Tastes like Christmas

Saturday we had tastings with really nice people. The first couple was from LA celebrating a birthday. They clearly were experienced wine drinkers with impressive palates. They enjoyed the wines, became wine club members (thank you!) and interacted with the other family who were tasting with us.

Retired General Charlie Holland, his gracious wife Nancy, brilliant son Justin and good friend Ike arrived shortly after the Packs. Conversations covered military academies, China and the coincidence that Justin and our daughter Meg were in both 2006 grads from Boston colleges. I don't know if their paths ever crossed, but Justin studied at MIT and Meg was at Wellesley so maybe!

While tasting our unique Grenache-Zinfandel blend, ZinG, Justin commented that it tasted like Christmas. Ever sense he came to that conclusion, I confess, I taste the spice of Christmas too! It's not cinnamon or nutmeg, but there is something in the wine that creates a memory of a Christmas cookie. Please go taste your ZinG and help me define what that flavor is. Don't have any ZinG, we can handle that.......visit www.percazocellars.com.

Roll out the unwelcome mat!

Today we had our hearing with the county about approving our minor use permit for establishing a winery on the property. It was a very frustrating process like most government bureaucracy where people who have nothing better to do than butt into your business weild too much control. There is a group of NIMBY's who have been been trying to sabotage every winery project. If it wasn't so personal I actually would feel sorry for these folks whose lives are obviously so small and narrow that they waste precious time scheming against their neighbors.

They did not prevail today. We did receive permission to build a 2500 case winery.

When you think that this country is built on the backs of small family operated business, anyone opposing the entrepreneurial spirit is un-American - especially in challenging times like now.

We need a little a little Christmas now.....

Tonight we entertained Cantus, the all male a cappella choir based in Minnesota who are in the area to perform their original show called All is Calm. The powerful performance is based on the true story recalling the remarkable Christmas Truce of WW I – a day when both sides laid down their arms to embrace peace with a cease-fire . Dave and I have seen the staging when we were in Minnesota and it promises to be an amazing experience if you can sneek away to see it tomorrow. It will be performed in acoustically-stunning sanctuary of the Grace Church in San Luis Obispo. They also will be performing at UC Davis, Phoenix, Kansas City and Tulsa between now and Dec. 15.

Dave has been on their board and we have always been big supporters so when we learned they were in the area, we insisted they come for dinner. It was a lovely evening and everyone seemed to enjoy the food and the Per Cazo Cellars wines. Their gift to us was a moving performance of Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas that one of the singers had arranged. Dave and I both were moved to tears by the pure magic of the moment. Nine men singing in perfect pitch in our dining room is something I never will forget. Oh to be that talented.

a near CATastrophe

We are trying again to get the perfect barn cat. We want a cat that is a good mouser, content to be outdoors and friendly but not too friendly with our bed and breakfast guests. Our first attempt is well documented in a previous post titled "That Darn Cat."
While Kelley was home for Thanksgiving, we took a trip to the county animal services and adopted another adult cat named Sunshine. (We have nicknamed the cat Sunny.) This cat seemed approachable but was not vocal and came with a good recommendation of the staff. It is about a 30 minute trip back and throughout the journey, the cat was very affectionate. We could hold and nuzzle him and he seemed very comfortable with us.

When we arrived home we made a BIG mistake. Kelley was carrying him from the car when all of a sudden, a noise spooked the cat and Sunny leaped from her arms. He dashed at top speed across the yard. Simultaneously, an enormous owl swept down seeking dinner. We were all screaming which scared both the owl and the cat. The owl fled to the fields and the cat sought refuge in a giant oak tree on our property. This cat climbed up nearly 50'. When we placed the extension ladder against the tree, the clanking scared the cat up even higher, well beyond our reach.

It was getting dark and we had dinner plans, so we resorted to setting the "Have-a-Heart" trap purchased during our last cat encounter. When we returned from dinner, we were successful in capturing Sunny, our now really pissed off and frightened cat. We released her in the garage with food and water and watched her disappear amid the clutter. It's been a week now, and she will not let us hold her. We aren't quite sure what our next steps should be. Any advise???

