#Serendipity Winery

[lucindarobinsonvevo]

rest of the siblings SPECIAL stats:

Leo: Strength: 5 Perception: 5 Endurance: 7 Charisma: 10 Intelligence: 7 Agility: 6 Luck: 0

Leo is the most charismatic sibling, and will ALWAYS try to avoid a fight where he can. Decent fitness since he seems to spend much of his time doing menial jobs at the winery and carrying stuff around. Not quite as high in intelligence as Elle and Robert, but makes up for it by his natural ability to bullshit, represented by his maxed charisma stat. Cannot overstate that his great stats are almost always offset by his perpetually terrible luck. Amy: Strength: 6 Perception: 5 Endurance: 7 Charisma: 6 Intelligence: 6 Agility: 5 Luck: 5 A good all-rounder character. Amy works with her hands and as such has better stats in the physical department. She's kind and friendly but not a good liar, so she doesn't have an amazing charisma stat. Decent luck and perception but nothing to write home about. Solid jack of all trades.

Andrew: Strength: 4 Perception: 6 Endurance: 5 Charisma: 7 Intelligence: 5 Agility: 5 Luck: 8

Andrew's best stat is his luck. He often lucks into opportunities and situations, and lucks himself out of them as well. Situations he often finds himself in because of his average intelligence stat - he's no fool with a solid five, but also study has never been for him. Andrew has ok physical stats, and he's decently fit but he, like Elle, is averse to manual labour so while he other fitness stats are good, strength leaves something to be desired. He also has an above average perception, which is tied to his above average charisma.

Perks:

Leo: Confirmed Bachelor, Local Leader, Inspirational, intimidation, Professional Drinker, Hard Bargain, Magnetic Personality, Overly Generous

Amy: Contractor, Fix it Good, Stable Tools, Picklock, Sun Kissed, Home Defense, Toughness, Thru-Hiker, Tastes Good with Salt.

Andrew: Idiot Savant, Mysterious Stranger, Cap Collector, Serendipity, Cola Nut, Natural Resistance, Hacker,

[travelingturtles]

June 22, 2023

I have truly been remiss, but no time like the present. Here are some snapshots of the past month:

I may have mentioned Harvest Host? A yearly fee of approximately $80 and you have the opportunity to stay in a plethora of ranches, farms, wineries, breweries, distilleries, dairies… In exchange, one is expected to spend $20 and purchase their merchandise, or make a donation. We’ve had our share of Harvest Host experiences. Coastal Brewing Company in Savannah where we played bingo and won a crawler of beer, Grayce Wild Horse Preserve with exceptionally well cared for rescues, Stable View in South Carolina boasted hunter courses and pristine stables for the uppermost crust of equestrian riders, Animal Sanctuary where Debbie homed over 100 animals from pigs to parrots, ponies, dogs and cats and even a couple of rescue toads. She was on first name basis with all 100+ of them!

With every intention of getting back to California by August 15, we had a difficult time heading west. This was due to the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains just north of Asheville, NC. We’d been wanting to visit Asheville for years having heard about the amazing music scene. Either we visited the wrong time of year or it isn’t what it once was, but Eddie and I were underwhelmed when it came to finding good music. On the other hand, the old Amtrak warehouses converted into art studios, workshops and galleries made up for it in spades. We watched glass blowers blowing, silk screener screening, jewelers jeweling, potters potting. They offer workshops and the galleries are impressive and endless. We had to return for another day to get our fill. We stayed in 1899 Wright Inn B and B and were spoiled rotten. We were served exquisite two course breakfasts, wine and cheese in the afternoons and the house was a heritage site and gorgeous. Clifford was a bit jealous, but every once in a while we like to treat ourselves to the other side of life and Clifford will just have to get over it. Besides there was a tune up in his future, and that made up for the betrayal.

Tuned, oil changed, new windshield wiper mechanism, AC compression oil changed and we were ready to roll.

North from Asheville, onto the Blue Ridge Parkway to Pisgah. I never tire of a shibui landscape. Mum often used this word to describe a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle and unobtrusive beauty, usually in reference to a vista with mountains overlapping to the horizon. Green to black to grey to blue to white. The Blue Ridge Mountains truly do appear as blue. I could sit and contemplate that view for a very long time. We camped at Pisgah, Julian Price Lake, Linville Falls and Stone Mountain. At Linville Falls we watched a young man climb a 60+ foot waterfall and do triple flip loop-di-loops into the swimming hole below! We hiked 5 to 7 miles a day, saved a tortoise along the parkway from being run over. I’ve saved three so far. It is my calling, being the traveling turtles that we are… we’ve got to stick together. Blue Ridge Parkway runs north south and we are trying to head west, but we had to go as far north as the Blue Ridge Music Center, visit their museum and listen to locals playing their old time folk music. As tradition has it, songs get passed around the circle. When it came to the bass players turn, no one knew the song Across the Great Divide, by Kate Wolf. I raised my hand, pointed to Eddie and said “My husband knows it!” They invited him up to play with them. So Eddie got to sit in with the band. As serendipity has it, we discover that Watch Tower, formerly Mandolin Orange, were performing in the outdoor amphitheater that very night and they still had tickets. The only bad thing about that evening is that sitting around on festival chairs with friendly people and the grass beneath our toes gave us pangs of missing the Kate Wolf Music Festival.

Our journey West finally in earnest has begun. From the Blue Ridge to Virginia to Tennessee. One of our on the road less traveled stays was in Damascus, Virginia. The only reason we found this town of 800 was because I took a wrong turn, ended up on a dirt road and voila, we were in Damascus. We stopped to fill up Clifford’s belly and discovered that this town is the convergence of four trails, the Appalachian, U.S. Bicycle Route 76, The Iron Mountain Trail and the Virginia Creeper Trail. It is also on the route of the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail and the Crooked Road Music Heritage Trail. We hiked the Crooked Trail. The only music we found was a guy with his beat up guitar who’d been kicked out of his girlfriend’s house and was living out of his van. He played us a few toothless songs that he’d written about love lost. He only knew a few chords but had a pretty voice. We stayed in an old mill where the proprietors offered to do all of our laundry, even our sheets. What a treat! Once we got to Tennessee, we stayed at another Harvest Host on a dairy farm. The only proprietor we met there was an 11 year old boy who came zooming up on an ATV from somewhere down the road where his Grammy lived. He couldn’t visit with us long because his step-dad expected him to mow the fields before nightfall. Andrew was well mannered and curious about everything in Clifford. He asked questions about the engine that we couldn’t answer and asked to take a spin on our electric bikes, which of course we obliged. He was homeschooled because there was too much work on the farm. Children grow up fast in these part and he couldn’t have been a nicer young gentleman. With the sun beginning to set, he rushed off jumped on a massive John Deere tractor which engulfed him and adeptly road off into the mowing sunset.

A few more nights, with day visits to the Country Music Museum in Bristol, where the first ever recordings of country music were made, a zip through Knoxville and another Harvest Host night at Short Mountain Distillery. The land and high mineral content of the spring water is home to this distillery which has been making moonshine, whiskey and bourbon for centuries. Al Capone was a frequent visitor to this land. Al Capone!

