Meet Bulldog Village. Fresno, CA.

the Lobby...I think it goes without saying...
I'm a fan. www.bulldogvillage.com

nik.

HTML Code

Say it to yourself 3 times....I will conquer HTML code....I will conquer HTML code...I will conquer HTML code...aRgh!!!!!

...and this time I mean that in the pirate way!

aRgh!

nik.

Ravensbrook Bed & Breakfast

Located 3 miles north of Coursegold, CA...surrounded by 100 acres of forest...Welcome to Ravensbrook!

Bruce Loves the mountains...no, I mean he is one of those people who LOVES the mountains. Hence, for his birthday I really wanted to surprise him with a trip to the mountains...

Hmmm...thoughts of me packing the camping gear (Bruce's typical "job") sent cold chills up my spine. Enter Ravensbrook.

!

ahhh, the cool temperatures, the fresh air, the faint chirping of crickets...I slept like a rock...it was so peaceful...

...right before Bruce drifted off...he mumbled, "Now this is camping...." a sure sign that he did, indeed, turn 48 ...

...and then we woke up...YUM! I really should have taken this picture before this poor uno was the only thing left on my plate....but it's an aebleskivers...basically a little Danish pastry for-crying-out-loud...can you really blame me?

nik.

to see more of Ravensbrook Bed & Breakfast click here:
www.ravensbrook-yosemite.com
or call Sherri Smith, who is the PERFECT hostess in every way!! 559-683-4792.

Purple

I'll tell you how the sun rose,--
A ribbon at a time.
The steeples swam in amethyst,
The news like squirrels ran.
The hills untied their bonnets,
The bobolinks begun.
Then I said softly to myself,
"That must have been the sun!"
But how he set, I know not.

There seemed a purple stile
Which little yellow boys and girls
Were climbing all the while
Till when they reached the other side,
A dominie in gray
Put gently up the evening bars,
And led the flock away.
Poem by Emily Dickinson's

Meet Erin. If anyone could tame a butterfly...

nik.

Tye. simply dangerous

the Tye-gur is running a low-grade fever. again. argh!



btw...I mean that in the exasperated tired-mom way...not in the pirate way....argh...aRGh...aRGH...

I promise I don't have a fever any more...at least, I don't think I do...

argh.

nik.

my rant

First, Bruce, who never gets sick, was sick...I mean the laid out kind of sick...
Next, Tad...
Then, Tye...
Tad, again...
To finish it off, me...

Finally, Finally feeling a little better today and actually had the energy to look at my computer screen again...and all the work I have had on hold for the past, almost, two weeks!!!

Ah, to start working again feels great! Meet Erika.
Well, sort-of...to see her striking eyes head over to the home page. Note. I am now going to be very overly dramatic for the sake of making a point. There are two types of kids in this world (yes, only two) the ones who can talk to adults and the ones who can't. Erika is a special kid who can talk to adults...I mean really, look you in the eye and actually connect! She is a wonderful kid...I like her!

nik.

Regier-Galpin Farms

in process...
almost there...

mouth watering...
nik

Meet Regier-Galpin Farms

According to, A Statistical Tour of California's Great Central Valley , Tulare County ranks second (after Fresno) in the most productive agricultural county in California. Several sources estimate that, California's Central Valley produces $13 billion worth of food products annually. Regier-Galpin Farms consider it a privilege to be a part of generations of family farmers, who take pride in producing some of the best fruit in the world.

Table Grapes: Beautiful this time of year. I was simply mesmerized by the almost neon quality of the green and the harmonious blend with the different shades of purple. As the grapes continue to mature, Anthony Galpin, owner/operator of Regier-Galpin Farms swears they have the best table grape "crunch" that you can enjoy from September-December.

"Stone Fruit": Sad to say, born on a Dairy, raised in the Central Valley... still was not familiar with the term. So for all you other ignoramuses like me(really is it an insult if it is a Latin word?) ... here is the nikapedia definition, "Stone fruit has a hard stone or, duh, pit that is surrounded by sweet, some describe "fleshy" fruit around the seed/stone/pit." At Regier-Galpin Farms this consist mostly of different varieties of nectarines and peaches.



Meet the Rieger-Galpin Farms golden goose, or in this case golden fruit, Satsuma Mandarins: a seedless variety, now in it's baby stage, that will mature in mid-December. Mandarins are often canned...and in my opinion are a perfect compliment to the chicken salad at Wendy's. However, they are also growing in popularity as a fresh fruit, simply stated, because they're easy to eat! Side note, did you know that during the celebration of the Chinese New Year, Mandarin oranges are a traditional symbols of abundance and good fortune?


love my Valley Life...
nik

meet mi hermana.

Look how well she does the broken down doll, even with all the gear... this is to teach the baby sis a small, yet very important lesson...she cannot leave me to my own devices for 3 days without calling...I will go to the dark side. I am an artist, after all. Thank goodness I didn't do something more drastic, like cut off my ear or something. Trying to pacify me with a cute text of her children is nice, but just doesn't cut it! rude. The pink hair was Tad's idea. I think it is a nice touch.

nik