Pennies

John's dad came out our way this weekend to spend some time with us. We went up to Napa to taste some wine and get a tour of Newton Vineyards. The Vineyard was beautiful and the tasting was awesome. They had pairings braised pears and marcona almonds, Duck pate and blackberries. The grounds were just as wonderful - with an intricate English tea garden and pagodas to contrast. Apparently the founders were an Englishman and a Japanese woman who were married. The whole place shows the influence of both backgrounds in the architecture and the way its managed. 

I recommend a visit to anyone who loves wine and its culture -its also a really good place to bring visitors from out of state, as it really captures the spirit of Napa. 

I was finally able to go to the Academy of Sciences over in SF. I was in awe the entire time I was there. The design, the animals and the detail of the place is almost too much to handle in one visit. I have a feeling that I'll be getting a membership soon just so I can go an use the Naturalist Center when I have spare time to do some studying. That whole place is such a great resource to the Bay Area, especially children. I feel that we are better off to have places like that to teach out children the importance of life and just how important it is to have an education. I was really inspired. I sketched a bit but want to put some more work into the pages, so Ill be posting those later. 

The Mojave desert is up next and Im excited to see old friends and family. It should be a good trip.