After my San Francisco tradeshow, i visited Greg & Susan up in Napa Valley. (Yountville) The crystal clear skies, warm and dry made it splendid being outside. Mustard growing wild in the vineyards added some great color to the photos. (note: the hot air balloons take off about 2 blocks from the house. each morning they were lifting above the roofline as i walked outside. 7am, quiet and calm in the neighborhood. a foggy mist laying across the vineyards and all you hear is the occasional gas flame filling the balloons. ~10 seconds of gas under pressure pumped into the balloon while being burned.) Mostly we visited vineyards and did wine tasting. One day we drove over to the coast. Up and down over the mountains around curving roads watching the land change from vineyards to farms to coast. (note: the only other thing to share - fog horns. you cant hear them and i cant describe the different "tones" to you. but when you see the shots of the bay with fog i was feeling the damp cold air like a blanket wrapped around me, while being surrounded by a chorus of fog horns. i could barely see across the road while i drove up the mountain. when i finally climb above the fog and exit my vehicle, im met with the music of the ships. i dont know how many boats were down there and couldn't see them. [they couldnt see each other.] so, they sang out through their only voice - fog horns. "hoooooooonk", "tooot", "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPP", "HONK". one after the other they would sound off. Deep throaty LOUD with varying voices they would say - "here i am, where are you." then the other ship would answer. it was an earie feeling to sit and eavesdrop on the conversations of the ships...
Nice visit. - Skip
