More From the Garden Volunteers

Here is the latest statement from the former volunteers at the S.B. Botanic Garden.

St. Joan

She walks in sunlight, reflecting Truth. St. Catherine and the Archangel Michael speak to her, Honesty and Loyalty are her constant companions. Her strength is her simplicity. Asked at her trial if she knew she was in God's grace, she answered: "If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me." The question was a subtle trap; the answer, according to a witness, stupefied her interrogators.

Walk upright in the sunlight and keep Honesty and Loyalty with you always and you will never fail.

Ashes to Art

I attended the "Ashes to Art" show at the Botanic Garden. Sadly, my batteries failed, and my spare batteries turned out to be dead also. So these are all the photos I was able to take. The show was nice, though...

Happy Canyon AVA formed

Wes Hagen has done it again! He's the winemaker from Clos Pepe who wrote the petition that got the Sta Rita Hills AVA formed. Now he's succeeded with the Happy Canyon AVA! You can read all about it here. I'll just excerpt this small section of the article:

"Presently, six vineyards dot the Happy Canyon landscape: Cimarone, Grassini, Happy Canyon, McGinley (formerly Westerly), Star Lane and Vogelzang. While they make wines under their own labels, their effect is wide ranging because many sell grapes to well known wineries such as Rusack, Ojai, Margerum, Fiddlehead, Brander, Carhartt and Babcock."

A Visit to Foxen

Foxen has opened their new production facility...a three-building complex which includes a warehouse, a barrel room, and a tasting room. I had a chance to take a little tour with Dick and Jenny.







It all looks lovely. You can find more photos here.

Teshuva

The whole point of the period from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur is to
engage in teshuva. Usually translated as "repentance", teshuva really
means "turn" (or "return"). Repentance is just one part of the process.

Teshuva is tied up with the concept of sin, or het. Het is a term from
archery, and it literally means "missing the mark".

When you see that you have missed the mark, you must turn yourself so
that you aim can be true again. Teshuva is a five-step process: you
must confess the sin; if the sin was committed against another person
you must ask that person's forgiveness; you must cease to commit the
sin; you must regret the sin (and make restitution if possible); you
must resolve never to commit the sin again.

The mark of true teshuva is that you actually do change your behavior.
This is not ultimately about how you feel about your actions -- it is
about the actions themselves.

Rabbi Eliezer said: "Repent one day before your death." His disciples
asked him, "Does then one know on what day he will die?" "All the more
reason he should repent today, lest he die tomorrow" (Shabbat 153a).

SB Hort Society Plant Sale

Here are a few photos of the Hort Society sale:






You can see more here.