starlight run

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

thunder and lightning show from starlight

While up at starlight last weekend, we were treated to a marvelous show ... low light conditions are not the best for the flip, but you get the point. Mood music supplied by WJFF Radio

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Deirdre @ U2

Deirdre, and Dean, as well as Aidan, went to see U2. Deirdre, being hardcore, queued up for hours to get up front, and here are some pics that they took

Here's Deirdre. Of course DnD had to go to each of the 3 gigs

Up close and comfortable with they boyz

Ze Edge, doing his thing

Bono and Adam at Croker (Croke Park)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

While visiting the folkeens, I had come across an article in the FT about wine and a wine buyer. Nicholas Lander (restaurant critic for FT and husband of Jancis Robinson, FT wine guru and Master of Wine as well as my favorite wine writer), was interviewing a restaurant wine buyer, and discussing what he does in general. The wine that he was drinking, and that both liked, was Les Obriers de La Peira.
My curiosity spiked, I decided to google it, seeing what we would be in the Languedoc and this winery was located there. Lo and behold, it would be only about 90 minutes away. Worth the drive as they say. So I rang them up and got the wine maker, Jeremie Depierre. We fixed a time and day, and off we went. We arrived at about 4h30pm, met Jeremie, a lovely chap and he drove over to the winery and we followed along the dusty backroads.
5 minutes later we were outside a new building that had all the trappings of an old church. It could pass for an old building from a distance, if you could get over the lack of windows. Sort of like if Sergey Brin and Larry Page decided to make wine but couldn't reign in their paranoia of people watching what they are doing.
Anyway, off inside we went, and Jeremie explained what they did, how they made the wines, the grapes involved such as syrah, mourvedre, cinsault and carignan; the barrels they use (wood with Bordeaux and Burgundy style barrels); their philosophy on corks (they like them) etcetera.
Then he started the step by step program. The Tasting.
Step one was Les Obriers de La Peira. Mmmm.
Step two is Las Flors de la Peira. Mmmmmmmm.
Step 3 was their $100 wine ... La Peira. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
He poured some of each and then after we had finished tasting, he said "I cannot drink the rest of the (opened )bottles myself, so you might as well finish the wine".
Would you look a gift horse in the mouth? ;-) Noooooo.
A wonderful 2 hours and we bought a few cases, that my father promises will remain untouched in his safe care ;-)
The picture above is of the winery when we arrived, and Jeremie Depierre is behind Nikki.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

4th of July, 2009 bbq in France

Celebrated the 4th with family in France, at parents place. Mam n' Dad, Deirdre+Dean, Roy, Nikki +myself.
Nikki Roy and myself were the 3 american citizens there and everyone had decked out the patio with balloons and decorations in red white and blue.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

some more video of the weekend

ex Derek Daly car spins like a top .... other guys veer around him.
Guinness Rizla is the car.

Lime Rock, Memorial Weekend, 2009

Went to Lime Rock, for Saturday May 23rd, for the vintage racing up there. Went to meet Paul Ripley and Jim Garfield. As well as Ron Schaefer and his wife Stacy.
The vintage races centered around formula one cars of the 60's and 70's.
Great day, and great racing. Met Scott of Connecticut. He had a just restored polat silver 72. Very tasty.
Here are some videos to while away the time :-)

the guesthouse, BnB, where we stayed

some visitors took our pic for posterity .... and looks like the person taking the pic is over 90 years old, has had the last 10 minutes to take the pic, and still reckons that he is supremely talented in the realm of photography .... just take the pic, you old coot!!!

falling water, the arty shot

falling water, the magnificant

Me and my baby

falling water pics

some more falling water shots. Above is a view of the guesthouse.

On a path from the guesthouse to the main house, is a statue of ...

the main part of the house ... the living room

part of the art collection, of which central and south american art is most prominent

One of the classic house poses

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Falling Water

Falling Water - what a beautiful place. This is the first of some videos and pics ...

Indiana breakfast and more

Above is bridge leaving Chicago ...

An absolutely massive, breakfast burrito, with tons of gravy on it, at Elkhart IN. We split this as it was just huge. I see where those Indiana farm boys get so massive.