Christmas 2009

Make a Smilebox greeting

Kayaking on Lake Tahoe

Getting ready for our kayaking trip to Lake Tahoe. The smoke we have experienced for the last month (from nearby fires) was settling down and we could finally enjoy the summer outside!

Our big "pod" of kayakers. We met nine other folks at D.L. Bliss State Park to begin our trip.

It was a gorgeous day. The Lake Tahoe water alternated between midnight blue, cobalt blue, turquoise, and mint green. And the sun peaked in and out between rain clouds.

Fun on the open sea. Of course we couldn't resist getting ourselves even more wet.

Emerald Bay with Jake's Peak in the background.

Dig!
(Hyland's new favorite word) :)

Second Anniversary in San Francisco

We visited the Japanese Garden at Strybing Arboretum (where we got married).

The Japanese maple tree we were married under has been removed. We were sad about this, but learned to enjoy the change...particularly the added sunlight.

Where we said our vows.

Dinner at Millennium Restaurant (wedding reception locale) for their incredibly delicious and amazingly complex Earth Day menu.
1st course: Fava Bean & Wilted Mustard Green Bruschetta
wine pairing: Macabeo/Chardonnay, Floresta, Emporada-Costa Brava, Spain, 2006

2nd course: Pea Green & Tofu Dumpling
wine pairing: Fiano, Bartolo, Central Coast, CA 2006

3rd course: Injera Crepe for Hyland
wine pairing: Gewurztraminer, Husch, Anderson Valley, Mendocino, CA, 2006

3rd course: Feijoada for Erin
wine pairing: Zinfandel, Quivira, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, CA, 2005

Dessert: Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding
wine pairing: Late Harvest Chenin Blanc, Domaine Cady, Loire Valley, France, 1998

Espresso for Hyland.

Two Years

One of our favorite photos from our wedding. We can't believe it has already been TWO years since this magical day! :)

Thirty-four!

Happy Birthday!

Hyland's German Chocolate Cake.

Plant Collecting for "Ceanothus" & Dinner for Two

We went with Melissa on a botany exploration at Coyote Overlook. Erin and Melissa recently co-founded Ceanothus...and were collecting plants for a workshop at the UC Davis herbarium.

Hyland's beautiful plant photos.

Senecio vulgaris.

Ceanothus cuneatus.

Calochortus monophyllus.

For dinner, we made sauteed ginger greens and soba in miso broth.

And a pear pie for dessert! We essentially combined two recipes: Erin's mother's (Sunset Magazine) and Hyland's Nana's (Meta Given's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking)...with a bit of improvising on our own (such as using spelt crust and agar).

Sooooo good! Pear pie is our favorite!

Hummingbirds and a Hike

A beautiful pre-spring day! The hummingbirds were chasing each other in our backyard...claiming territory over the hummingbird feeder.

Hiking at Bridgeport with our friends Allison, David, Olivia, and Norm.

A sunny, warm seventy degrees - in winter!

Enjoying the wildflowers above the South Yuba River.