Traveling....still! Part VI A Sunday Outing

One item I left off our Saturday  agenda was the jaunt to Sunnyvale's Farmers' Market in the 'historic district' on Murphy Street.  We ended up kind of circling the area before we zeroed in, and then we were dismayed to find a veritable gantlet of food booths.  Was this it?  But then we got to the corner and there was the real thing--farmers with food.  Very tempting, I must say.  All sorts of fruits, veggies, and even a long line at a stall selling grass-fed beef.  I bought a bag of  beautiful green beans, knowing we had a couple of dinners coming up at the condo on our own.  The variety of produce was amazing; ah, California!

On Sunday morning, we packed a cooler, picked up the young folk, and drove into the hills toward Saratoga to the Cooper-Garrod Vineyards.  You can scarcely throw a rock without hitting a winery in the area, but a little on-line research helped us find one that was not too far away and also offered a picnic area.  All of the wineries have hefty charges just for tasting, but at least you get a wine glass out of it...and indeed there were some very nice wines being produced in this combination horse-farm and vineyard. 


 We bought a chilled bottle and unpacked our picnic under a huge eucalyptus--sourdough bread (of course), cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, olives, veggies (to those of you who know Nathaniel well:  yes, there were carrots), and apples. The wine produced a fine glow...  There was even a young guitarist providing entertainment.

Our picnic spot...

 Is this not a great old tree?

A walk seemed like a good idea, so we strolled the loop that circled the stables and outbuildings.  The last of April usually ends the rainy season, which meant that everything was still green and blooming.  We were sharing the road with some riders and their mounts (real ones, unlike the decorative statue below.)

Beautiful views!  Despite the greens you see, the drought continues.  The Santa Clara Mountains are vulnerable to forest fires.  

We drove back toward Sunnyvale (past some palatial residences--some for sale) and out to the newer Bayview Park (am I getting this name right?)   It did not exist when we lived here.  

Waterfowl seem to enjoy unusual safety in these environs-- impressive family here, no?  We've never seen a pair of Canada geese with a brood this large.  The wind was quite fierce, as you can tell by the waves, so we did not linger very long on the shoreline, though it was interesting to watch the wet-suited guys trying to sail on the choppy waters.  We stopped, though, to watch people flying a variety of kites, including some that could be controlled to perform aerial acrobatics.  There were a few hapless folk who just could not get their kites into the air for any appreciable amount of time; fortunately, no kite-eating trees in the area.   (I could have sworn I took some pictures, but they're not in my camera.  Karen did take some shots, so perhaps I can post a few later.)