back to the farm

Once again, Christmas Eve eve was spent on the farm, working on our clay pigeon shooting (even Mom joined in this year), and then toasting the evening with wine and cheese on the levee. This year, we upgraded our trip from the house to the water with a tractor-pulled hayride, and Mother Nature gave us (and the ducks) one spectacular sunset.

oh-twelve wrap-up: fleet week, wine, music, florida and more

October and November are some of the best months in the Bay Area, with warm, sunny weather and lots of outdoor events (turns out it’s a great time to be in Florida, too). Even though it’s now a few months later (I got a little sidetracked), allow me to show off some highlights.


Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park; yoga for a cause in Union Square


The Fleet Week air show (with blue angels, a stealth bomber and more) in the bay


A visit to Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma with my aunt, in town from Missouri!


Thanksgiving week in Sarasota, Florida: Watching kitesurfers in St. Petersburg; waiting for the sunset at the Hurricane in St. Petersburg; sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico and creating a gorgeous sky; Siesta Key; Longboat Key; buddies at the Mote Aquarium; a manatee kiss on the aquarium window; a rather random group of animals at the Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota

happy new year

The last few months of 2012 were a bit of a whirlwind, with celebrations in various locations from Florida to Singapore. The most recent – New Year’s Eve – took place for us in Breckenridge, and I was so happy to be there, even though it meant skiing with a broken toe (not fun, but I pushed through the pain).

We stayed at the family home of a good friend with a beautiful setting in a valley across from the ski resort. When the lift lines were too long to deal with, we avoided the crowds with sledding and snowshoeing. Winter fun all around.