And then there’s Nashville where just by serendipity, our middle name, we discovered that Bruce Cockburn was playing Saturday Night at the CMA (Country Music Association) and Jackson Browne was playing Sunday night at the Opry House. We procured tickets for Bruce and emailed Jackson’s manager… Lucky us, Eddie and I both got to teach/counsel Jackson’s nephew for four years at Happy Valley School in Ojai. Jackson was Jay’s guardian so we had the opportunity to get to know him. We are very grateful and tickled pink to have gotten to sit 5 rows back and center and hear him perform for three hours in such an iconic venue. He was awesome. And Bruce of course was fabulous too!! Broadway in Nashville is Bourbon St in New Orleans on crack. The cacophony of colliding country bands mixed with drunken bachelorettes and dazzled tourists in cowgirl boots and 10 gallon hats is enough stimulation to last a lifetime. We watched in wonder and went home to our Airbnb. Monday night we went to The Station Inn to hear a country bluegrass band with a very dignified audience. It’s just a little hole in the wall with pizza, popcorn and pop, but the musicianship is phenomenal. On Tuesday night we went to The Grand Ole’ Opry because when in Rome…. The land of Dolly Parton and Roy Acuff. Riders in the Sky started off the show. Four really old dudes who looked like character out of the Coen Brother’s movie, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. We witnessed one girl have her debut Opry experience. She performed with her two brothers on guitar on either side of her. And a slew of other music vignettes ripe with songs about booze, trucks, Jesus, boots and betrayal. Whew, we survived Nashville! From there we happily climbed aboard out trusty Cliffy and ventured back into the woods and streams and trails.

Alrighty friends, until next time, Love and hugs,

Karen

[amazingarchitecturewebsite]

House of Flowers, a destination winery in #Healdsburg, California (USA) by Walker Warner Architects @walkerwarnerarchitects uses architecture to frame the relationship to landscape Read more: Link in bio! Photography: Douglas Friedman @douglasfriedman. Walker Warner Architects: Flowers’ new guest experience breathes new life into a cherished local landmark to become a destination resort-style estate dedicated to the celebration of wine, food, and the natural landscape. Located minutes from downtown Healdsburg, in the heart of Russian River Valley, and originally built as a winery in the mid-70s, the facilities on this 13.5 acre estate had deteriorated and become outdated. Long known for its rustic charm and authentic connection to nature, the site held promise. By coincidence, Flowers Vineyard & Winery was looking for a venue to showcase their sustainably produced wines within a setting that expressed their nature-based ethos. Opportunity met serendipity to become a perfect union of context and intent, and a home for Flowers’ hospitality house… #usa #winery #архитектура www.amazingarchitecture.com ✔ A collection of the best contemporary architecture to inspire you. #design #architecture #amazingarchitecture #architect #arquitectura #luxury #realestate #life #cute #architettura #interiordesign #photooftheday #love #travel #construction #furniture #instagood #fashion #beautiful #archilovers #home #house ‎#amazing #picoftheday #architecturephotography ‎#معماری (at Healdsburg, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbaR4FkLvfo/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sharingmyserendipity-blog]

Blackberry wine

https://sharingmyserendipity.tumblr.com

[mywinepal]

Tell Me About the BC 2017 Harvest - Wine Makers' Interviews

Tell Me About the BC 2017 Harvest - Wine Makers' #Interviews #BCwine @road13vineyards @Winespiration @40KnotsWinery @TimeWinery @SingletreeWine @pascalmadevon

2017 was a terrible harvest in France due to poor weather conditions through the growing season, producing the smallest grape harvest since 1945. In the United States, Napa and Sonoma Valleys were hit by forest fires which although was late in the harvest, still affected later ripening grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. The Valleys were also suffering from a heat wave, causing grapes over Labour…

[deeeelightfuldee]

surveyss 038.

What brings out the worst in you? losing what I thought I never could/would. Feeling like I put in 150% and still losing. being left.

What all did you eat today? i had oatmeal at 6am Some people were really destructive as a child, were you? not even a little.

Who was the last person you were in a car with? My mom.

Who was the last person you cried in front of? I laugh-cried with em and nathan. Actual crying ummm.. either mom when I told her about kile or when I watched liza & dustin bury their cat.

Do you talk about your feelings or hide them? I do NOT discuss my feelings openly with others unless asked and even then I don’t often open up. I am pretty transparent in these surveys tho.

Who was the last person you were with that smelled REALLY good? the waitress at a winery was wearing the most delicious scent. I asked what it was and she said yves saint laurent brand and the fragrance was black opium. I was like OK IM BUYING THAT. yeahhhhhhh 120 bucks for a bottle is more than my pockets can afford.

Do you know anyone that is gothic? I know people that were HEAVILY gothic in the day, but not anymore.

Have you seen UP? Yes.

How is your mom? She is ok. She is doing well in so many areas, but I think shes worried for me.

What color hair does your mom have? Black, dark gray, light gray. It’s really pretty she gets complimented on it all the time.

When was the last time you were told you were cute? today. liars.

Do you feel comfortable getting up and giving speeches? yeah, no problems. 

Have you ever dipped french fries in a frosty? Yes. I don’t quite get it.

Did you have school/class today? sadly no.

Do you have any paintings in your room? If so, of what? Yes. one of the vocal folds.

Have you ever had your photo professionally taken? once as a kid. I always wished I had more professional photos, but thats OK.

Would you prefer eating jello or pudding? pudding.

After washing your hair, do you put any products in it? depends how I’m wearing my hair for the day.

Last time you ate a salad? Uhh. monday? er tuesday.

Do you know how old your house is? I think it was made in the 70s.

Have you ever been described as ”adorable”? Mhm.

Have you ever given a lap dance? lol. in a way yes.

Are you a moody person? seldom. Though I will honestly admit there have been times I have been in the mood for a argument. seldom, but sometimes.

What are you listening to? the ending credits of sleepless in seattle. time to switch to serendipity.

What video game could you waste the most time on? The Sims and animal crossing.

What is your favorite condiment? mayo

What is the worst thing that you have ever done? hm. I stole something as a child. I rectified it, but still. 

What kind(s) of Facebook groups are you active in, if any? lol no idea what groups im a part of I never go on.

Do you enjoy any herbal or fruit teas? What kinds? If I have it then uhhh either.

Do you hear any animals right now? No

What are your thoughts on Avenged Sevenfold? I liked them a little in high school

Do you like Batman? uh sure

Have you ever played fetch with a dog? Yeah, many times.

Does your house have a fireplace? It does. i freakin love fireplaces.

Have you ever pet a stingray? many times.

Have you ever dissected a baby pig in a class at school? nerp. that seems pretty messed up tbh. now i feel like I need to ask kile if he had done this, but I also don’t think he wants questions like this anymore.

Who is the last baby you held? my nephew.

Do you like Sunkist? it’s OK

Would you ever consider being a cannibal? Um, NO. if it came down to that, I would literally just die. 

Do you have any scars from an animal? yes lol

Have you ever seen an Igloo? yes.

Do you like Korn? I liked a couple of their songs.

How many animals do you have? two. 

