Ironstone Vineyard In Delightful Murphys

Looking for a place to simply wander with your thoughts? Well, you can’t go wrong by taking a side trip to the Ironstone Vineyards, just outside the main section of the charming little burg of Murphys.

Ironstone offers beautifully landscaped grounds, with walkways to wander with lots of places to sit and contemplate. There are ponds and picnic areas, gardens and of course, vines to look out on.

The amphitheatre area is a lush green and hosts many top-flight entertainment acts. This summer Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs, the Moody Blues, Alan Jackson, Dianna Krall, Chris Issak and Brian Setzer, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Crosby, Still & Nash will all take the stage on various weekends.

There’s also a restaurant, the Pit, just inside the beautifully appointed tasting room, which offers special Thursday dinners. Additionally, there are many events throughout the year at the vineyards, from car shows to barbeques, which you can check out on their website at www.IronstoneVineyards.com.

If you travel to the vineyard, be sure to stop in at the Heritage Museum to view the gold rush era artifacts and a huge nugget about the size of a dining room chair back. It’s actually a “crystalline gold specimen” that weighs 44 pounds and is the largest of it’s kind in the world. It’s rightfully called “The Crown Jewel.”

Ironstone Vineyards is located at 1894 Six Mile Road, Murphys, CA. For more information, you can visit the website or cal 209-728-1251.

I'm Back!

There have been a couple of inquiries lately as to when I planned on getting back to my blogs. Well, today’s the day! Although, I won’t post this until Monday, I’m sitting in Wanda, my RV, enjoying an absolutely beautiful Sunday. It can’t be more than 85 degrees, if that, at least here under the trees.

Having returned from vacation in Arizona three weeks ago, I’ve really appreciated the climate here. It was already 105 degrees in Phoenix on Memorial Day, but my daughter, whom I was visiting, and I did get away to Prescott where the temperatures were 25 degrees cooler, day and night.

I think it was the temperature changes that brought on the Mother-of-All-Colds. Yow! I was really miserable for two weeks solid.

That, however, has no relationship to why I’ve been away and frankly, I’m not really sure what the whole story is, because I truly love writing my blogs. Two things coincided – I finished the novel I’d been working on for three years and I started therapy. Did my brain just decide I was finished on one hand and occupy itself with figuring out the complex workings the Kathy-being on the other? Don’t really know, but I do know just typing this is relieving a certain stress and giving back to me what it always does – a sense of expression.

So, now it’s onward, as they say! Glad to be back and don’t be too surprised if you see a lot more action on my two-blog sites. A good friend suggested I market them a little more and I plan to do just that. So, hang on for what I hope will be a wild and happy ride!

Thanks for hanging in there with me, all you faithful and regular readers, who number over one hundred by the way!

In These Recessionary Times

This past weekend I had planned to go to an event at the Folsom Library. A former correctional officer has written a book about Folsom Prison and was there to promote his book, joined by a Johnny Cash tribute artist. It sounded interesting and best of all it was free.

Unfortunately, a family situation arose and I couldn’t attend, however I realized that it’s a natural reaction when we are low on cash (I’m saving up for a long awaited vacation) to feel deprived because we can’t do what we normally would – like take in a movie or go out to dinner.

Along comes the Free Stuff Genie. Seriously though, if you are struggling because of a job loss or reduction of circumstances of any kind, it is time to look around a bit for all of the things that can be enjoyed with little or no cost. The alternative is to sit in your house and watch endless hours of television and ultimately end up depressed. Come on, get up and explore.

Here are a few ideas:

• Libraries – have lots of free activities, like lectures, slide shows, and travel presentations. Stop in a pick up one of the numerous fliers at almost any library. For the kids there are always the storytelling hours.
• The American and Sacramento Rivers are accessible and free to those who would enjoy wiling away a few hours watching kayakers paddle by or perhaps, doing some fishing.
• For the kids, most malls have a separate play area – unless going to the mall without purchasing anything makes you feel deprived, in which case you should avoid this suggestion at all costs.
• The parks in the Sacramento area are amazing. Got some stale bread? Why not feed the ducks at McKinley Park?
• The walking trails in the Folsom area are very beautiful and created for everyone to enjoy. Come, park your car and stroll among the trees.
• Have a picnic anywhere. You have to eat don’t you? Well, pack it up and visit Capitol Mall, any park, Old Town – wherever there’s a picnic table or a patch of picnic-friendly grass.

