Peet's & me

Hanging out on Fillmore Street on Christmas Eve. There is this great park near by where I met lots of other dogs off leash, but sitting here I saw lots more dogs passing by on leash. The ranch seems very far away...

Life in the Big City

Today the sun is out and so are all the dogs in the city. This sure is a different place than the ranch, but I kinda like it.

San Francisco and my left toe

It's amazing how one's life can change in a moment. Recently I was on my deck chair at the ranch, then I was at the vet and when I woke up in a cage I was missing my middle toe on my left back foot. The next thing I know I am in the car and I am taking the longest drive ever and I ended up in this very busy place with no dirt.

The first day I was kind of sick, my foot felt weird and I  was in a strange place except that my mom and dad were with me, so I felt safe.

Even though I've never been on a leash before I  liked staying very close to my mom and dad while we walked down some very busy streets. I did not want to get lost.

We are in full harvest mode!

This is my fourth harvest!

Miguel supervises the picking crew

This is our Petite Sirah  that we planted in 2010 and we are picking it today. It is our first pick and we will probably only get 1 barrel!

Genuwine is 5 months old

Our orphan colt at 5 months old. He gives us so much joy when we visit him. Soon he will come home.

Riding the RustRidge Trails

Jim on Blade

Sharyn on Bo

It's that time of year again

This is my 4th harvest and I can't wait till more grapes come in, I know it will be soon because the weather is warm and the grapes are ripening quickly.

Genuwine at Four Months Old

Jim is training Genuwine by picking up his front and back feet and then moving him with his body. Genuwine responds quite readily even though Jim hasn't worked with him on a consistent basis. Genuwine  had lots of handling during his first week of life both at the ranch and at UC Davis Vet Hospital and so he is very comfortable with human interaction and isn't fearful or resistant.

Our First Day of Crush 2012

Chris getting the equipment ready for day 1 of RustRidge's harvest

Jim getting the picking bins organized for harvest

Miguel with the just picked Sauvignon Blanc grapes

Miguel and Alejandro filling the bins

Last moments on the vine

Very ripe Sauvignon Blanc grapes soon to be picked

The picking crew dumping the grapes into the bins

Genuwine and the Herd

Visiting Genuwine on the hottest day of the year. He is quite happy with his extended family however he is always happy to see us. Soon he will be weaned and shortly after that we will bring him home to meet his cousin Devine Thief!

Irresistible Me.

I so know you will let me in.

My mother likes to play soccer

Horses of RustRidge

Genuwine will be easy to train

He stands tall alongside Enduring Flight his nurse mare.

What a good looking colt he is.

Now his cousin (formally know as Wine Thief) is a little devil! Ouch!!!

Someday soon the two colts will be acquainted, but until then they are living very different lives.

A quiet moment with Topper, hopefully she will have a foal next year.

GenUwine is now a healthy and big colt!

Genuwine is two months old and thriving!

Unlike his cousin "Wine Thief" Genuwine hasn't learned how to eat a carrot. 

Visiting GenUwine

Genuine and Enduring Flight

GenUwine is related to all of the RustRidge Horses

Kool & Lovly(l) is his maternal grandmother
RustRidge Sippling (r) is his paternal grandmother
Both mares were born at RustRidge in 1986 and both mares produced several foals.

Genuwine has almost the same blaze as his grandma RustRidge Sippling!

Kool Valley was Genuwine's mother,  her mother is Kool & Lovly. Her father was Napa Valley, our first stallion. 

Stacy's Ridge is Genuwine's father. His mother is RustRidge Sippling. His father was Stacy's Knight.

RustRidge Bo (l) is Genuwine's Uncle on his father's side. His mother is RustRidge Sippling his father was Napa Valley.
Blade(aka Free Run Gold) is Genuwine's Uncle on his mother's side. His mother is Kool & Lovly and father was Highland Gold.

RustRidge Reserve is Genuwine's aunt on his father's side.
Wine Thief is Genuine's cousin.

GenUwine at One Month Old!

GenUwine and his nurse mother Enduring Flight

Genuwine was born on Thursday April 19, 2012. His mother Kool Valley was a first time mother at twelve and we were quite concerned about her giving birth so we watched her very carefully and put her in a paddock each night and checked her every few hours. She gave birth in the early hours of April 19 and we were there to help her with the birth. She gave birth to GenUwine a beautiful colt who has the markings of his two grandmothers!  Our excitement and joy was soon tempered by health problems that both mare and foal were experiencing. Kool Valley was in a lot of pain and we had our local vet Dr. Gold come up to see her and GenUwine. Dr. Gold gave her pain meds and she seemed to be improving that Saturday evening, but on Sunday morning she took a turn for the worse and Jim loaded her on our van along with Genuwine and headed to UC Davis. The hospital had been alerted of our mare's condition and were ready for his arrival, but when Jim opened the back of trailer, she was dead and Genuwine was crouched in the corner.
The vets tried to get Genuwine out of the trailer but he wouldn't leave his mother. So Jim got inside the trailer and carefully walked him through his mother's legs and down the ramp. He was escorted into the vet hospital and examined thoroughly. He was admitted to the hospital and put on an IV.

Sundown at RustRidge after a great Kentucky Derby Day!

Chris & friends

Watching the prelude to the Derby

Enjoying the fabulous "First Saturday in May."

Lovely hats for the Derby

Happy Kentucky Derby Day!

Wine Thief is preparing for his run for the roses in 2015!

Spring Chores

Chris working in the winery racking last year's harvest.

Cellar work happens in the evenings at the ranch

Its time to mow the rows between the vines. With  dry weather this week,   Jim will be able to make some headway.

I took a hike with Susan and it was so beautiful in the hills of Chiles Valley.

Spring has sprung!

And the work goes on

So much to tell you, so little time...
Lets start with Chris, this guy loves to make wine and is helping Susan in the eellar
and he wants to know everything about the vineyard so Jim is showing him how to prune vines.

Here is Chris with George (the cat)

Jim is explaining the finer points of pruning

Getting down to business

Good cuts, Chris!

More technique

Doing good, Chris!

What do we do after supervising the pruning crew, soak in a few rays  of course!

 But it is not all about vineyards, there are horses here after all.

"Angry horses", this photo is not appropriate for the RustRidge website. But it is so funny I had to include it here.

Lost in the Fog (A famous racehorse had that name) can you spot the horse?

Angry horses can become excited horses

Writing a blog can be exhausting