John Lennon said it best -"I get by with a little help from my friends."

For the past two weekends, I was lucky to have two of my dearest friends from Minnesota visit and I did not realize what I missed most about leaving Minnesota. Don't get me wrong, I am really happy to be in Paso Robles and challenging ourselves with the wine and B&B business. What is missing is girlfriends.

Two weeks ago, Mary came as a belated birthday gift. We had a ball. The highlight was spending the day on the coast visiting Hearst Castle, watching the elephant seals (hundreds of them) wallow on the beach and sharing a beer at Taco Temple in Morro Bay. We both agreed it was just what we needed in our busy lives full of other distractions. She got to see a glimpse of my life here and I think better understands why we are here.

Last weekend, Kris came with some of her girlfriends and we crammed in all there is to do in Paso. This was my first time to host 8 people at the B&B. I think all agreed it went very well. Celebrating Fondue Friday, wine tasting with the handsome Frenchman, barrel tasting at Cass, cooking class in my kitchen with Nanette, a full day at the coast and a memorable dinner in Cayucos, exploring Judy's vineyard, winemaking 101 with Bob - I really don't think we could have added one more activity into the weekend. The best part, I now have 7 new friends! Granted, they are in Minnesota, but I did get invited to the girls ski trip this winter!

I know it takes time to make friends and for now, most of my "new" friends are just passing through while wine tasting and staying for the weekend at Creekside B&B. I will start my strategy of joining and volunteering in local groups that has worked well in past moves. So for all of you reading this, treasure your time with girlfriends.

They came, they drank, they walked away impressed!

Paso Robles offers three large wine weekends in a year. Zin Fest, 3rd weekend in March, Wine Fest, 3rd weekend in May and Harvest Fest, 3rd weekend in October. This was our first time to participate in an event and it went quite well.

Creekside B&B was full to the beams with great guests. Upstairs was a couple serious about taking advantage of all the special events the various wineries offered. I think they covered more ground than the average wine taster and judging from the boxes loaded in their car, their wine cellar just received an infusion of fresh fluids. The Creekside room housed a family from San Clemente who checked in on Friday having barely escaped flying surf boards on I-5. Damage resulted in a cracked windshield and dented roof and a raise in blood pressure for the Woodley family. They were more than ready for a glass of wine when they arrived.

Despite inaccurate information in the official Festival brochure and open only by appointment, we were busy for three days. The idea of sitting poolside with food pairings on a beautiful day sipping delicious Per Cazo Cellars' wines was just the respite weary wine lovers craved. We could tell our story and share our wines and everyone walked away appreciating what we are trying to accomplish.

Video progress

Thanks to Skype and my daughter, I think I am going to finally be successful at embedding the video. Here goes.....

technical difficulties

So if you read my last post you will see I was not successful at adding the video to the post. I was successful uploading it to You Tube.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gy9a74xn2Y

Harvest - live and in color

I have received many comments about my harvest post. It really is an intense period of time for winemakers and our recent heat wave has not helped. Once the fruit is harvested at the vineyard, it is trucked to the processing facility where it is hand sorted, crushed, pressed and stored for its fermentation. All this is under the careful eye of the winemaker who applies years of experience in determining how best to handle the fruit. We are talking about TONS of fruit, literally... and we are just a small boutique winery. It changes dramatically for the big wineries but this process is crucial to the end product. If you could witness how intense this is, you would have a new appreciation for what is poured in your wine glass every night.

The first critical step takes place in the vineyard. We are blessed to have access to outstanding fruit from some of the top growers on the west side of Paso Robles. To give a sense of what it feels like to be up at the crack of dawn, riding the rails of the crawler through the vines and removing anything that is not a grape please view the video that hopefully is attached to this blog post. If I am not successful at attaching it, I will try the You Tube method and send the link from the blog sight.

Once the fruit reaches the winery, it goes through a second hand sorting where the berries are examined. Any unripe or overly raisined grapes are discarded. This is a messy job where one stands along side a vibrating conveyor belt, with hands caressing the cold fruit and earwigs (bugs) climbing up your arms, back and neck. I did not capture this to video, I was way too sticky!

