Annual Trip to California for Wine Pick Up and Reminder Why We Left....

The winter was busy with trips to Park City for skiing and playing in the snow.  I bought an annual ski pass and I had to make certain I got my moneys worth.  The nice thing about having a place in Park City is that you do not have to ski when the weather is crummy or the slopes are crowded which is the case when you are only there for the weekend.  I took full advantage of this flexibility to have the best time possible while skiing.  Julie is not a skier so she took care of Cooper while I played.  Being a single skier you can jump into the lift line with waits seldom over a minute.  That means you can ski to exhaustion in just a few hours.  All in all it was a great season with only one bad fall which occurred in the parking lot on the first day of skiing when I stepped out of the SUV onto sheer ice and went down like I had been shot.  Not a good start but I recovered quickly looking around to make sure no one had seen.

Ok, the annual trip to California occurred in April  The purpose of the trip was to see friends, drink too much wine, participate in the Annual Hall Wine Event and transport case after case of wine back into Utah in the dead of night when no one is looking.  If you have not been to the Hall Wine Event, it is a fund raising event featuring local chefs cooking their specialties for the crowds and the consumption of way too much wine all the in the name of charity.  That way you get to feel good about yourself as you get loaded.  There was one unfortunate mishap at the event.  First, let me say, never wear a white shirt at a Cabernet drinking party.  I was carrying several small plates of food and my first glass of Cabernet when one of the volunteers commented on how amazing I was to handle so much at one time.  I replied that she may have just jinxed me when ten steps later a plate began to slip which was the start of everything going including the wine which found its way onto my shirt....

Not a good start to the Hall Wine Event .   A little like the first day of ski season...

Our good friend Stan saw the predicament I was in and bought me a wine event shirt similar to those being worn by the volunteers and staff.  The downside of the shirt was that I was asked directions and questions about the wine event by everyone that came by.  The good news is that I was able to access areas only open to the staff!  

Julie with the hired help.

We had a great time at the wine event and highly recommend it if you like a beautiful setting, great food and all the wine you could possibly drink/spill, all in the name of charity.  The tickets for next year are already for sale at a "discount" so hurry up as they go fast.  Over the course of the weekend we visited a number of wineries with friends before heading back to Utah.  Before I show you some of the pictures I want to spend a minute about California.  What a beautiful state that the politicians are destroying.  Gas was over $4!!! Keep in mind that Utah had not broken $3 dollars at that time.  The roads are terrible and in need of repairs.  The bridges are $6 to cross.  What in the world are they doing with all the money they get from gasoline taxes, bridge tolls and car license fees?  I guess it is going towards picking up poop in S.F..  Sorry, I had to vent.

Lt. to Rt.  Mark, Murlyn, Stan, Jen (Wolfie), Theresa, Julie, Dave and Kathy 

Jen and Julie

Julie, Laurie and Jen

Jen, Kathy, Wendy McLendon-Covey from the movie Bridesmaids, Julie

Dave, Julie and Kathy at breakfast

We had a great time and plan to do it all again next year, except the spilled wine.  

You know how there are some things that just make your head want to explode?  I have captured a few of them in photographs so you can see what I mean.  I will not try to explain them because I can't...

All of these cups were in Petey's car.
Seven total!!!  It does not end there...

Used cup stash

Two cups and a water
bottle while relaxing

Wearing two hats at the same time.  This occurs from time to time....

The Tortoise Whisperer and Rattle Snake Training

It is that time of the year when the Mojave Desert Tortoise comes out of hiding to consume all the food and water it is going to need to survive the majority of the year underground.  That means for a few months in the spring if you are lucky you may spot one while hiking or biking.  If you have the tortoise whisperer with you, you will improve your chances dramatically.

The other day while hiking, I turned to look for Cooper who runs loose on certain trails and he was no where in site.  I quickly called his name and I could hear him start barking.  I ran back up the trail and there he was just off the trail barking at a Mojave Desert Tortoise.  You do not want to scare them or pick them up as they will urinate, losing the "water" necessary to help them sustain the harsh summer heat and will likely die.  I quickly leashed Cooper and got him away from he tortoise, of course not before taking pictures.

Mojave Desert Tortoise.  NEVER call it a TURTLE as it offends some people! I had to learn this the hard way.


A short time later after taking him off the leash he discovered a pair of tortoise sunning themselves and enjoying a peaceful morning, at least until we showed up.

Please note, no tortoise were injured during these encounters.

Well, with this newly acquired skill, I could only imagine how long or short it would be until he found a rattle snake.  The very next day he was in school to learn to avoid rattle snakes.  They have a defanged rattler (it is painless and only lasts a couple of weeks before the fangs grow back) that they let the dogs "get to know".  Once the dog has discovered the snake they shock it before it gets too close so they can associate pain with the snake.  Cooper was right on the snake and had a great deal of interest.  Too much.  The handler gave him a jolt and he jumped in the air and screamed like he had been shot.  The handler looked at me and said it was only a 4 on a scale of 1-14.  I told him Cooper is delicate. Well, he learned not to go anywhere near snakes and graduated top of his class.  He is still a little spooked by anything on the ground 5 days later.  Lesson Learned!

Rattle Snake

Cooper in action right before the big shock

Cooper chilling.