The Road not Taken

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."                            -Robert Frost

It amazes me how I drive this road often, for work, traveling between vineyards and yet on this day, it was like I was viewing this with new eyes.  I had to stop.  I turned around a corner and there it was.  An image which took me directly to Robert Frost's lovely Poem, The Road Not Taken. I was moved to stop and soak in the meaning of that poem which I memorized and fell in love with in 4th grade poetry class.  Life takes many turns and I believe we all have the power to choose our path, not by a road map but by an accumulation of many small decisions over time.  It is easy to compare oneself to others, wanting for more, wishing to be a little different.  Comparison really is the theft of joy.  I am reminded to be me.  Take risk and adventure.  Go against the grain.  Be different. Be YOU. In this materialistic world, be you and be the best you.  That is all you need.   Be unique. Be You. It makes all the difference.

Change in the Air

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, Spring is in the air all around Washington Wine Country!
The vineyard floors are greener by the day, my sign Spring has sprung!

February was an interesting month to say the least.
6 inches of snow.
Temperatures in the single digits.
[ok East Coasters and Mid-westerners... I know that is nothing to you]
Our grapes were able to slide by unscathed.

What is your sign that Spring is on its way?
With longer days and more sunshine ahead of us, spring really gets me excited!

Seeing Green

A few days after starting my seeds, I am seeing Green!!!

The Lettuce has sprouted and is getting me excited for Spring!

Rubber to Road: Starting up those starts!

We have talked about it.
We have budgeted for it
This is the year we will have a kick ass garden.  Step One: From seeds to seedlings.

The Seedling vs starts  debate has been settled and here I present you with grow station.  Here is what you will need for your own starts station:

Total Cost: $125

We were able to find the lights and bulbs at our local Habitat for Humanity store here in Richland.  I recommend one cool and one warm spectrum bulb per light.  I do not spend the money on the garden grow lights as these have seen me through thus far.

Why start our own?  I love to see the first germination, the first leaf unfold and see as our jungle of a garden grows and grows.  I love to pick exactly which variety I want to grow and have lots of options.  I love tending to an indoor garden when the February cold hits.  And finally, we are looking forward to staggering our plant dates a few weeks to hopefully encourage a long and plentiful harvest.

I cant wait to see the first little guy push through the soil!

Snow days in Wine Country

The rest of the country has been buried snow for the past forever (seriously... we get it midwesterners, -40 degrees sucks) but we here in Washington have just now decided to jump on the winter train!  And it is beautiful!

Snow fall in the vineyard made everything feel quiet and peaceful.

 Pruning is in full swing.  Each bud will produce 1-3 clusters per vine.  Each one of those bad boys is important for the perfect end product, that delicious glass of wine.

 The haircut looks good on 'em!

And the snow shows all the footprint from deer and coyotes.  Cheers from wine country!

The beginning of a Garden

Ever have that dream of getting home from work and going to the garden (with a cold beer) to harvest what you will cook for dinner?

 I have that dream.

The Gasparotti's Garden Haul

We are friends with an awesome couple in Walla Walla whom have inspired us.  Almost all of what they eat comes from their garden. They can, They pickle, They are basically AWESOME.  So awesome, in fact, that after opening their home to us, guiding us around that awesome town, cooking dinner from their garden and hanging out in the rain under cover, we got to wake up the next day, join them in the garden and pick enough veggies to fill two grocery bags home.  Like I said, AWESOME!!!

And this year, we are attempting to get on their level.

With hopes of more time outdoors, less time in front of the tube and a healthier "dirt to table" relationship with our food, the hubs and I are diving in!  The to-do list is long but the reward will be great!

2013 was a good start but there is lots of work to be done and am looking forward to see our garden grow in 2014!

ABQ: Pep Rally and Game Time!

Nothing is better than a prebowl game pep rally!

The Cougar faithful gathered at the ABQ Old Town Square.

The sea of Crimson

Fans of all walks of life who have traveled from far and wide to cheer on the Cougs!

We sang the fight song, cheered on the band and the ensuing drum-off that followed and ended the day with some delicious Southwest fair.  Although the game was a heart breaker, we held our heads high and look back at the progress we have made in Mike Leach's first years!  I for one am hoping for a bowl in Hawaii next year...

Go Cougs!