treat Laura, arranged for us. Given several barrels of wine to choose from - a variety which included younger wines and older wines from several different varietals from younger plants and older plants, stored in barrels made from different types of oak - we blended a bottle of wine just the way we wanted it. Such fun! However, in all honesty, I tasted so many wines that day I am sure my bottle was a poor reflection of what it could have been. I tend to do better with fewer choices. Thank you, Laura! It was quite an experience.

Liceaga

This beautiful winery is a real treat. The wine is delicious and the grounds are lovely. Designed to accommodate anything from an intimate party to a huge group. It's perfect for weddings, birthdays, and reunions. The owner treated us like royalty and we had a grand time wandering the grounds along gravel pathways that meander through a grove of ancient live oaks.

I highly recommend that you visit this lovely place the next time you are in Ensenada.