When in doubt, Google “Things to Do in Sacramento.” You’ll probably find a list of things you’ve never, ever done.

Remember, just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s boring. It can be the best time you’ve had in years.

Broadway Adventures

When the sun peeked out on Saturday, I couldn’t resist. I abandoned my computer and headed out for a drive. I really had no agenda, but I will admit to having an idea swirling around in my brain.

I listen to National Public Radio and a few days before they had a feature piece on an Ethiopian restaurant on Broadway – Queen Sheba. I’ve always wanted to try Ethiopian fare, but never had the opportunity at the right time. So, I headed for Broadway and 16th Street, knowing the restaurant was nearby.

I found Queen Sheba, one block down, at 1704 Broadway, easily located from its brightly painted exterior. It looked welcoming. As I was turning around to head back I spotted another ornate exterior - R5 Records - right on the SE corner of 16th and Broadway. I quickly pulled into the parking lot and took this picture.


MURAL by Shaun Turner

The easily identifiable musical greats like Jimi Hendrix and Nina Simone were wonderful. Finding it on a driveby - incredible. The other side of the building features a portrait of Billie Holliday. Worth stopping to look at and while you're there, check out the store. R5 has a great selection. I found myself stuck in the Jazz section where I found John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk CDs for great prices.

After wandering the aisles for a few minutes I headed back out to the parking lot and realized that one of my favorite destinations, a bookstore, was just across the asphalt. I stepped into The Avid Reader and found it to be a quiet, roomy place, in spite of being a fraction of the size of a Barnes and Noble. There weren't any trendy types there at the time, including myself, and I found that relaxing. There was a good selection for the real estate they occupied and they were right on the money with a display for Black History Month. It covered an interesting number of angles.

Back to my dining experience though. I expected the food to be a bit more exotic, but it really wasn't that different from what I would fix myself - if I had the time and/or inclination. I ordered the Chicken Tibbs, which were cubes of chicken breast cooked with mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli and bell peppers in wonderfully tasty spices, including turmeric, which gave it a lovely bright yellow color. Along with the dish, I ordered the Ethiopian hot spiced tea. I believe I enjoyed this as much or perhaps even more than the food. It was really fragrant and lovely.



SARA in Queen Sheba

I spoke a bit with Sara - pronounced SAR-uh - who was pleased at the recognition the restaurant had received from NPR. She and my server, a pleasant young man whose name I forgot to get (unusual for me), were both solicitous a pleased that I enjoyed myself.

For more information, visit the restaurant's website - www.queenshebas.com. I highly recommend the experience.

Remember an adventure is always just around the corner.

Looking for Adventure? Try a Windstorm in an RV

It’s 3:45 a.m. on Sunday morning and for several hours I’ve been trying to ignore and sleep through a windstorm in Wanda, my RV.

Each time the wind whips through there is massive shaking accompanied by the rattle and flapping of her awning. If a gust is strong enough, it swoops under the cab-over portion as well and tries to lift it off the chassis.

Yes, it’s noisy, but even more impressive is the sense of doom you must live through until you finally understand that the whole kit and caboodle isn’t going flip over with you inside. Because, believe me, it feels like it.

I slept through some minor windy nights when I first moved back to California and was camping at Folsom Lake. It was my first time and then too I felt as if we would simply fall over. But during those nights, it didn’t take long for the winds to die down. Tonight, this has been going on since about 10 p.m.

I don’t hear the neighbor’s awning flapping so loudly and have gotten up, in part, to spy on hers through my kitchen window and see if it’s also threatening to rise with the next blow.

Here comes another one. No - her patio cover is actually more stable, perhaps because hers has poles that are anchored to the ground. Mine hangs from the top with supporters that angle back to Wanda’s base. Oh, well, makes for more drama our way.

