Reaction Time and The Dream

      It's subjective and no one knows, but I think if Martin Luther King Jr were alive, his primary focus would be economic disparity. He raised the issue of poverty and since his death the gap has widened. The rich have gotten richer and the middle class is crumbling. Like prophets he spoke truth to power. As Aristotle noted, inequality leads to instability. Instability looms and the rich are deaf.

curiosity

      For the record, I was never appointed a special consultant to the UN. I found this telegram as I sorted through old files. I had forgotten about it. I remember it showing up at my residence when I was at college. I chuckled about it but never learned its source. For almost 50 years I thought it was the prank of my fraternity brother known as "Cool Breeze." John Schleeter was a true political junkie and a jokester. As recently as this fall John denies he sent it, or produced it . The Mystery remains.

in a time of social media that means....

       The recent skirmishes over a Buzz Feed report that Robert Mueller broke his stone silence to refute and the flap over a viral video from the weekend are testament to how we should miss "the good old days," those would be the good old days when the news media was in the hands of men and women who were experienced and were professional.

       Back in the day before social media and smart phones, adults attended to the aggregation, editing and distribution of "news."  Yes mistakes were made, but they were rare and they were always corrected. Now with millions of phones and media feeds and instant comment and reaction there is a lot of garbage in the flow. And we don't seem to be very smart about what to believe and why. 

      What about the source? What about the intent? Is it real? How many sources do you have? In the pre digital world those kind of issues were important. Now, I can post a video or tweet something and it's out there and being reacted to without any qualifications, validations or certifications. It's not just individuals, it is also organizations who act so carelessly.

       When I saw the video of the so called confrontation in Washington I thought it was dubious, but I was amazed at the conflagration that surrounded it. Over reaction prompted more overreaction and the decibel level of America escalated again.

       It's bad enough we have partisan so called "news" networks operating, now we have a multitude of other voices adding to the hysteria. My advice-trust no one. Make them prove they are right before you buy in. Don't react to the first thing you see or hear, think about it. Look for other sources, weight what others think or say or interpret. As unlikely as it is, I paraphrase former President Reagan-watch it, read it but "Verify."  

      And as for news sources--if the bulk of their content, broadcast, print or on line, is commentary and analysis and personality-be very, very skeptical.  For example, compare Fox News and MSNBC to the BBC. 

      

a playwright in the field

    Actor, producer, director and playwright Tom Alvarez is a long time friend. He and his creative partner have written and staged Calder, The Musical. It seemed only appropriate that he pay respect to the nearest Calder, here on the central coast.

     Halter Ranch Winery in the Paso Robles appellation provided Tom a close up visit.

       Tom also got a close up look at the sun dropping at a western chunk of the US, in this case a little spot in Cambria known fondly as Griffin Park, because it is 110 steps from the Griffin's front door. 

       See you down the trail

Cheers! Why Not?

Bridge Dinner at Halter Ranch Paso Robles AVA

     Over heard eldest daughter saying to youngest "Life is for celebrating."

      I had "doctored" a Petaluma chicken that was French Roasting in the oven and the sisters were busy as co conspirators in prepping a Mother's Day dinner. What sage wisdom I thought.

      The American Republic is under attack by stupidity and blind allegiance, the North Korean tin god is playing with missiles again, someone used American spyware to hack the world, boomers of a certain age are beginning to notice the maladies of extended exposure to gravity including troubling diagnoses, insurance and Medicare and Medicaid and profit and greed and politics are rumbling and wrestling as a nightmare in daylight to say nothing of the real misery of refugees, victims of wars, victims of climate change and no one seems able to fix a damn thing. We humans can certainly make a mess of a perfectly good world and ourselves! 

      The option to celebrate then is perfect. Certainly more fun than hair shirts, self flagellation or sitting in the dark. Celebration might just remind us that life is a gift, a treasure and works best when shared. So we begin this week with a round of cheers! And where better to go than our neighborhood wine country.

the spring bridge dinner

         Dappled sun, an old California ranch, friends, and festivities

    Talk about a field kitchen!

the Halter Ranch Bridge and the table is set

less formal more intimate

 the common antidote? friends and family

Lago Giuseppe-Paso Robles AVA

    As we watch our screens and see the crazy human drama unfold, remember to hug someone once in a while, smile at as many people as you can, raise a glass with friends, recharge your spirit, freshen your outlook and when you are ready, go back to being toe to toe with that which threatens. It is good to celebrate what we live for.

     Cheers!  See you down the trail.

Prescription-Mellow

Happy Hour Morro Bay, Ca

Halter Ranch Vineyard, Paso Robles appellation

      At risk of sounding self evident, everything is relative.

      I was sinking into depression as I read a favored blogger who lamented his approaching turn to 61. He reflected how quickly the last year passed and how in just a few more quick passes he will be 70 when he noted it will be "hard to ignore the reality," the reality of which he wrote are "the intimations of mortality!"  Gosh, thanks a lot pal!