Are you more afraid of tornadoes or hurricanes? hurricanes are not a threat for me considering I’m in a land locked state

Ever rode in a helicopter? no. I want to though

Do you like rabbits? yes

Do you like mushrooms? Not even a little

What was the last movie you cried at? serendipity

Would you rather work for a small or large company? Small.

What is the rudest thing a guy has ever done to you? assault me

Have you ever read the book 13 Reasons Why? Yes

What did you have for breakfast this morning? oatmeal with a dollop of pb

How many times have you read your favorite book? like 4x

Have you ever been on Omegle? someone told me to pull it up to watch a video of theirs. thats the only time.

Are you still in love with one of your exes? idk if hes an ex ex. but I am still in love with someone I cannot have.

Do you think being born was a mistake? Not at all. my dad tells me it was, but I don’t agree.

Has a relative ever been arrested? uhhhhh not that I’m aware of but now im curious. 

Do you think the Fountain of Youth exists? No.

Have you taken any writing classes? How about art? yes

Are either of your parents retired yet and if not, what do they do? uhhhh, I don’t think dad is because he owns a business and I know he is working in that business. Mom is eligible to retire in a few months but she will be continuing for a small bit longer. She is an ASM at a store and my dad owns some sort of company i forget. He also flips houses. 

When did you or do you want to move out of your parents’ house? I love being here so I can help with gram and such, and I know my mom would be devastated without me. But I genuinely can’t wait to cultivate a space that is my own.

How do you like your current job, or if you’re unemployed, have you been looking for employment? looking now. What kind of booze did you last take shots of? this freaking bomb delicious mint chocolate chip flavored liquor. em bought me a bottle after I lost my mind on it at a winery. I legit want to buy 12 bottles online.

[rjptalk]

TEN YEARS ONE NIGHT - Rich Paschall

TEN YEARS ONE NIGHT – Rich Paschall

Last year I was fortunate enough to see two former American Idol contestants at City Winery in Chicago. The venue is closed now and hopes to reopen again in the Spring. This past year has been tough on these smaller live performance spaces. Here is a look back at the Kris Allen visit. Be sure to click on “View original post” at the bottom to head over to SERENDIPITY for more pictures and music.

[culinaryartisans]

Food tells stories. In this collage, dishes range from my tea gastronomy days as chef of TWG in Vancouver, the Serendipity winery in beautiful Naramata ,BC to the Newton Cove resort on Vancouver Island, which was quite an interesting experience as I did a 5 course dinner that changed daily(creatively it pushed my boundaries, and that's always a great thing), and my recent posting at the Play Winery in Penticton. Funny how the current and future you is an amalgamation of your past. Saying all this, my foodprint is still global flavours from around the world , showcasing all that is amazing locally. #culinary_artisans #local #foodprint #eatseasonallyandlocally https://www.instagram.com/p/CIUWa4ehGA7/?igshid=1w7j6qmdb890f

[architectnews]

Flowers Vineyard & Winery, California

Flowers Vineyard & Winery, CA Business, Californian Guest Experience, US Building, Images

Flowers Vineyard & Winery in Healdsburg, CA

Nov 30, 2020

House of Flowers

Design: Walker Warner Architects

Location: Healdsburg, California, USA

House of Flowers’ new guest experience breathes new life into a cherished local landmark to become a destina-tion resort-style estate dedicated to the celebration of wine, food, and the natural landscape.

Located minutes from downtown Healdsburg, in the heart of Russian River Valley, and originally built as a winery in the mid-70s, the facilities on this 13.5 acre estate had deteriorated and become outdated. Long known for its rustic charm and authentic connection to nature, the site held promise.

By coinci-dence, Flowers Vineyard & Winery was looking for a venue to showcase their sustainably produced wines within a setting that expressed their nature-based ethos. Opportunity met serendipity to become a perfect union of context and intent, and a home for Flowers’ hospitality house.

The challenge was how to evolve the existing collection of facilities and preserve the natural legacy while ensuring that the venue could meet the expectations of today and become a destination in its own right. “Our approach was deceptively simple,” notes Brooks Walker, principal at Walker Warner Architects. “Let nature dominate and use architecture to frame the experience. Ultimately, it’s about the experience of this place.”

Set within a redwood grove, the existing buildings were largely disconnected from their rich landscape. The strategy was to find ways to reconnect visitors to the landscape while reimagining what was a se-ries of simple industrial buildings. This reinvigorated journey began by investing the site with a sense of orientation.

New pathways lead visitors from the parking area to the updated visitor cen-ter. Previously a warehouse, the new hospitality house provides guests with an orientation to the site and introduces the Flowers’ story.

As with the other existing on-site structures, the 15,700-square-foot hospitality house has been stained a shadowy black—inspired by the deep shade of the surrounding redwood grove—to help the buildings recede into the site and allow the landscape to become the focus.

Remodeling the existing structures rather than building anew aligned with the Flowers’ commitment to sustainability. The approach, which enabled most of the original structure to be ‘recycled,’ gave focus to the design efforts, elevating what was already present.

Passive energy strategies—low-cost, high-impact—were maximized and included taking advantage of daylight (skylight and large windows) and shade (exterior wood slats serve as a veil while the surrounding redwood grove offers additional shade). Sustainability is reinforced through several large, monumental functional wood installations made of salvaged logs by artist Evan Shively.

Tucked discretely into the landscape, the transformation involved adding a pop-up element at one end of the single-story hospitality house. The addition knits building with topography, resulting in a multi-level facility that preserves the modest vernacular forms while providing seamless access to the stun-ning views and gardens afforded by the hilltop. The airy hilltop structure serves as a transition to the spacious gardens and provides sheltered seating and amenity spaces, including an outdoor wood-fired oven.

The interiors are bright thanks to bleached cypress siding, completing the yin-yang (dark-light) relationship of outside to inside. “The architectural expression is understated,” notes Mike McCabe, principal at Walker Warner Architects. “It isn’t about making a statement. It’s about creating a place that can unify the values that are important to the Flowers’ brand—celebrating nature and local context with what’s important to the site and the community.” The desire, note the Flowers owners, was to “create an environment where guests feel like they are entering our home, experiencing wines crafted without compromise and shared without pretension.”

Guests can experience a variety of intimate gatherings areas to savor Flowers’ Sonoma Coast wines both inside as well as outside. Upon entering, guests are led to the second floor which includes the sun room, the dining room and living areas as well as more private spaces for VIP guests. The gardens, framed by existing refurbished rammed-earth walls, bring the experience into sharper focus, unfolding as a series of quiet eddies intended for gathering, tasting wine, and celebrating nature.

The site occupies the boundary between the gridded vineyard and agricultural fields of the Russian River and is situated amongst the oak-grassland foothills leading up to the coastal redwood forests that surround Flowers’ estate vineyards on the extreme Sonoma Coast. The terraced gardens feature plant communities indica-tive of each surrounding ecological typology.

New board-formed concrete walls were added to the land-scape as needed, serving as a counterpoint and augmenting the series of exposed archaeologies. Togeth-er, landscape and architecture combine to provide a quiet refuge, a place to celebrate community and friends through the experience of wine.

