A Study in Contrasts

The upper photo is a shot of a vineyard with mustard planted as a cover crop. It is common to see acres of vines with a yellow carpet beneath them which will eventually be plowed back to enrich the soil. I've often written that clouds make the sky so much more interesting, but there's nothing like a cerulean ceiling to lift the heart and cheer the soul. The mountain backdrop with the interesting profile is Mount Saint Helena a peak in the Mayacamas Mountains which form the border between Napa and Sonoma Counties. It's a stiff hike to the top 4.000 foot top, but with a splendid view of wine country.

The lower picture is a quick shot from the car as we drove over the Fountaingrove Parkway. 1,200 homes scattered over this large hill burned down in the Tubbs Fire in October 2018.  It is almost impossible to take a picture that gives any sort of idea of what it is like up there. There is some rebuilding, and several homes nearing completion, but many people have chosen not to rebuild there. Many others are still trying to figure out what to do. New stories emerge every day and it is still too soon to know what will happen, who will stay, who will leave...

The power company has been found liable for many of the fires that day and is preparing to declare bankruptcy. Today, however, Cal Fire announced that they had completed their investigation and that PG&E was not liable for the Tubbs Fire.