Williams

Playful and innocent...brother and sister. Neither of them particularly wanted their photos taken this particular day; but somehow they seemed to enjoy it...we made fun of it as they told me stories about the fish in their pond and I told them how I love to make homemade ice cream. He's a baseball player and loves it! She has a bedroom all done in Paris motif...so very girly and adorable! We had a good time and I "think" we actually became friends.

And Mom...well you see the response she can illicit! Fun, fun, fun!!

Dave

Graduation is in sight. And with it comes his lifelong plan...become a Marine. Mom will see him leave for boot camp less than a month after graduation. He is anxious, she not so much. I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon, 4 different locations, 2 of his good buddies along just to keep it real! It is such a kick to see friends playing off one another, enjoying some of the best years of their lives. They kept me laughing, enjoying every minute of our time together.

His country style takes me back to the days when I first met my husband; I had always been around a "country" influence with my brother and my grandfather, but it became a constant in my life when I married a "country boy". Alan Jackson's "Gone Country" comes to mind....

The Martins

Beautiful people, beautiful country!! Wine country is such a lovely backdrop. The day was amazing...first out to breakfast, then for a fabulous ride through picturesque vineyards, a stop for wine tasting...with portrait-taking along the way. I was treated to an amazing and fun-filled day.

And my subjects...what can I say? Great, great couple...still in love after years and years of marriage. And it shows...great fun, great friends!!

The Dees

A cold Sunday afternoon, yet the warmth of this group was comforting. We had a very good afternoon; they were up for anything as we moved from one setting to another. They were all just naturally close and loving with each other.

Family memories...the years go so quickly...these times will be fondly remembered.

Grape Stomp 2010

I first heard about this annual October event in late September. Local wineries are showcased and their wine made available. I decided it was worth the effort to check it out; a drive of approximately 1 1/2 hours from my home to the historic town of Murphys. The competition is a day-long process, the winner of each heat advancing to the next level. Participants travel from great distances to compete; I met teams from Southern California and as far away as Oregon. They come in costume with cleverly-devised names such as: Cheese & Whine, Gen-U-Wine, Grape Nutz, Our Way or the Chardonnay, Pressed for Time, Que Syrah Syrah, The Grapes of Laugh, Vino 911, Syrah Sisters, Zinful...to name a few.

The rules are simple: 2-persons to a team: 1 stomper, 1 swabber (or mucher); enter competition at your own risk; 25 pounds of grapes, 3 minutes; judging based on amount of juice in weight in bucket.

I so much enjoyed this event, I think I will make it a yearly trek.

Exploring

Let the children be children. It is so amazing to me to see them enjoy themselves when left to themselves...no structured activity. It seems children thrive when left to discover, to use their imaginations. Oh how much enjoyment I got taking walks with these three. The least little things in nature give them the biggest thrills!

These 3 are fun and they enjoy each other!

Wind in her hair

Sean was fun to keep up with on this; she was full of her own ideas, just a natural for the camera...lots of fun. The camera loves her!

The presence of children

What does this scene tell you? To me, it speaks of order and consideration, training that goes above and beyond; will the owners of these shoes know where to find them when they need them? There is something endearing for me in this shot.

Kids and soccer

Can there be more fun than watching boys (or girls) playing their hearts out in competition? So healthy, such a great way to teach them sportsmanship and teamwork. Such fun to watch.