Quotes below are from Mike McCabe, Principal for Walker Warner Architects “We designed House of Flowers to be an experience that reveals itself slowly. Each step is choreo-graphed and builds upon the preceding movement to emphasize contrasts and connections. It begins with the entry sequence through a grove of redwoods which leads you to the building with its dark stained exterior skin that’s nestled in the shadows.

After moving along the path, the main entry’s glow-ing interiors of bald cypress siding serve as a beacon that calls the visitor inside. After being greeted, you walk up the open-framed staircase and as you rise, the gardens and the dramatic views across the vineyards are framed and finally revealed, drawing you out into the landscape.”

“The region’s strong, simple vernacular forms served as guide and reference point to help root the archi-tecture to its setting. By visually refining the structures, simplifying the palette and abstracting the tra-ditional vernacular detailing, we attempted to create an architectural expression that honors the local context while making the visitor feel at home and at ease. Ultimately, the intent was to take forms and elements that are comfortable and familiar and use them to make extraordinary spaces for visitors.”

“Over the past 30 years our work at Walker Warner has been primarily focused on the design of homes, spaces that are intimate, comfortable and enduring. We approached the House of Flowers with this point of view as our starting point.

The visitor should feel as though they have arrived at the home of a good friend. Rather than put the focus on the architecture, it is our hope that guests are at ease and their attention is focused on sharing experiences over delicious food and amazing wine in an un-matched context.”

“The architectural expression is understated. It isn’t about making a statement. It’s about creating a place that can unify the values that are important to the Flowers’ brand—celebrating nature and local context with what’s important to the site and the community.”

Quotes below are from Maca Huneeus of Maca Huneeus Design “Our biggest challenge was to convert an already existing building that lacked in character into some-thing appealing that people would want to go visit. There are so many new developments that we thought recycling what was already there and keeping it simple was the way to go. We didn’t want to do a massive intimidating building as Healdsburg has always had a down to earth character.”

“Because of the volume of the red wood building and the unappealing stain of the wood I thought a Scandinavian vibe of black exterior and a lighter interior would translate really well in Healdsburg and address our challenges.”

“I first created inspirational boards that gave us (the architect, landscape and design team) a cohesive narrative for the design. The idea was always to make people feel comfortable as if they were visiting a friend’s home in the countryside. Hence we made a library, a fireplace area, a terrace, a living room, etc. We kept the materials elemental to give it an authentic country vibe (wood, linens, wool, ceramics).”

“The garden had a beautiful rammed earth structure with a patina so we worked with the shapes of those to make architectural gardens for people to seat and enjoy a glass of wine in an authentic country environment.”

Quotes below are from Thomas Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects “The landscape design at the House of Flowers amplifies distinct California landscape ecologies creating a deeply rooted sense of place and a narrative consistent with Flowers’ authentic winemaking”

“Embodying distinct and iconic California ecologies, the House of Flowers landscape design bridges the distance between its Russian River Valley location and the vineyards along the bluffs of the Sonoma Coast. The terraces and gardens evoke the terrain where the featured Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varie-ties and the story of Flowers Winery itself originate.”

“In the terraced planting strategies at House of Flowers, the visitor is immersed in distinct California ecologies: Redwood Forest, Oak Woodland, and Chaparral landscapes, with the vineyards and distant ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains on the horizon.”

Oxnard Beach House in CA – Building Information

Design: Walker Warner Architects Team Mike McCabe, Principal, LEED AP Brooks Walker, Principal, LEED AP Sharon Okada, Senior Project Manager, LEED AP Architectural Staff: Matthew Marsten, Hana Bittner, Darcy Arioli, Vivi Lowery

Project Consultant Team Walker Warner Architects (architecture) Maca Huneeus Design (interiors) Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (landscape architecture) Alexis Woods Landscape Design (consulting local landscape architecture) Anna Kondolf Lighting Design (lighting design) Daedalus Structural Engineering (structural engineering) Cello & Madru Construction Company (contractor) Arborica (reclaimed wood)

Key Links for online placement House of Flowers

Maca Huneeus Design

General Contractor: Cello & Maudru Construction Company

Landscape Architecture: Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects

Local Landscape Architecture: Alexis Woods Landscape Design Consulting

Anna Kondolf Lighting Design

Photography: Douglas Friedman

Oxnard Beach House in California, USA images / information received 301120

Location: Venice Beach, California

Californian Buildings

Reggie Rodriguez Community Center, Montebello, Los Angeles County Design: Sparano + Mooney Architecture image : Sparano + Mooney Architecture/span> New Building in Los Angeles County

Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building at the University of CaliforniaIrvine, California Architects: LMN Architects image Courtesy architecture office Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building at the University of California

Californian Architects

The Main Museum of Los Angeles Art Design: Tom Wiscombe Architecture image courtesy of architects The Main Museum of Los Angeles Art

American Architect

American Houses

Comments / photos for the House of Flowers in California, USA page welcome

California

The post Flowers Vineyard & Winery, California appeared first on e-architect.

[ragnvdnir]

thanks for tagging me! <33

one's true love kiss [sleeping beauty au]

folklore: a love that last so long [zhongli]

anonymous [various, smau series]

the story of us [actor!ayato]

ts songs inspired [various]

serendipity [folklore ch 1]

rhythms and melodies [event]

“i love you,” i said. but why is my heart hurting

tagging: @sunizome @sevynnee @telemi @venusflwers @cottonfluffs @scarahours @skaramush @rrinsluvr @nxwxie @dawndelion-winery @ay4kshalatus + other who wanna join!

Let's Play a WIP Game!

Rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have wips.

Thank you for the tag, Noelle! @amistytown I don't really title my fics too tbh XD But I'll try to be as non-descriptive as I can.

Send me an ask for the fics that you're curious about! :3

5 Love Language with Satan [Shared]

Trust [Personal]

Holding you Close [Personal]

Good Job Today [Personal]

Solomon comforts a crying MC [Personal]

Levi!DarkAU [Shared]

Private Indoor Pool [Personal]

OM!Characters comforting MC from Anxiety Attack [Personal]

Fireworks and Confessions [Personal]

Will You Stop Loving Me? [Personal]

"I'd burn the whole world just to see you smile" [Personal]

Wow! Isn't this a lot? XD Though, I'm pretty sure some of my personal works will soon become shared works once I become stuck and don't know how to move on :'3

Tagging: @dreamkidddream @everlasting-elegy @saatans @luminari-mc @mammonprotectionsquad and anyone else that wants to join!

[drahtphotography]

Look at this! Eric has some words to share! Draht Photography

New Post has been published on http://www.drahtphotography.com/naramata-winery-wedding-sampler/

The Naramata Winery Wedding Sampler

This wedding day begins at the Naramata Heritage Spa. Built in 1908, The Hotel Naramata, was his crowning achievement of newspaper tycoon John Moore Robinson. And it shows – high ceilings, large glass windows, and large ballrooms made for an incredible wedding album. Albeit emotional.

    This is what I love about wedding days – it’s a wild card. I photography in a different place every weekend, with different settings. There’s no room for stagnation. And this day was an adventure to say the least. Even I got pretty emotional at the end. Even picking out the photos for this sampler was difficult. So many great photos. I’m going to really enjoy working on this.

