Coarsegold in the Fall

Well - we're getting ready for a big trip south to see P and H, Mom, and S—then to Battle Creek to see S, M, R, and T—then back to So. Cal. to see the Varner-Party-0f-Five. What a fun trip it will be. We are going to Michigan this time of year especially because the woods are to be in full living color. Well - I just had to share with you a picture of our beautiful tree in at the entrance of our place because when we return this tree will be completely bare for the winter months. We, too, have "fall color!"

Healdsburg Happenings

When we left our crabbing adventure we headed to Jackie and Rick's stopping at Gold Beach to pick up some wild salmon to take for dinner. We enjoyed three nights and two days including a morning watching a crew of ten picking the Zinfindel grapes at Jack's place. Pictured here is the grilled salmon - to die for - followed the next night by what I call the "Blue Plate Special" - crab cakes accompanied by a wonderful Thai stir-fry with crab, of course. Even Cokie got to enjoy some crab.

The harvest was a great experience - I don't think we've ever been there during harvest time. The grapes are beautiful as you can see. And the crew harvests about one tub full in two minutes earning $1.50 each time they dump them in the bin where Rick and his dad, Jack, are the "Quality Control Crew" picking out the dried up grapes and the leaves making sure that what the winery receives is a clean and perfectly ripened crop of grapes!

The time in Healdsburg always goes by way too fast! We always have a great time with Rick and Jackie - what great hosts they are!

Winchester Bay Was A Winner

We had such a blast at this beautiful coastal town in Oregon. We were with lots of friends, catching crab, processing crab, eating crab . . . Life is Good!

Here are some pictures I can share now that I'm back with access to the web with my Mac - the PC was a real challenge and I was never able to get the pictures uploaded.

• Ken and Mary, a great team, venturing out to set the traps in place.
• A great pot of crab ready to steam!
• Gary and Ken heading out to check the traps for crab - keeping the big males and tossing back any females.
• Picking out the meat is a tedious job.
• A freezer full of crab (over 24 pounds) is a very good thing.
• Ken and I (a "self portrait") when we were checking the surf out for Ricky at the south jetty.
• Bringing in the traps to get dried off before we pack up.
• A beautiful sunset said "farewell" to us on our last night in Winchester Bay.

Choices

Life has got to be good when one has to decide what to have for breakfast . . . Honey Wheat Blueberry Pancakes with blueberries as big as marbles hand-picked and in the freezer or California Omelette made with fresh crab caught in our traps just yesterday and avocado along with Pepper Jack Cheese . . . well, I picked Blueberry Pancakes because we've had Crab Omelettes the past two mornings . . . Crab Quesadillas the last two afternoons and Crab Pesto (of course made from our home-grown Basil) on Focaccia toasted in the oven for dinner last night . . . I guess we're getting "Crabbed Out!" - Awe . . . Life is Good!

We pulled in sixteen crab yesterday (our friends have left so we have nobody to share them with) and twelve this morning. K is out now gathering the morning's catch (his "deck hand" is Padraic, the one whose website I had mentioned in a previous blog) and baiting the traps for the last evening hide tide. We'll be pulling in the traps in the morning and washing down the boat and packing up all the stuff we needed to make this crabbing stay at Winchester Bay so much fun.