Memorial Day Weekend

It's hard to believe that it's already Memorial Day weekend. The unofficial start of summer has arrived! Fortunately, I left the rain of Seattle to spend the three-day weekend in Eastern Washington where the sun is shinning and it actually feels like summer. I'm spending the long weekend camping with my family. My prodigal parents have just returned to Washington and Keith and I have joined them in the Yakima Valley for a wine tasting weekend. It is great to visit with my Mom and Dad whom I haven't seen since Christmas. It's been a wonderful weekend, sipping wine, eating great food, playing cards, relaxing, enjoying the sun and great company. It will be hard to go back to work on Tuesday. Retirement seems like a lot more fun.

The wine tasting in this region is wonderful. We visited five wineries yesterday and three more today. The fruit growing tradition is this area is strong and the valley has a welcoming, down-home, old farmhouse style ambiance. Not quite as charming as Napa Valley, but the tastings are generally free and the winemakers here have a pioneering spirit and make a quality product. We have sampled a wide array of wines and purchased a little bit of everything from dry to sweet whites, light to full-bodied reds, late harvest dessert wines and even some port. The most difficult decision I've had to make today is which bottle to open first! I love being on vacation.