We are about half way through harvest with the rest of the fruit coming in over the next week or so. Wish us luck!

Harvest begins....

Startled deer stare as I drive through the morning fog on my way to Starr Ranch to help harvest our first Syrah. The workers start at sun-up so I quickly gulp the last of my coffee and get to the vineyard by 6:40. Neil and Luis have the crew load the picking bins onto the trailer that is pulled through the rows. "Jump on" they shout and off we go down the gentle hills to the block where our 6 rows of Syrah are ready to be harvested.

This is a small block of Syrah 2A with brix over 26 that hang plump, juicy and ripe. The workers quickly grab small bins and attack the vines while I ride the rails of the trailer. They dump the smaller bins into the main bin and I madly grope the grapes ridding them of twigs, leaves and any other "Material Other than Grapes" hence, MOG. Throughout the process, you can catch a glimpse of each of us sampling a grape every so often. Boy are they sweet! Judy, the owner of Starr Ranch shares the story of one of young tenents who lives in her rental property. His name is Felix and is from Sweden (long story for another blog post.) She suggested he taste some of the fruit and we both laugh when she relayed his comments, "Taste just like grapes!" I don't know why folks think wine grapes are all that different from the table grapes they buy at Albertsons, but I have seen similar reactions.

It takes about 45 minutes to strip the vines of their bounty. The crew is off to harvest someone else Cabernet so I head back. On the way out of her beautiful vineyard, seven quail scurry across the drive and as I head down her windy drive lined with persimmon trees, I gaze at yet another startled deer grazing in the golden fields. With the sun high in the sky by this time and the crisp morning air enters my car, I nearly pinch myself. This is why I live here.

W.E.T.S.

We just offered a wine tasting for a great group of folks who call themselves WETS. This acronym stands for Wine Enthusiasts Tasting Society. They are down to six couples now, but these folks have been drinking wine together for the last few decades and always include some extra $$ in their annual dues to cover a wine tasting trip. This year it is Paso Robles turn.

Coy with the Wine Wrangler was their guide and he called to arrange a private tasting with Per Cazo. Dave and I were thrilled to pour for such knowledgeable wine lovers. They ate their box lunches on the patio pool side while sampling all of our wines. It was lots of fun. I was quizzed on every one's names and of course could only recall 4 of the 12 but we blamed it on the wine. Coy was on the ball however and nailed every one!

Following the tasting they toured the B&B. Like everyone who visits, they were impressed. I hope they come back soon and plan to stay at Creekside. I know they have some great stories to share.

Great guests!

We had a great week for guests at the Bed and Breakfast! It continues to exceed any expectations I might have had. Last Sunday, Mark and Diane from Redmond Washington checked in for a four night stay. After a two day drive they were ready to be out of the car.

Having guests for four mornings, allowed me to branch out of my typical weekend breakfast fare. Baked eggs with pesto, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese was a big hit! Of course, I offered the stuffed croissants, huevos rancheros and even made steel cut oatmeal one morning. Delish! Since they had time to actually explore, it was fun to hear about their daily excursions. The typical wine tasting and day at the coasts were supplement by a trip to California Valley. I had just learned of this region of California, thanks to the paper, but this is a scorched section of land that might hold promise for the solar industry. Over 30 years ago, Mark's family bought a small plot of land. He went to see it expecting some signs of progress over the years but dismayed to see it exactly the same. Who said time doesn't stand still.

Next we had two cute millennials arrive from Orange County. Randi's father had stayed here when the previous owner offered gift certificates so we honored it. They arrived late on Friday just after we completed a wine tasting so we insisted they sample the wine so they could choose their complimentary bottle. They picked ZinG, a favorite of the youthful crowd. Randi and Chris left this morning with good memories except they lost their camera while winetasting. The worst part was they hadn't even taken any photos!