    Sometimes the guys just put on their shirts and go. Not these guys. “We need a steamer!” declared the best man. The shirts had to look perfect in time for the first look, everyone agreed. No one single wrinkle.

    After frantically steaming the shirts for quite some time, the goal was achieved. The bow ties were tied, and visual inspections were performed. I’ve photographed a lot of groomsmen, and their love and dedication to this couple’s day absolutely blew me away.

Back downstairs, the dress was ready.

    Things were getting a little teary. Little did I know how teary they’d get.

      Before long, we had a beautiful bride, in her incredible wedding dress. She paused, and looked out the window for a moment before rushing to meet her husband-to-be.

    All of the preparation paid off. This groom looked incredible from head to toe. He turned to face the windows before we let the bride in.

    They stood there, for a few moments. It was silent. She gripped her handkerchief. Sometimes, couples say something. Other times, they’re silent. She dried her eyes, and whispered that she loved him. Her turned around, wiped his eye, and they hugged for a pretty long time.

      Expressions are my favourite parts of these first looks. I write what I can, but I can’t describe the feeling in that room.

Fun fact, notice how half the room is a light green, and the other half is a dark brown? That’s part of the reason I did the first look in the ballroom – I wanted to get this shot specifically, splitting the colour. It’s the little things.

    That’s when the party started. We grabbed three bottles of champagne and all crowded into the limo. Music blasted as we went from winery to winery to take photos and attend tastings.

            We scurried around, finding unique photo locations in each winery.

    This is at Serendipity Winery. They were incredible, even letting us in their wine cellar for a few minutes. The bride and I had emailed each other, and other wineries tried to find a great cellar for weeks for photos. Unfortunately, this is usually off limits to guests. This is no exception, however the owner took pity on us and allowed us a few minutes in the cellar. I was beyond ecstatic at the opportunity. Today, I rated them five stars on the trip review. If you are a guest and you’d like to do the same, visit this link.

      I’d also like to give a quick shoutout to the bridal party. Everyone was on the ball – we kept to schedule, and looked great doing it. They helped me gather people for family photos, went scouting for locations, kept the party going and the beats pumping, and even played musical chairs with me during the reception. I can’t even tell you how great the speech/song was. I couldn’t have asked for a more invested support team.

    I call this photo, “Where’s the groomsmen?” If you look carefully, you’ll see them. After I took this photos, I let them know it’s going right into the sneak peek. They were a goofy bunch, and kept everything lighthearted. However, when coolers needed to be restocked, shirts needed to be steamed, or if I needed a hand with anything, they were beyond eager to help. I really appreciated every one of them.

  We had a 5pm ceremony. The sun grazed the tops of the grape vines as these two said their vows. After, the marriage commissioner ducked out of the way for the first kiss.

    Fun fact, she’s actually right behind them. For my students reading this, I have a trick where I move to my right if the commissioner moves to the left, effectively hiding her right behind them. You can see an arm, but only because I pointed it out right now.

            I’ve been to rock concerts, and there was more energy here at this wedding. Everyone enthusiastically clapped, and the groom actually fist pumped at the end of the aisle. Because I feel you need to see this now, here’s the picture.

    Everyone actually danced up the aisle as the music blared. We hung out at Serendipity for some time, then we piled into the bus to head back to Naramata Heritage Inn.

          The speeches caught us all laughing one moment, and crying the next moment. Sometimes while we laughed.

“Listen, I’ve been a few weddings, and I know everyone is feeling a sleepy at this point.” The bride said, in her speech. “Every time I say thank you, everyone has to take a drink!” She continued, graciously thanking family members and vendors. I’ve never seen the final speech turned into a drinking game. It went really, really well.

Then, the first dances.

    But this is where I’ll have to leave you. Right at this picturesque first dance in the hall of an old hotel. I have so many incredible images to share.  That being said, I do need a little time to edit the photos. 3 weeks, to be exact.

    So keep in mind, this is only a sampler. At 30 images, one of the biggest ones! I did mean to be finished at 9am, but I might have gotten a little carried away.

If you personally know the bride and groom, feel free to contact me here. Let me know who you are, along with the bride and groom’s name, and I’ll make sure you get a link to the finished album!

If you know someone who’d like to see this sneak peek, feel free to click one of the share buttons on the top or  bottom of this entry, to share and tag them! Although I try to get the word out, a lot of family members and amazing bridesmaids and groomsmen who don’t know about these samplers!

        Thank you for reading this far. I put a lot of time and work into these sneak peeks so it’s great that everyone loves them just as much as I hope they will!

  If you’d like to keep a picture, even on mobile, just click it and it will open in a separate window. You can save it from there.

Lastly, if you’d like to stay updated, feel free to follow me on Instagram, facebook, twitter, or Tumblr for frequent updates. Talk to you all in a few days!

[wanderingcanucks]

Serendipity Winery @SerendipityWines on the Northern end of the Naramata Bench. This location is amazing, great wines (Cab Franc) and a nice restaurant. Great for Lunch, dinner or tasting. Would recommend a visit and some food. Chef Bongo will take good care of you.⁣ . ⁣ #wandering_canucks #ladolceniente #thegoodlife #thesimplelife #love #people #travel #travelcouple #travelcommunity #adventure #canada 🇨🇦 #amazingplanet #worldtravelpics #travelpics #travelphotography #fantastic_earth #vacation #worldtraveler #starbucks #globetrotter 🌏 #welltravelled #beautifuldestinations #neverstopexploring #awesomeearth #serendipitywines #traveltheworld #igtravel 🏡 #Penticton #bcwinecountry #wine (at Serendipity Winery) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0cGmEEAQDB/?igshid=ymdf3qvjyhmz

[veils-in-flight]

I know Walt Disney told us it's a small world, after all. But, sometimes the smallness just overwhelms me. That, along with coincidence, serendipity and dumb luck. I am not claiming anything. I'm just sharing how the little blocks in my head sometimes click together. I'll confess right up front...I live a sheltered life; I can't find my way out of a paper bag; I have no concept of how the other half lives. That being said, here follows my wonderment at the way the world falls together. I noticed yesterday that MM liked a photo that Bela Dayne posted on IG of a lovely overview of Capetown. I then did what most internet-savy people do. I clicked on Bela's account to see what else she posted. From that, I learned that she had a farewell party in LA a short time ago, and that she flew into Capetown a few days later. She mentions that this will be her home for the next 6 months, so, she must be filming something. It appears that she, too, spent her Easter holiday at a winery. I guess if you're an actor, and you happen to be in Capetown, that is a requirement. What I was amazed to find out was that there is also a rule about actors being in Amsterdam on New Year's Eve. I certainly did not realize that the acting profession has such a regimented set of rules.

[thomashutchings]

After 20 years finally caught up with this funky cat and his soul revue tonight at The loft. #justgladtobehere #allthewaylive #funk #soul #serendipity #iphonecamerasSuck (at City Winery NYC) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsHuqqojLmb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wscqowyccae4

[princegastronome]

WINE DIARY: BLACK WIDOW

The dominant attribute of the Naramata Bench is how many of the wineries sit right off the main road and not down one of the many branching roads.  A few like Bench 1775 have their own roads, though their Google Maps stars still claim them right on Naramata road.  However, many you can see as you drive by, their parking lots just an expansion of the road without even a curb.  What an amazing place to live as you casually pass Hillside, Quidni, and Black Widow.  And what a challenge it must be to stand out among the giants.  Smaller estate wineries only have their signature buildings and their passion, lacking the funds and/or infrastructure to build great monuments to viticulture.

