Fun Then Fog

Sunday was Fun Day in Napa at Chef Sarah Pickle's house. People's homes come to resemble the people who live in them -- Pickle's home is warm and bright, surrounded by trees and pots of sweet-smelling kitchen herbs. The thing Plotnik loves about her side of Napa is real people live there, not just the mega-wealthy. He took home stalks of culinary bay leaves and lemon verbena, plus oranges from Eric's out in Hayward.

Really, really good roast chickens.

And it is hot up there. Blessed heat without demon humidity.

Driving home across the Bay Bridge it was hard for Plottie to realize he lived underneath that thick bank of fog that takes beauty and turns it gray. If he could have, he'd have stopped and turned around.

It's all relative. That night a friend needed an emergency favor. She lives up on Diamond Heights. When he got up there it was miserably cold. It rained fog, with wind straight in the face. Plot realized it's not so bad down in the valley where his fog is not so angry.

As always, it's about friends getting together. These summer Tiapos meetings are maybe the best ones of all.