We had an available room so when the phone rang early Friday evening, Stan and Mary were seeking a room following the rehersal dinner for their daughter, we quickly readied the room. Their daughter had a perfect day for a wedding - blue skies and good temps. Their other daughter and fiance spent the next night in the murphy bed. She gets married in 2 weeks. Stan and Mary are going to need a vacation after all this. Perhaps they'll come back here to retreat.

Speaking of return guests, we have our first returning couple. Bill and Valerie spent the last week up north at the beach with their family. They stayed with us on the way up and called to say they would be coming through on their return so they might as well stay again. They also are coming in October for their anniversary for a few days. Needless to say, they are our best customers to date!

While the guests are the best part of innkeeping, laundry is a necessary evil. Time to go do another load!

It's the little old lady from Morro Bay...

This is Lynda. She just bought our Porsche today. I had posted the car for sale on Craigslist in hopes of selling it versus trading it in at a dealership. I have never seen anyone more excited about a car.

Lynda is 70 years old and this will be her 10th Porsche. It's been over 20 years since she owned her last one and chances are this really will be her last one. She is a dynamo who has had some health issues lately. She shared her philosophy that at this point all she wants is to have fun. We are so pleased to have found a buyer who truly can appreciate this great car.

Many folks think we are crazy but we need a pickup truck not a sports car. We had a lot of fun with this car but Dave has the attitude that you can always get another car and maybe one day we will, but for now, we are on the hunt for a used 4x4, long bed, extended cab. Maybe it will have a Duraliner too!

new toys

We bought a refractometer today. Boy do we feel like official vintners. The temperatures have climbed and so have the brix in the grapes. Dave and I went out to our main grape grower to check on levels and tested several clusters.

A winemaker judges when to pick the grapes based on a couple of things but brix are the sugar levels in the grapes and that is what the refractometer measures. The brix levels were rising but we hope that the grapes can hang a little longer so they can mature more. The seeds are green and they should be brown. We are hoping for a cool spell to let them settle down a little more.

We are trying to pin down our grapes for the harvest and it is a bit like a moving target. We had a handshake deal on the Choo-Choo zin, but that fell apart. We had found someone who thought they would have some extra Viognier but the crop came in light so we didn't. Never fear, it's a small town and word gets out and the phone rings and low and behold we have Viognier being picked tomorrow. We just contracted with Fess Parker for the other grapes for our Tres Blanc so that is good. Everyone cross fingers that the reds get the hang time they need and harvest goes smoothly. I wonder who the patron saint of the vineyards is?

Baby, it's hot inside!

Guests at the B&B this past weekend were great. Sandy and Tim were already fans of Per Cazo Tres Blanc and were in town from Huntington Beach for just one night with their daughter. Cel Tustin is our interim innkeeper so she checked them in as we were returning from our whirlwind trip to Minnesota (more on that later.)

By the time we arrived at Creekside, Sandy had a glass in hand and Tim was out getting steaks and fresh corn for a barbecue. They are our first guests to take us up on the offer to cook-out. We supplied them with the necessary BBQ tools and left for the Art in Adelaida benefit at Halter Ranch. We stayed for dinner and excused ourselves early as we were beat from the days travels. The Grennans were still up so they came over to taste the reds and we all turned in early.

This weekend in Paso was as hot as it has been all summer. It was one of the first nights all year when you want the AC on. Unfortunately for our guests, they were using the thermostat for the heater, not the AC unit. Note to Self: Get a manual in those rooms ASAP!

The past week has been action packed and with a lot of progress for our fledgling businesses. The Bed and Breakfast continues to get more and more bookings. More importantly, we are meeting the loveliest people.

We had three different guests this past weekend. On Friday Ernesto and Sommer arrived from the Fresno area. They were here to celebrate Sommer's birthday and take some well deserved time away from their hectic lives. Both are young physicians and during their stay learned that Ernesto passed his Boards. It was fun to be able to toast his accomplishments.