You’d think these would have blurred or blended together by now.  And I admit that is a danger.  In Osoyoos, with fewer wineries across a larger region, there stands a better opportunity for individualism.  In Naramata, which is considerably more compressed, it falls on the wineries to make their presence known, usually involving some profound architectural testament costings millions of dollars.  And there are such wineries to be found here—Terravista, Serendipity, and Hillside can all be seen within the pages of wine magazines extolling the breathtaking nature of their construction.  Whenever a friend shares a post regarding wine on my Facebook, it’s about how beautiful the buildings are and not extolling how good the actual wine is.  

Family run estate wineries have an uphill climb then, with Black Widow’s issue exasperated by its location, only a few minutes’ walk from other wineries like Tightrope, Bench1775, Quidni, Ledlin, and the Hillside.  So, it is noteworthy that given that my girlfriend and I have made two runs through Naramata wine country, Black Widow is one of the few wineries we visited twice.   On our previous journey, over six days, we visited sixty wineries.   That’s sixty wineries, not an exaggeration.  We ended the trip with 120 bottles acquired.  On our second trip, my girlfriend wanted to visit Black Widow to refill her stock (mostly involving their Red Back) while scored the 2014 Mirage fortified.  The actual winery is simple, sitting atop an outcropping at most forty feet from the road.  Cars park at its base with customer climbing to the main door.  Inside feels more like an intrusion into a workspace.  There is no division to conceal the mechanics of the wine industry—there sits a single wine bar in front of dozens of barrels and nicely polished fermentation tanks, all shrouded in shadow.  A few décor choices help support the name choice, but in the end, the tasting room doesn’t stand out.  No, the real draws are the people behind the bar and the wines they offer up.  That Mirage, for example, is a fortified white spiked with grape brandy.  

I’ll let that sit for a second.

Yeah, they make one barrel that ages for two years.  Twenty bucks is a bargain.  My girlfriend loves Black Widow…and she hates spiders.  Like really hates.  She’ll squash the first, but the second…recoil in horror forcing my intervention.  Aragog?  She’ll close her eyes.  Shelob?  Skips the scene.  But she’ll scale those steps and pass through those gates for good wine.  The passion of the winemakers can be easily found in the quality of their bottles.  Black Widow stands out not in their construction but in what matters most.  They got good wine.

[kithalstead]

Havenbrook Spring Festival

The Spring Festival was a yearly tradition in Havenbrook, vendors rolling into the field by the river that had come to be called the Ball Flats, for three days of crafts, sweets, and wishing you had more money to spend. Jewel had saved up all of her allowance when she was a kid, prepared to snatch up all the maple candy her pockets could carry and fried dough her stomach could manage. It was always a highlight of the season, the cold dredges of winter finally giving way to rays of sunshine and daffodils, the first sign that spring was indeed preparing to spring. It drew crowds to town, too, boosting sales for not just the vendors at the Festival. The inns were packed, the restaurants were busy, and the museum saw more business in a single weekend than it did most of the year.

Her earliest memory was of the Spring Festival, sitting on her father’s broad shoulders, staring out over what seemed like the whole world in a single field. He bought her a cone of fresh maple cotton candy and let her eat the whole thing, and when she got sick on the walk home, he didn’t even get mad at her.

“Raffle! Tickets one for a dollar or twelve for ten dollars! All proceeds go to the Smolcnop family,” a raffle table attendant called out to them as Hana tried to scoot them through the entrance unnoticed.

Jewel slid her hand into her girlfriend, Hana’s and veered them both off towards the table.

“Hello Jewel!” Lisa greeted as they drew close to the table. It was a rickety plastic table sat on the side to the gravel path, topped with a cash box, an old plastic jar with a hole cut jaggedly into the lid, and a roll of raffle tickets set aside. “You heard about the Smolcnop house fire?”

“I can’t believe that happened! You never really think it’ll happen to someone you know, y’know? I’m so glad that everyone got out okay. How’s the fundraising going?”

Lisa rattled the half-empty raffle jar at Jewel with a frown.

“Ahh, well, I’ll take a dozen tickets,” Jewel offered, rifling through her purse for her wallet. “I grew up with one of the Smolcnops. Peggy was in my grade, and her brother, Peter, he was a good kid. Always looked out for little kids on the bus.”

“Just awful,” Lisa commented, unrolling the tickets, and counting, then recounting, twelve. She tore them off, and then folded them in half to tear the two halves apart. “Name and number on the back of each one, Jewel. We’ll call you if you win.”

“What’s the prize?” Hana asked. Jewel could hear the slight wobble to Hana’s voice. She looked over at her with a warm smile. Hana smiled back.

“Gift certificate to that fancy French restaurant, Mason Blanche or whatever, over on State. The owners donated it personally,” Lisa answered while Jewel carefully wrote her name, first and last and then her phone number on the back of each ticket. “Good place for a date, don’t y’think?”

Lisa gave Jewel her a wink while Jewel stuffed her last ticker into the jar alongside its brethren.

“Here’s hoping. If I have any money left, I’ll stop by on my way out.”

They headed down the gravel path and into the main entrance to the Festival. The trees, lamp posts, swing sets, and goal posts were all decorated in flowers and vines, vendors hoisted pretty pastel banners, the live music stage was covered heavily in paper pinwheels colored by first graders at the local elementary. More pinwheels lined the paths to each booth. Jewel took Hana’s hand.

Jewel had decided late the year before that she was sick of being alone on the weekends, and created a Match profile looking for a girlfriend. She had found Hana who had just moved to the area. They had flirted online, and through text messages for weeks before they met in person. It was such a short amount of time in perspective, but Jewel felt the magnet in her chest drawn to Hana so strongly it scared her. She had only felt this for someone once before, when she was back in high school. She had ruined that.

“I don’t even want to win the gift card. I hate French food,” Jewel admitted.

“French food is delicious, though.”

“I don’t trust anyone who’s cuisine includes snails.”

“You eat sushi all the time. That’s raw fish. How can you tell me that you won’t eat snails when you eat sushi?”

“Because eating fish isn’t weird.”

“Eating raw fish is.”

Jewel rolled her eyes, but she wasn’t annoyed. She hated people trying to convince her she was wrong, but the way that Hana smiled while she did it, the way that her eyes almost glittered, it was entrancing. It had been those calm grey eyes that had caught Jewel’s attention, and her heart from day one. Jewel had just started at her father’s company, fresh out of college with no job perspectives in the area, and it was lonely. All her high school friends had moved away, or moved on. All her college friends had taken off either coast, looking for their own post-graduate paths. Hana had moved into the college town nearby for their graduate program, and didn’t know anyone.

Fortune, destiny, serendipity, Sappho, whoever watched over them had brought them together.

