Javelina!!!

I'm so excited, I just saw Javelina, finally!! Javelina are these wild desert pigs that I've heard all about but had never seen. I always have my eye out when we are driving at night looking through the desert to see if I could spot one. Tonight, we got home around 8:00 and I was changing and Glenn went out to get the mail. He yelled for me to come quick and when I did, there were 5 Javelina right outside! 3 were in front of the house right across the street and two were next to our driveway between our house and the neighbor. We watched them for a couple minutes but once they realized we were there, they wandered off down the street. We've heard that Javelina are very smelly. We didn't smell anything but that's probably a good thing! They were across the driveway from us so pretty close. It's really cold outside so maybe in warmer weather you smell them more? Don't know but I was very excited to see them.

A Great Weekend

Several years ago Glenn and I took a trip to Napa and while we were there, we visited Lamborn Family Vineyards which is the home of my favorite Zinfandel. Glenn had arranged for an appointment at Lamborn since he knew how much I loved their wine. We spent the afternoon with Mike & Terry Lamborn on the deck of their vineyard home overlooking the beautiful Pope Valley. What a gorgeous view! While we were there, I was surprised with a large format bottle that Glenn had ordered some time prior to our visit. It could not be shipped so the Lamborn's had held onto it until we could make the visit and pick it up. I have had the bottle in our cellar since then and very carefully transported it with us when we moved across the country this past summer. I always thought I would open the bottle when a certain group of us (4 couples) were all in the same place. This past weekend, our wonderful friends came to visit and 3 of the 4 couples were here so I decided it was time to open the bottle! Who knows when all of us may be in the same place at the same time! I searched for two weeks for the perfect meal to have with my big bottle and came up with an awesome meal if I do say so myself - it was SO delicious! We had braised short ribs with coffee ancho chile sauce (boneless beef ribs so tender, no knife needed!), served over soft polenta with leeks & parmesan and curly mustard greens sauteed in olive oil and garlic. Yum, yum, yum. And the wine was outstanding! It was a 1998 and I was a little worried that it may have been past its prime but it was the wonderful Zin that I remember from back then with that yummy peppery finish. It was a great evening, good friends, good food, good wine.

Momma

My Mom called me the other day to let me know they weren't floating away in all the terrible flooding going on in the Pacific Northwest. That was good to hear but Mom was sick, she has strep throat. Poor Momma. After I talked to her that day, she boiled some water to fix herself some top ramen. She went back to bed to eat her soup. Mmmmm, warm soup on a sore throat. She put her bowl up to take a sip of broth and the bowl spilled all over her chest. Owwww!!! She called me today after going to the doctor and she has 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Poor Momma! Send good thoughts her way!!!