We also had the chance to get better acquainted with some folks we met from the wine tasting party we had in Orange County at the home of our friend Pame. Tim and Mary Cromwell were wandering around the central coast for a few days and called. They joined us for a fun feast patio side before retiring to the Creekside room. They were having a hard time sleeping so took advantage of the problem and sat out under the stars in the wee hours marveling at the amazing night sky. We are blessed to have no ambient light and are treated to a celestial canvas not commonly found anymore.

They left early Saturday to continue their way back south and I did not anticipate turning the room around but Lori called mid-afternoon looking for lodging for the night so I did a quick clean up. They were in town for the horse show taking place at the fairgrounds. They are charming folks from Carmel who were so easy going and friendly. I hope they come back again soon.

We tried to entice all our guests to stop by the open house we were hosting on Saturday but they opted to pass. The party was a blast and nearly forty friends and acquaintances spent the evening pool side sipping Per Cazo. Dave and I had been hoping to do this ever since we moved in. Thank God for our friend Kris who was in town visiting. She volunteered to be unofficial caterer and we pulled off a really nice party.

Wine news ....we are getting ever closer to the new tasting room. ABC justs needs two more documents and all should be a go. Signs are ready, and so are we. Per Cazo was well received at two local wine bars and should be flowing there soon. All in all a good couple of days.

Off to Minnesota for a wine tasting benefit. We will be taking some video so watch for that next week!

You Tube or Bust

We are getting closer to actually being in a full-fledge tasting room. The last drawings are submitted and hopefully the powers-that-be will be satisfied. If you haven't seen our YouTube video yet, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLFEMhvuc_g.

I am getting more comfortable with our new Flip Camera. Watch out You Tube......

Finalmente! We are counting on getting a good night sleep tonight as we have FINALLY captured our phantom cat, Tux. Kelley and I went to the local farm supply store and purchased a "Havaheart" animal trap. We baited the trap with tuna and waited. To all of our surprise, it did not take long.

We were eating dinner and heard her in the distance. We checked, the cage was empty. As we escorted our dinner guest Laurel to her car, we heard her again. Kelley ran to the barn and jumped up and down when she saw the captured cat. Success! It only took a couple hours. I quickly ran to retrieve the camera to document the episode.

So say hello and good riddance to Tux. Tomorrow she goes back to the Cat Man in Templeton. The mice are probably jumping up and down too!

That Darn Cat

Remember the old Disney classic with Dean Jones and Hayley Mills about a cat that prowled at night. Well, if they ever make a remake, I nominate our cat for the starring role.

The battle to capture the elusive feline is not an easy war to wage. Tux is the ultimate nocturnal warrior. Every night this week, she has been out crying, meowing, screeching to the point that it is disrupting our sleep and more importantly, the B & B guests. Our latest plan was to stay in the downstairs Creekside room and try to entice her in with tuna. Once confined to a small space we would put her in the crate and return her to the Cat Man before our trial period expired. We almost succeeded.

Friday night Dave lured her in to the room, picked her up and was actually petting her. The flaw in the plan was not having the crate in the room. By the time he walked the 50 yards to the house, she had clawed and bit him to the extent that he was bleeding in several places. Needless to say, he dropped the cat and she wandered off again into the darkness.
Bandaged and tired he returned to our bed while I took the 3am watch in the Creekside room. Not long, the cat began her guttural growl but I could not convince her to come anywhere near me.

The next morning Dave spent a couple of hours at the local Urgent Care facility where he got the obligatory Tetanus shot, prescription for antibiotics as infection had already set in and the sage advice to wear gloves the next time he goes cat hunting.

We tried again last night, better prepared with gloves, cage and tuna in place without success. We are tired, cranky, wounded and going to go pick up a "Have a Heart" trap. She may be winning for now but her days are definitely numbered at the Teckman B&B.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Three weeks ago we adopted a really cute cat from the Cat Man at the Templeton Farmer's Market. We were looking for a mouser for the Bed and Breakfast. Our B&B is a converted barn with a red tin roof and is very charming. It also is in the country, along side a creek so mice are often unpaying and unwelcome guests.