“Wow, it’s so picturesque,” Hana breathed, turning the conversation. She looked around, eyes examining the park around them. “Like, I’ve heard you talk about it so many times, I thought it couldn’t possibly look like what you said it looked like, but it does. It’s real. This is straight out of some fairy tale bullshit.”

Jewel laughed.

“It’s really Stars Hollow, isn’t it? But there’s a whole committee that works year-round to come up with ideas to make it better. My mom used to be the chairman, chairwoman before she passed.”

Hana squeezed her hand.

“Come on,” Jewel said, diverting the conversation herself. She still missed her mom, the ache still rooted deep in her chest, but she had her dad, and this festival that her mother had poured her heart and soul into every year. The Havenbrook Spring Festival was a haven for Jewel’s grieving, aching soul. “You need to try Benedict’s maple candy! It’s so good!”

“I don’t have much of a sweet tooth,” Hana replied.

“You don’t need a sweet tooth for this,” Jewel said. “It’s that good! I have dreams about this maple candy, Hana. Very specific dreams.”

Hana laughed and rolled her eyes playfully at Jewel.

“Don’t eat yourself into a coma today, okay? We have plans.”

Jewel grinned and swung their interlocked hands back and forth.

They walked through the center stripe, weaving in and out of people, clusters of Festival-goers with bags of cotton candy and goodies in one hand, plates of the Masons’ famous “hottest hot wings in the whole country” in the other. Jewel pointed out her favorite booths, telling Hana particularly about the winery offering samples of their young reds and whites where Jewel had gotten her first taste of wine before she was of age.

They walked, the eyes of certain vendors following them with a distant distain. Jewel steered them to safe places, to the local dairy farm’s booth that was run by a married lesbian couple and the mythical creature art booth where Jewel knew the artist from high school. Hana seemed particularly drawn to the handmade silver rings made from bent spoons from a vendor that Jewel had never seen there before, tugging at her girlfriend’s hand to hurry up.

A man, the same age as Jewel, ducked into the tent from the back, carrying a tote to set by his table when they approached. Jewel stared. His jaw had gotten sharper, more defined, and the freckles across his cheeks and nose were more pronounced than she remembered them. His hair was shorter, no longer tickling his ears and neck, instead cut short to stick up in a soft, spiky defiance of gravity.

“How much are these?” Hana asked before Jewel could pull her away.

Daniel had been the love of her life in high school, and he had been the first person that she ever came out to, laying on their backs in the back of his pick-up underneath the stars. She had mustered up the courage because his hand felt like an anchor in that moment, and let the truth come out of her as if she had released a dam. He was quiet at first, digesting slowly, before he turned his face to hers and kissed her on the cheek. He had taken it in stride because he was, as Jewel had known her entire life, the best boy in the world.

He looked up from the tote, looked at Hana, the rings, and then up at Hana again. Jewel stood still, wishing, hoping, praying. His gaze slid to her. He grinned, and she felt her lungs forget how to breath for a moment. He shouldn’t be able to do that still.

“They’re twenty-five dollars,” he said. “Although, for you, Jewel, I could probably let one slide.”

Hana looked curiously between them.

“Y’know I don’t ask for freebies, Daniel,” she answered, stepping closer to Hana. She examined the rings instead of meeting his gaze, touching one in front of her. They were made, she guessed, out of different ends of spoons, flowers and leaves and birds decorating rings separately. “I didn’t know you made jewelry.”

“Had to do something with all my free time,” he said with a loose shrug. “Found a drawer full of dusty, useless spoons up at Pops,’ and they had these really cool handles. Like, some of them had anchors, or looked like some kind of royal crest, and I wanted to make something out of them. Who knew they’d be in such high demand. Sold a whole box just this morning, actually.”

Jewel nodded, chancing a peek at him. He was staring at her. There was still a little scar underneath his right eye where she’d hit him in the face with a stick once when they were young. She’d apologized profusely, it hadn’t been on purpose, but she’d left her mark on him anyway, no matter how many times she said, “I’m sorry.”

“I like this one,” Hana said, nudging Jewel, drawing her attention back. She looked down at the boxes lined with a navy velvet cushion, cradling the rings for presentation, finding the ring Hana was touching. It was smaller than the rest of them, delicate like Hana herself, decorated with a small bloomed rose, polished silver that shone in the sunlight.

“Oh, the tea rose!” Daniel said. “That’s a good one. Came from a vintage tea spoon. Only one left. That one would be thirty-five, since it’s got that cool vintage factor.”

“I recognize that rose,” Jewel said. “I don’t know where, but I know I’ve seen it before.”

“Yeah, it should. I asked around for people’s old spoons, and that one came from your grandma. She said she didn’t have much use for tea spoons when someone doesn’t come around for tea much anymore.”

“Oh, Dan, don’t tell me Julep has enlisted you as a guilt goblin.”

He laughed. They both knew Julep was a master at guilting any outcome out of anyone, especially her granddaughter. They’d started calling the messengers that found their way to Jewel “guilt goblins” somewhere around freshman year of high school.

“Just passing on a message.”

Hana was digging around in her purse for her own wallet when Daniel looked at her again. He seemed to inspect her, and Jewel followed his gaze. She wondered what he saw in Hana.

“Actually,” he said to her, catching her attention, “that one’s on the house, with the promise that you’ll go see Julep, Jewel. She’s a lonely woman.”

“Dan, you can’t-” she started.

“It doesn’t mean anything more than just a friendly gesture. Besides, doesn’t feel right selling you something that belongs to your family anyway.”

He picked up the ring and put it in a little box that he put inside a small bag which he passed it to Hana with a smile. She thanked him, looking at the bag. Danie turned his attention back to his tote, effectively ending the conversation. Jewel stared at his back for a moment longer, then turned away to face her girlfriend.

“I’m getting hungry. Let’s go hunt down some fried food.”

They got halfway through the crowd to the strip of food vendors when Hana piped up.

“Who was that?”

“That was Dan; we’ve been friends since, like, kindergarten or something.”

“Is that all, because I got a sense that-”

“Oh, look! There’s Benedict’s! You gotta try this!” Jewel headed off towards the Benedict Farm booth without Hana in tow. Hana followed anyway. The Benedict family owned a large plot of land at the edge of Havenbrook, where they raised maple trees, Christmas trees, and bees. The best honey and maple syrup came from Benedict Farms.

“Jewel,” Hana said as Jewel stopped in front of the booth. They said nothing as Jewel looked over the items before them. There was a table full of jugs of fresh deep amber maple syrup, most in thick glass jars shaped like maple leaves in various sizes. In a small tray in the center were bags with maple candies also shaped like maple leaves, set beside golden straws of honey. Old Farmer Benedict, as he was known around the festival, stood up from his chair to greet them.

“Hello ladies,” he said, his voice rough and deep. He used to give Jewel a free honey stick when she came with her dad, passing it to her with a secret wink like her dad wasn’t supposed to know. She suspected now that he did know, but that honey stick tasted that much better because she thought he didn’t know something she knew for once.

Jewel carried on a short, meaningless conversation with Benedict while she picked out her items. Later, she honestly could not tell you what they had talked about.

“I’ll take all of this,” she said, gesturing to her grouped items. She paid him what she owed which was a good portion of her spending money, and took her purchase in the sturdy plastic bag he handed her.

