Where in the world are Emily and Gideon?: The High Life in Wine Country

Gideon and I have decided to stay in Sonoma, California for a while. We are living the high life, and by high life, I mean we are living way up high on a mountainside above Sonoma Valley. And by way up high, I mean we are literally above the clouds and fog most mornings. Most long-time residents of this mountainside refer to it as “The Hill” and we are now “Hill People”—an honorable title on the Hill, a not-so-honorable title off the Hill. We are trying to fit in, and I think we are on the right track. In fact, Gideon was just invited to watch South Park with some of the Hill Guys. He’s in. Everybody loves Gideon. I am turning out to be quite the Chanterelle mushroom hunter, so I think I’m close to being accepted.

We have taken up residence in the “Mom Cabin” on my step-sister, Rosemary (AKA Polly), and brother-in-law, Aaron’s property. The Mom Cabin looks like an old red barn from the outside, but it in the past year, the inside has been transformed into a cozy one-bedroom cabin, complete with kitchen and bathroom. When we arrived in October it was not yet livable, but Gideon, and to a very small extent, I, finished it up, adding flooring, painting trim, installing plumbing, etc. Furniture arrived a few weeks ago, and now we are enjoying our new “home sweet home” for the next few months. It’s funny… I think my dad and step-mom had this idea that they would finish this cabin and enjoy using it a few months a year and it would sit vacant for the remainder of the year. Now they will be lucky if they get to use it at all. JUST KIDDING Dad and Sharan. Calm down. We are not going to be here too long, relatively speaking. And you can sleep on the sleeper sofa when you visit. JUST KIDDING AGAIN!!! Ha Ha! Funny daughter!!!!

The "Mom Cabin", inside and out

When we decided to stay in Sonoma for the winter, we realized that we needed to bring our dog, Josie, out to join us. We were missing her terribly and she was wearing out her welcome with our family in Frederick, digging endless holes in their backyard, creating her own moonscape. So, in November, Gideon flew back to Maryland, filled in the holes in the yard, and brought Josie back on a direct flight to San Francisco. I admit, I was worried about Josie flying for the first time. In case you haven’t met her, she can get a bit over-stimulated and nervous. According to most vets and the folks at the airline, sedating a dog before flying is not recommended, but apparently Xanax, a common anti-anxiety drug is okay. So, Josie popped a pill and had a fine flight. Perhaps I should have popped a Xanax too, considering I was the worried Momma needlessly stressing out over the whole thing.

Josie is in her element here on the Hill. She quickly and effortlessly assimilated into the pack and is enjoying her Beta dog status. Polly and Aaron’s dogs, Shelby and Montana are her new pack mates. Shelby, a beagle-pit mix is the Alpha bee-atch, and Montana, a black lab mix has been relegated to “least respected dog” status, at least most of the time. As I write, the three dogs are off romping through the woods with Gideon, who is looking for mushrooms, which is a blog entry for another day.