Sunday From Napa

Yep, up in Napa visiting kids. Overcast here today, a spitting sprinkle, but not really rain. Just practicing I guess.

The last of the week was indeed hectic, with the preparations for being gone until Monday evening. But Wednesday night I took Chapter 2 of Fire on Black Mountain to the critique group, and as usual got some wonderful suggestions, and some positive comments. I did some of the editing on it on Thursday but there was not enough time to finish all the suggestions. Often the gals will make word cuts, or comma deletions (I tend to throw commas out like I was feeding chickens corn) and minor suggestions. Sometimes they will make a change in the order of a sentence and make it read SO much better.

Saturday I was out of the house in great time to be on the road for Sacramento by 5:15 a.m. In fact, I was about 3-4 minutes early. Because the bridge is out over the ditch, I had allowed a little more time, so felt so very smug driving out early. Until I got to the end of the drive and turned onto Globe Drive I felt smug. That was when I realized I wasn't wearing my glasses.

By the time I had hurried to the house to get the glasses, and back to the truck to leave, I was 5:18 a.m. when I hit Globe Drive, and frankly that was still a great time. Traffic was no problem, and 4:20 later I parked in W. Sacramento for my monthly meeting.

When the meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m. I still had a couple of things to do, and didn't get on the road for Napa until 4:30. But in only about 1:15 I pulled up in front of the kids house. Ross and Jane were also visiting, so we had a great chat, a wonderful dinner that Justin and Allison fixed, and by 8:00 I was fading fast, for I had been awake at 4:00 a.m.

Today we took it slow, starting out with a bit of breakfast here, then went up through Napa Valley, visited the Bale Grist Mill and even bought some Polenta and some Buckwheat flour to take home.

Back into the lower valley to Dean and Delussa, for a deli sandwich, and a gooey treat from the bakery. Then it was back here.

Justin has to leave for Oregon in the morning, and I am in no hurry as I don't need to be in Vacaville until 9:00 or so at the earliest. Then at 1:30 I will speak to the Residents Association for about 30 minutes and hopefully by 2:15 or so I can be on the way home. Depending on whether I make a dinner stop on the way home, I should be home by between 7 and 8 p.m.

This next week I hope to get the bridge fixed so we can once again drive up to the house and not have to park half way down the hill. But hey, it could be worse I suppose.

I've been checking on the fires and there seem to be a bunch, but all little stuff. Oh well, I'm ready, even if it turns out to have to be next year.