“I’ll see you next year,” Benedict said. Jewel thanked him, and then, followed by Hana, headed into the center of the festival.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Dan?” Hana asked as soon as they were away.

“Dan and I used to date in high school, and we thought- it doesn’t matter what we though. We broke up before I left for college.”

Families streamed past them on both sides, a river around a boulder.

“You lied to me, though.”

“I did? I’m sorry, I guess. I saw him and panicked. He’s my ex-boyfriend, and I didn’t expect to see him here, at least not as a vendor and it startled me. I’m sorry.”

“No, not- well, that, but I didn’t know you had been with a guy?”

“Oh! Yeah! I thought you knew that you are my first, you know, real girlfriend. There’s not a lot of Sapphic opportunities in Havenbrook. I just thought you knew. I’m sorry.” Hana didn’t say anything, and in a fit of nerves, Jewel continued, trying to fill the silence, “Dan’s a good guy, but we just didn’t fit, y’know? He wanted to run away, essentially, but I, uh, I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to leave town. So, we broke- I broke up with him. And, uh, I might have done something that stopped him from travelling, like tell his parents about his- He didn’t forgive me for- I thought he didn’t forgive me. He seemed really friendly, but honestly, I’m amazed he spoke to me at all.”

Hana, Jewel noticed, had pushed her jaw out as she stared at a spot right off Jewel’s shoulder. Jewel watched Hana for a moment, afraid to speak. She’d never seen Hana’s cool grey eyes look so cold before, like steel and ice boring straight holes into the field behind Jewel.

“What’s wrong?” Jewel asked.

“I just- you didn’t say you used to be attracted to men.”

“I didn’t used to be attracted to men, Han,” Jewel said slowly, head cocking to the side and her brow furrowing. “Not past tense. I am attracted to men now.”

“Then why are you with me?”

Jewel stopped.

The flow of people heading for the tractor pull parted around them, chatting happily, their days going on as usual. Jewel watched a small girl in pigtails sat atop her father’s shoulders blow into a bubble wand while they navigated the crowd, little soapy bubbles dripping into her father’s hair and forehead. The bubbles streamed out behind them, popping on the slight breeze. Jewel felt frozen, her feet tacked to the ground beneath her, her whole body unaware that time was passing.

“Y’know,” Jewel said quietly. “Y’know that I’m bisexual, right? I’m attracted to men, and I’m attracted to women.”

“That’s not what your profile said.”

“Well, no, because I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend at the time.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“Because I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”

“Are you sure that it’s not just a phase? Because you like women now.”

“I do. And I like men.”

Hana shook her head.

“Hana, I’m bisexual.”

They stood at odds, staring without looking away.

“You can’t have both of us.”

“That’s not how it works!” She was louder than intended. An old woman Jewel recognized as her high school physics teacher gave them a small scowl- she had never liked Jewel- but did not stop. “I’m not gonna sleep with Dan just because I’m bisexual, Hana, that’s ridiculous. That’s presumptuous, first of all, and insulting. I haven’t shown you in any way that I would cheat on you.”

“They never do,” Hana bitterly snapped. “How am I supposed to trust you when bisexuals are unfaithful an-”

Jewel could hear the air-quotes around the word, as if her identity was just some word to Hana.

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Jewel said sharply, cutting Hana off. “Don’t you dare.”

Hana stopped, her eyes sad as they met Jewel’s.

“This isn’t the place for this conversation,” Jewel decided. “I’m not gonna have this fight with you in public. C’mon.”

Jewel gestured for Hana to follow her out of the park, their walk quiet and tense. Jewel wanted to talk to Hana, to convince her that her identity, the way she saw herself, was not some phase, some joke. She’d heard the arguments before, that bisexuals were fence-sitters, and confused. She had never expected those words to come from Hana, loving, open, studious Hana. She wanted to hear Hana apologize, ask for forgiveness, and admit that she knew she was wrong. She wanted Hana to listen to her, to listen and understand.

“I’m tired,” Hana said suddenly, when they reached the mouth of the park. “I think I’m just going to go home. I have a lot of work to do this weekend.”

“Let’s talk before you go.”

“I can’t right now. I need to process this.”

“He won’t be a problem,” Jewel insisted, trying to take Hana’s hand but stopping half way. She drew her hand back. Hana took a step back.

“That’s what they always say, but how can I know that you’re not thinking of him every time we’re together?”

It was the way that Hana said it, so calm, so collected, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Her face was expressionless, eyes calculating with every second that passed between them.

“I’ll call you,” Hana decided. “I promise.”

Another step back.

Jewel didn’t make a sound, and then Hana turned and walked away back towards her car. Jewel watched her go. Her stomach wobbled in her gut, as if she’d eaten an entire bag of cotton candy in one sitting. She let the crowd pass around her, working their way towards her little picturesque village festival. Bubbles floated in the air, pinwheels spun, and the air smelled of blooming flowers and hot wings.

***

Her phone rang while she sat at work the next Thursday afternoon, the time passing slowly, each second taking longer with each tick of the clock. Hana hadn’t called. Hana hadn’t texted. Jewel had done both. She didn’t want this to be the end, she liked Hana too much to let this drive them apart, but try as she might, she could not get Hana to respond. The phone rang, and Jewel leapt for it. The phone number wasn’t one she recognized, but hopeful, she answered.

“Hello?”

“Hello. Is this Jewel?” a voice she didn’t know came through on the other side. “This is Elissa, from the Spring Festival committee.”

“Yes, this is she.”

“Hi,” she said chipperly. “I’m sorry for the delay, there was a bit of an office mix-up. I’m actually calling to let you know that you won the raffle, and the free dinner for two at La Maison Blanche! You can pick your certificate up at the office in City Hall!”

“Thank you,” Jewel said woodenly. “I’ll pick it up as soon as I can.”

She hung up the phone and stared at her computer, the spreadsheet empty in front of her. She hadn’t gotten anything done all week, her thoughts preoccupied.

She texted Hana again, “hey just checking in to see if you wanted to get dinner this weekend I got that gift card to La Maison Blanche if you wanted to go with me I’ll even get the snails.”

She waited all afternoon and into the night for a response.

Hana texted her apologies, she wouldn’t be calling Jewel, citing her distrust in Jewel as the reason.

She had expected this somewhere in her gut, although her heart had tried and tried to convince her that yes, Hana would come back to her, that yes, everything was going to be alright, yes, yes, yes.

Jewel searched and searched until she found the right number, finally resorting to tapping Julep for information, and then called that night. She got his voicemail on the first call, to which she panicked and hung up before she could leave her message. She hadn’t been sleeping much that week, and her reactions were jolty at best.

She didn’t get a chance to call him again, the number popping back up on her phone as an incoming call.

“Hello?” she answered, her voice unstable.

“Jewel? Is that you? Did you just call me?” Daniel’s voice was an anchor in the moment, holding her in place.

She released the dam, “Hey, yeah, it’s Jewel. Would you wanna get dinner sometime this weekend? On me?”

He was quiet at first, as if processing and digesting slowly. It felt like a kiss on the cheek from the best boy in the world when he answered, “Yeah, I’ve always got time in my schedule for you.”