Abstract Thursday : : Amusement Park

We wended our way through the beautiful Sonoma Valley to the Carneros region of Napa, where the morning mists and fog seem to have slowed the pace toward the harvest. Most of the pinots and cabs can still be seen hanging in their carefully pruned, well disciplined rows beneath the covering row of leaves.

Passing the amusement park in Benicia, it occurred to me that there are so many rides in there that the whole site is an abstract. I snapped a picture of it with my phone and played with it in Mobile Monet while OilMan dealt with the traffic. I have offered to drive and been turned down often enough that I'm convinced that OilMan thinks I will get us both killed if he allows me to get behind the wheel. I have suggested to him that since I have driven myself, our children, and others around for years without mishap, perhaps the problem is not mine but his, but I'm happy enough to be a passenger.

There was a pleasant view of Mount Diablo through the clearing mists as we drove into Walnut Creek. I've spent many a happy hour hiking up there, admiring the wildflowers in the spring and the panoramic views after a rainstorm. I liked its veiled slopes and canyons so I put that shot in extras, even though my phone wasn't quite up to the task....

With a clean bill of health from our friend Dr Gan, we squinted our way back to the North Bay. OIlMan insisted that he could see perfectly well despite the dilating drops, and I was happy to take his word for it. We made it to VJB for a nice glass of red wine and a shrimp salad and a panini just ten minutes down the road from our house.