The Cat Man suggested a mature cat named Patience. We immediately changed her name to Tux because she is Black and White and looks like she is donned in formal wear. He recommended we confine her for the first 4-5 days and feed her so she knows this is now home. We kept her in the barn as instructed and only could catch a glimpse of her as she would hide. In fact, if it wasn't for the litter box and empty food bowl, you would not have any clue a cat had moved in. We started leaving the door ajar so she could roam and again the only evidence was left in the litter box. One night, Dave found her on the balcony of the upstairs room. She startled, jumped on the tin roof, slide down and vanished in the night. That was the last we saw her.

Then the phantom cat started haunting us. Late one night we heard the unmistakened guttural growl. Ever since, the only time Tux shows up is at night. She'll meow and cry but remains too illusive to capture. Our good friend Peter is staying in the Creekside room and has offered to open the door and entice her in since she was meowing outside his window. He almost convinced her last night but she just could not cross the threshold. Maybe tonight we will have a can of tuna at the ready.

As soon as we catch her, we are going to trade her in on kittens that hopefully will be more approachable.

Legitimacy...or something close

Sometime last night our Per Cazo Cellars web site was launched into the cyber universe. What a sense of progress this is for our fledgling wine operation. I hope you go visit it and give us feedback. Sometimes when you work on something for so long, you get so close to it that it is difficult to maintain objectivity. www.percazocellars.com.

What amazes me about building a web site is how powerful technology can be even for little guys like us. The ability to reach almost anyone in the world about our passion puts us on the same playing field as the big boys. While it's true we don't have our shopping cart up yet and there is room for growth as we become a better financed operation, there is little holding us back from sharing our wine with people we don't know. We have been very fortunate to have had support from our friends and family as we have launched Per Cazo, but now we can cast our net out to a much larger network. Before, I was almost embarrassed by our little holding page on the web.

I think our site portrays the elegance and sophistication that are present in our wines. When you start a new wine label in these challenging times, you better have the goods in the bottle. So far we have delivered a great value wine and it isn't just proud wine parents making that claim. We are starting to have a following which is the best affirmation a winery could ask for. Soon we will be in our tasting room which really will validate what we are trying to accomplish. More on that later.....

Charlotte's Web in real life!

Today is the last day of the California Mid-state fair.  Dave and I are going for one last corn dog and a glimpse of the animals who were not auctioned off.  You can imagine how disheartening it is for the young 4-H'ers to not have a bid for the animal they painstakingly raised just for just this moment. 

Jamie Perry is one of the young woman helping me at the B&B who explained to me how all this works. Her son Clayton raised his piglet and was one of the fortunate ones to successfully auction off his for $1,100. That's a lot of $$$ for a 12 year old.  She did not say how much money went to getting it to market, only to say he did well. She couldn't bring herself to attend the auction.  She considered that pig a member of the family. 

If the B&B and wine biz don't work out, I guess there is always livestock.

Here we are around the fire-pit with the Cartys and Aunt Jo and Cousin Heidi.  The Port and brownies were the bonus to the beautiful evening!

work in progress

Arrgh!  my last post did not turn out like I had hoped.  Gotta figure out how to add a photo without changing the entire page layout.  Kelley, where are you when I need you.

I find it fascinating when friends drift in and out of your life over the years and this week an old friend resurfaced.  About 15 years ago, we went rafting on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon for the adventure of a lifetime.  Our friends the Parkers were scheduled to raft with us when Cathy injured her knee and had to bale out of the trip.  Scott replaced his maimed wife with an old childhood friend of his, Dave Carty.  
Dave was and still is a fun guy to be with.  He proved that on the river and again this week when he and his beautiful wife Diane stayed with us at the Bed and Breakfast.  His family has been coming to Paso for years and stay at the nearby lake.  This week was the Carty family reunion on Lake Naciemento so based on recommendations of the Parkers, they took a day out of the schedule to stay here.  Dave and Diane are Per Cazo fans, so he asked if the family could come over for wine tasting.  Sure, bring the fam, we would love to meet the family and introduce our wine.
Well, they arrived at 2 and stayed all afternoon when the wine tasting morphed into a great afternoon party by the pool.  Dave comes from a large Irish Catholic family so Dave's mom and all 6 kids and spouses came, drank and heard the Per Cazo story.  We poured all 5 of our wines plus the port of our winemaker and sold a bunch of wine.  But more importantly, we found ten new friends who I know will stay in contact with us.
It was a day of family connections when Dave's aunt and cousin arrived just in time to meet the Cartys.  We all had a great meal together followed by our first bonfire at the fire-pit in the common area of the B&B.  It was a perfect Paso evening.  

