KLINKERBRINK WINERY AND FAREWELL

Clark (left) is my youngest brother at age 60. My son moved just up the road from him 3 years ago and instead of an uncle/nephew relationship, they became fast friends. Both Clark and Ken are members of the Klinkerbrick Winery in Lodi. Klinkerbrick puts on a party every year for its members and friends of members.


This year's  theme was creole food with a Dixieland Band. The trombonist in the middle sings just like Satchmo. The deep voice comes as a surprise.


The wives, Laurie and Theresa have become good friends. Both women like to cook, enjoy trading recipes and just socializing. Bad news has a way of tainting the day, as Laurie told them a coyote entered the backyard of their new home in Reno, Nevada, and killed Bix and Coco their two mini-dachshunds, leaving a bloody patio, windows, rocks, walls-evidencing the violence of their deaths. It is hard to come to terms with such an end to your fur children. Healing takes a long time.



I've learned that there is therapy in discussing it, and talking it through. Stewart Matzek, in the background, toasted the dogs along with all of us. He represents good news to balance the bad. Next week he goes through orientation, a three day process, before he flies to Japan with several other applicants to teach English as a second language. He will be placed in a high-school in Komatsu, Japan, a coastal city of about 100,000 people. To say we are excited about that turn of events is an understatement. He already has a small apartment and bought the furniture and appliances from its former owner.


The band was a hoot. Some people danced on the grass or played a balancing game with sticks.


Doncha just love a banjo and a tuba? And the Old Ghost wine was a smooth, delightful concoction. Everyone's fave.


Surrounded by juicy, bursting-with-flavor-grapes, and green, green grass. Tin Roof Catering supplied the food. A delectable pork stew among the choices,  with ice cream stirred in wine for dessert.


All too soon, it was time to part.


Laurie and Stewart, back to Nevada in her new Mini-Cooper, with all-wheel drive since snow is a factor in the winter.


And Ken, back to his residence, though temporary, in Santa Clara. He'll be taking over his new job in Reno two months from now. Meanwhile, they live apart for a while longer. Both are counting the days.
As my mom got up in years, looking at the downside, she would say, Life is good. And, it is.

BRENTWOOD FRIENDS, THE ARCHIVE.

From everything I read, networking with friends and family is healthy. Meet my high-school friend, Faye Gebo. If I'm lucky, I get to see her about once a year or every other year. I spent Wednesday night with she and her partner, Dave Goodwin.

Her only child, Celeste is like one of those miracle babies, it almost didn't happen. I haven't seen Celeste in about 6 or 7 years. She loves the para-normal, high adventure, nature, and her fur children.

This is only part of the family.

Through Faye's living room window, we watched a parade of jack rabbits, cotton tails, ground squirrels and ducks. They see deer, and infrequent foxes and coyotes, too.

Somehow, I just never tire of watching wildlife of any type.

Dave is an avid golfer, three times a week, at least. We went to his favorite Mexican Restaurant for dinner. Afterward we played a silly game, called "What's Your's Like?" Dave commented, "It brings up topics for conversation," and it did.

On Thursday morning, I made my way to the Alameda County Sheriff's Archive and Museum. Bud Harlan, former deputy sheriff and avid volunteer was discussing the old Harlan Family House with two visiting archivists from Dublin. The house is from Contra Costa County and is on the National Register of Historical Places.  Bud has family records going back to the 1800's from the Livermore Valley.

A third archivist, lost his hearing in an accident, from a blow to the head. Totally deaf, he prefers to use a microphone to talk to people. I've never seen an apparatus quite like his, but it was very comfortable talking to him this way.

The Association President, Bill Rhodes is very good about finding better ways to display our collections. His strength is in the museum end of things. The uniforms, and regalia of all types are here. And, the sign, Fick The Pugs has an interesting story. It is a replica of a butcher paper sign as wide as a building from the 1960's protests in Berkeley. The protestors at that time were much too polite to reverse the P and the F. Now the F word is so common, it amazes me to this day.

During that riot, the deputies were given birdshot and told to reload their rifles and replace the buckshot. But, someone failed to do that, or didn't unload enough of the buckshot and a another protestor sign went up over a building with holes in the windows proving that was the case. The sign, partially hidden reads:  Birdshot?? Bulls_it! Buckshot.

Every time I go, there is something new, or newly placed. The group has made good use of the old, and now rebuilt, guard tower to display items. They electrified the guard tower and will have an old siren and a search light operable for demonstrations when visitors come. The original building did not have electricity. It was electrified later and the light and siren added. The original tower had a sign on the door reading:  "Aim the B.A.R. (Browning Automatic Rifle) away from the Highway when firing at inmates."  That sign was actually original from Camp Shoemaker days. The Sheriff got the property from the Federal Government. There are many stories in this building, some funny, others desperate and still others heroic.  If you know a story about this place, contact me and I'll record it for the archive.

THE COMOLLO FAMILY WITH FUR CHILDREN

Diane Comollo is another cousin of my partner, Jim Jaillet. This East Coast trip is all about family reunion and everything that interests us on the way. We're all of French Canadian descent and it was fun to watch Diane talk "with her hands" as my family was wont to do. We got teased about it as kids.
We sat and visited all day in her cool kitchen as the local temperature rose to 99*, a record for this time of year around Hebron, Connecticut.

 Its important to have the family photo to record the time and changes between visits. Diane has a terrific memory and recounted many childhood encounters, family moves and stories that trigger the fun of times past. Bob barbecued steaks for dinner, (chicken for us) making sure we wouldn't be left unfed. The French like the Italians exhort you to eat, eat, you must eat. Diane buys everything she can organically grown so we found we had much in common.

 A strong thunderstorm during the night left everything sweet and clean. Bob walks the fur children every day. Rescue dogs, he named Oliver after Oliver Twist because this dog had a rough start, hungry, begging, neglected. While Montgomery wants to be alpha dog, and acts like a little general. So, Montgomery it was. I got a kick out of his naming process. Pets add so much joy to their lives.

 On the walk we saw this lunch box hanging in a tree. I've seen shoes, jar lids, birdhouses, sculptures, cans, just about anything you can think of hanging in trees. This was a my first lunch box.