Not Quite to Napa

Well I was speaking with my brother in law Mr. BB himself and he told me he used to live in San Francisco, something I didn't know about him, and he said I should take a trip to Napa Valley. My friends have also told me this is a must trip to take. So I set off out of Healdsburg on the 101 and turned off on the Alexandra road heading to Calistoga. I went past a road called Pine road that led straight into the mountains. I yearned to take this road, but instead I carried on. I went through pretty village and pretty town one after the other and was soon to arrive in Napa, only another 12 miles and I would be there.

But I didn't want to go, I wanted to go into the mountains I wanted freedom to explode into the mountains views, to melt with the sky and reach out to all ends of the earth. Well I couldn't possibly do this in a village. So I turned around and went up my mountain road. By this time I had been driving for three hours and felt quite tired. I just wanted to stop find a place to walk have my picnic and paint. Plenty of places to stop and look at incredible views. No where to actually walk, all there were were no entry signs, no tressapsing, hunting or fishing. I drove higher and higher and thought that at least at the summit there would be a place to walk. But the summit was STRICTLY out of bounds.

I drove my way wearily down the mountain almost regretting that I hadn't gone to Napa. when I spied a tiny little lane direction Cloverdale. I took it and finally I found my peace. It started out as a a trickling mountain stream and whats more by scrambling down the hill I could feel it touch it, hear it.

HAHA, blessed are those who wait.

only one or two keep out signs. I followed that little stream until she almost became a river and at the end of the day I sat by the river. painted the river, touched the river and heard the river and I melted into nature and it was glorious. I have pretty much made up my mind though, that I am only going to go walking on designated trails, because by the time I got back last night I had been driving for six hours, and that's too much.

The little watercolour at the top is the sunrise I see in the mornings, not as beautiful as it actually is, but I enjoyed painting it all the same.

On a side note, I have been listening to Andrew Cohen, mystic and spiritual leader on Utube and to Deepak Chopra and they are both fascinating and extra-ordinary worth a listen in.

Comments

[Antonia]

Lovely little story Tess - really enjoyed it and the painting is gorgeous! Tons of love A xx

[Sally your SiL]

So pleased to hear you found a little treasure after such a journey. Beautiful painting, thank you

[Charlie]

OH very good you found a place. 6 hrs driving that is all the way to Nambucca,,, gessss mrs that's a lot in one day.So glad you had sunday to rest in. Mind you love the sound of that river spot..HUMMMM wouldn't mind some of that my self xxxxCHarlie

[Kathleen Hall]

You are in CALIFORNIA? are you still there (when you wrote yesterday's post? No wonder it was warm enough to swim. I will be moving back "home" in few weeks..shipping furniture and everything, in the meantime, going a little crazy,needing to meditate and too antsy to sit still. How long will you be there? Love your painting these days.