What's in that dish?

On most Monday nights, I can be found at Movie Night at the Dubost Winery.  Kate and Curt Dubost began this tradition months ago with the idea of finishing the open bottles of wine from the weekend tastings. Curt mans the grill and everyone brings a side dish and a their open bottles of wine.  Following dinner, we sit in their barrel room where a movie is projected up on the wall. 

It's always interesting to see who will show up.  The regulars include the mennonite Weibe family who bring milk from their farm since they do not imbibe.  Nan Dubost is the chain smoking matriarch of the clan who has a sharp wit and always a wise perspective toward the issues of the day.  Farm Bureau buddies Rachel and Debbie always arrive together with some delicious dish but some of the other regulars bring very unique offerings.  The worst was rattlesnake and once there was a dish identified as rabbit but we all suspected that it was squirrel. Very chewy.  Fortunately, most of the food is not strange but very tasty with a tendency of nostalgic dishes ones grandmother prepared.

This weeks movie was an oldie but goodie, Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines.  Its selection was to honor the anniversary of the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. I am sure I saw it long ago but did not remember much about it.  I don't know if I would rush out and add it to your Netflix list, but it was entertaining.  When was the last time you saw a movie with Red Skelton in the credits.

E-Harmony Success Story

One of the biggest joys of being an innkeeper is meeting the guests who are staying at the Creekside B&B.  This weekend was no exception.  Paul and Leslie checked in on Thursday for a 3 night stay.  They were coming for the Journey/Heart concert at the Mid-state Fair in town.  They visited the coast on Friday and Wine tasting on Saturday.  As is our usual custom, we invited them for wine tasting poolside on Saturday evening.

They arrived with Maddy offering a wet greeting, as she had just been swimming in the pool, all dressed to go into town following our impromptu pouring.  Conversations were typical-what one does for work and fun, kids, wines, shared interest - golf, skiing, and wine of course when the topic turned to how they met.  Paul and Leslie are the poster children for E-Harmony.  Two perfectly matched, attractive people who just happened to GET ENGAGED AT OUR INN!  Without sharing too much detail, Paul proceeded to say how he had been planning the romantic weekend since May.  Leslie showed off her beautiful ring and mentioned how she was totally surprised by the proposal. They had danced in the room and were swept away by the  magic of the moment.  Needless to say, Dave and I were overjoyed and after they left for dinner, snuck a bottle of Champagne in their room.

The other guests of the weekend were equally delightful.  A mother/daughter arrived to celebrate a recent graduation from UCSB and a birthday.  Although they could only spend one night, they made the most of it.  Terry flew in from Philadelphia earlier in the day and met Lauren in Santa Barbara.  They arrived and sampled the Per Cazo Epi Telos on their patio and went into town for an early dinner.  Scheduled for Sunday morning was an in-room Spa experience.  Since the previous guests had already departed and they had the inn to themselves, we arranged for their treatments to take place in the privacy of the common area of the Inn.  Imagine getting a relaxing massage creekside with the birds singing and gentle breeze blowing.  I can't conceive a better way to start the day.  They departed shortly thereafter for the rest of their journey up to Sequoia National park.

I will live vicariously through our guests and invite you to live vicariously through our experience "under the Paso sun."

I have joined the blogosphere!

After many months of threatening to begin blogging about my new adventures in California, I finally have taken the time to launch "Under the Paso Sun."  Thanks to the patience and tutoring of my daughter Kelley, I am up and running on Blogspot, Twitter and Facebook.  Please indulge me while I share the life and times of a new innkeeper, wine owner and Californian.