      I raised it at coffee after a 90 minute tennis slug fest with another elder boomer and a couple of battlers a few years ahead. The gents in our circle on the coffee deck at Lily's are of a similar age. We noted village elders in their 90's who are dynamos of activity, including tennis and pickle ball and civic groups. The number of 80 somethings who run, play court games, lawn bowl, hike, kayak, bike, dance or find romance are too numerous to count. 70 year olds are like the 40-50 year old's back east, with full engagement in everything, including surfing that stretches the body in extraordinary ways. 60 year olds here are teeny boppers. 50 and below are the kids.
      Our "circle of wisdom" agreed that attitudes about age in our village on the Central California Coast are schematically different than those back east. Given the blessing of health, age is relative, and relatively younger here. Or so we have convinced ourselves. 

       You could argue that we are surrounded by beauty, without freeways, urban sprawl or high density humanity. True and that helps but one of the youngest people I know is our friend Tod, who lives in the heart of New York City. A dancer, choreographer, artist and renaissance thinker, Tod has mentored generations of creative spirits. He is north of 80 but his passion for life, learning and expression makes me think he has the fountain of youth on tap in his kitchen. It is a mind set, like so many of our friends here. 
      In Indianapolis I served on the board of an historical, Presidential Home and was surprised when two powerful and influential men, still fully engaged, needed to retire from the board when they reached 65. They had years of experience and yet had years of service to give, but "retirement age" was a custom, part of the cultural mores. 

        Relativity-age and vitality, creativity and passion, setting and culture. If fate smiles health upon you, the calendar need not imprison or limit. I wish my mid-western Geezer writing friend good recovery from a blown knee, success in his goal of walking every street in his city and 9 years to get younger so when he reaches 70 he won't be thinking of the end of things but rather the continuation of the sweetness and opportunity that comes with each sunrise. 

harvest is for grapes

    Grape growers and wine makers expect an earlier harvest this year. In some vineyards, that means soon.

          From the "captain of the watch," Cheers!

    See you down the trail.

TALE OF TWO TITANS-A RARE POSE and SCENES OF FUN

     Spotted at twilight a young red shouldered hawk. As Dave our bird expert neighbor tells me, the species is not dimorphic so the sex can not be determined. It is an impressive raptor. 

      TALE OF TWO TITANS

      This is the tale of two Billionaires, both of them doing business in our beloved Paso Robles wine region and what a difference there is.

      You've read recently of Stewart and Lynda Resnick admitting they "were asleep at the wheel" when their Wonderful Corporation cut thousands of California live oak trees, denuded a hill side and without permission began building a reservoir that would suck millions of gallons frightening neighbors their wells would dry up. The Resnicks, who purchased the once prestigious Justin Winery, said they were "ashamed and embarrassed" as San Luis Obispo County continues an investigation.

      Then there is a billionaire you may never of heard of but who has done much to make this a better planet. He also owns a winery.

       Hansjorg Wyss was educated in Switzerland as an engineer and earned an MBA from Harvard. He sold his medical equipment manufacturing firm for $21.3 billion. Since then he has become "one of the most philanthropic people in the world" according to Forbes Magazine. 

      In one instance Wyss gave $250 million to Harvard to establish a cross discipline institute for biologically inspired engineering. Read here about its extraordinary work.

          Around the world his philanthropic giving is making a huge mark in science, conservation, the environment and more. He's leaving an indelible mark on wine making as well.

     He purchased the Halter Ranch Winery and added another 900 acres on which he created a preserve for the California oaks, the kind the Resnicks were decimating. He also added a wildlife corridor and began diligent water reclamation and protection, the opposite of the Resnick ethos. 

     Before he created the modern Halter Ranch Winery he had a team look at the best practices of grape growing, harvest, wine making, resource use and all aspects of the industry all over the planet. He then began to establish and improve on those best practices in what could well be the most efficient winery in the world.

    His manager, Skylar Stuck is exemplary of the class of the operation.  Stuck is a Johns Hopkins economist. It is my guess an objective of the Halter Ranch operation is to create a model of the absolute best way to operate a vineyard and winery with regards to resource use and protection, sustainability, efficiency, viticulture, wine making, customer relations, marketing and good citizenship.

     Halter Ranch has some 20 thousand feet of storage caves. They have a water conservation and gray water reclamation process that would be the envy of municipalities. 

      The Resnick operation, which also sells Fiji Water and Pom Wonderful, has been to dilute the quality of a once great winery by seeking more volume and sales which led to the trouble they are in.

       Wyss and Halter Ranch are continuing to fine tune sustainability, responsible agriculture and sound practices. In the long run, and the short as well, the model for the rest of the world is the intelligence, care, quality, precision and ethic of Wyss and Halter Ranch. There is more to life than the chasing of commoditization. 

       Wyss and Halter demonstrate one can be corporate and large but maintain a conscience. And they make an excellent wine!

can you see it?

     The frame below is a kind of eye test. Can you spot the "walking stick?"  The insect hides well. Identifying it is made a bit tougher by the somewhat out of focus head. It was a challenge to shoot and the thing was terribly uncooperative with the photographer.

local culture

   a wonderful brunch in Diane's garden

very provencale'

Zongo time in Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo

concert season is underway

the extraordinary Symphony Jeunesse

middle and high school students from San Bernardino

directed by Miche'le Brosseau-Tacchia

performing in Cambria

  

    See you down the trail.