I have been digging The Head and the Heart  thanks to my Mumford and Sons channel on Pandora. Down in the Valley just resonates with me.

I know there’s California, Oklahoma
And all of the places I ain’t ever been to but
Down in the valley with
Whiskey rivers
These are the places you will find me hidin’
These are the places I will always go
These are the places I will always go

These lines speak to me. I remember times in my life that were just like that. Today I might not drown with alcohol but there are valleys and as I grow up I learn to embrace these valleys rather than run from them.

The full lyrics of Down the valley

I wish I was a slave to an age-old trade
Like ridin’ around on railcars and workin’ long days

Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways
Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways

Call it one drink too many
Call it pride of a man
But it don’t make no difference if you sit or you stand

‘Cause they both end in trouble and start with a grin
Yeah they both end in trouble and start with a grin

We do it over and over and over again
We do it over and over and over again

Oh-oh
Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

I know there’s California, Oklahoma
And all of the places I ain’t ever been to but
Down in the valley with
Whiskey rivers
These are the places you will find me hidin’
These are the places I will always go
These are the places I will always go

I am on my way
I am on my way
I am on my way back to where I started

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

One more for the stars and the eyes of the walls
I saw your face, I heard you callin’ out

I saw your face in the crowd and you came out
Just like the sun and the moon and the stars at night

There was a sign on the door and it reads to me
Just like the sun and the moon and the stars at night

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh

I am on my way
I am on my way
I am on my way back to where I started

California, Oklahoma
And all of the places I ain’t ever been to but
Down in the valley with
Whiskey rivers
These are the places you will find me hidin’
These are the places I will always go
These are the places I will always go

So I wish I was a slave to an age-old trade
Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways

Tea for two

My nephew, Cole, is back playing baseball after a two-year hiatus and he is looking sharp. Of course Uncle JJ is there to support him and take great photos for his photo album. To see the rest of the pictures go to my flickr account

In the way to Bowling Ball Beach

I am on vacation and yesterday we got to Petaluma around 7 in the evening. As I was searching for things to do and places to grab a beer Moylans came up in my searches. Actually it was the explore feature in my foursquare app. So we buzzed down there to grab a few beers. It more resturant feel than a brewery. It was kind of empty too. The waiteress was preety cool. She let us have unlimited tasters of their beers. I settled on a Orange and Black celebration ale in thevpint glass above.

The Orange and Black celebration ale was made for the Giants World series championship the bartender told us. This was the second batch where the brewer put more orange in. It was a great everyday drinking beer. A brown with a nice orange zest that brought out the sweeter malty side in the beer. I closed down with the Old Blarney Barleywine. Not my favorite but 10% so it did the job.

Tea tasting at Leland tea company

Pliny the Elder in Fresno

This is a catchy beer song.

This just might be my favorite place in California. The last time I was here was with two good friends Joel and his wife Kristen. We camped for two nights here….wow what a majestic place. This was part of our Journey up the Oregon coast in the summer of 2009.