Now that I’ve recorded the windiest night in Wanda’s and my history, I may be able to drift off again.

Sweet dreams. May you survive this night and go on to other adventures. I suspect I’m making this blessing for myself and not those of you who will safely read this in the morning.

The Village of the Chickens

Little Fair Oaks Village may not have intended it to be so, but the roosters and their hens rule the roost in the quaint little community oddly just east of Sunrise Boulevard and south of Winding Way in the midst of Sacramento suburbia. The roosters crow and strut, making a pleasant background and creating the illusion of stepping into a time long gone.

Saturday morning found me exploring this dreamy little hamlet and happy as a middle-level adventurer could be. Middle-level you ask? Yes, I find myself truly enjoying discoveries rather than exertions. I doubt I’ll ever be found on a rock face climbing to its peaks, but I do find escapades into unfamiliar territories exciting.

So, on instructions from my sister, who lives in Fair Oaks but not in the village area, I wandered around until I happened on the two-block Main Street, which is actually Fair Oaks Blvd. On my way out, I found an easy route; take California Avenue off of Sunrise just south of Winding Way. Just up and down a tiny hill, and you’ll find yourself smack in the middle of old Fair Oaks.

There are several places to eat, but I chose the Fair Oaks Coffee House & Deli, pictured here, and had an inexpensive breakfast sandwich and small coffee. I soaked up the atmosphere while I sipped my coffee and noted that interior chotchkes add interest and color. The service was extremely friendly – Michelle Sanford, who was working the counter, shared lots of information with me - and I enjoyed watching the locals wander in for what was obviously their regular fare. It was a bit too chilly to enjoy a table outside, but they are umbrella-ed for when the weather is more cooperative.


I wandered the sidewalks peering into windows and admiring the charm, when I stumbled upon what can only be called an “accessory shop” – The HART Collection. Inside, I found Carla Martin, who runs the place with her family that produces about half the jewelry to be found inside – and that’s no small amount.

An entire wall is dedicated to their creations and other pieces, from earrings to necklaces and even hair ornaments. There is another section devoted to the ladies of the Red Hat Society, larger and more diverse than I’ve ever run into before.

This little shop is a treasure; reasonable prices, a glorious selection of items ranging from hats to party purses to any kind of fun jewelry you can imagine.

If you are an antique aficionado or perhaps enjoy artistic quilts, you’re also in luck in Fair Oaks. Additionally, when it warms up, you may want to experience one of the performances at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater, home of the Fair Oaks Theater Festival.

Old Fair Oaks is a walk back in time, but unlike some of the little town in the Gold Country, this feels more like the 1940s or 50s. I highly recommend setting aside a couple of hours to explore this tiny burg. I’ll be returning myself, as soon as I can, to further uncover the riches I missed this weekend.

City of Trees

One of Sacramento’s nicknames is City of Trees. During the spring and summer there is an overwhelming profusion of greenery, especially in the form of leafy trees. There are also pines, palms, cedars and the like. If you have been starved for trees, as I had when I arrived in Sacramento, it is a welcome and lovely sight.

It is easy, however, to become so used to seeing multiple trees in every yard, stands of them in all the parks and their treasured presence at the Capitol, that as a Sacramento resident one forgets how special this attribute can be.

A trip to downtown Sacramento in springtime may renew appreciation. In the fall a trip to the outer limits of this Capitol city can inspire one by offering a view of the turning of the leaves. It’s a shorter season here in California than some other places, but none the less colorful.

In the dead of winter still, I was urged by my inner artist to capture the beauty of a lone oak tree in the midst of a walk in my local park, the tiny Edgar H. Ahren Park on Manzanita.

There, among the scampering youngsters and basketball players, yet off to one side, stood this marvelous, craggy old oak tree. The park planners had established a ring of sidewalk around the thing, as if to say, “Look what we preserved!” And a good job they did.

My favorite sound in the world is the sound of wind rustling the trees, all types from oaks to pines. In Sacramento, there are many places to enjoy that sound, and in the winter there are still treasures to be found, like this grand aged oak tree.