Three Party System

Christmas was great. We began the day with breakfast at my sister's house not far from here and an exchange of small gifts.

Since the sun was shining and the ground frozen Scott and I made a trip to the wildlife area where he got about and hour's worth of running off lead out of his system, and in the process managed to flush a small covey of about six quail. Toward the end of the run he did what he was supposed to do and came to a beautiful and stylish point, frozen in place, eyes straight ahead and nose working overtime sniffing the air. When I caught up with him he began ever so slowly to raise one foot and move it forward. I stopped him from moving and looked ahead and saw a hen pheasant in a cluster of weeds by a fence row of a corn field. I kicked the cluster of weeds and grasses and she flew away with a Gordon setter in hot pursuit. Not the best of manners on Scott's part, but he was having a wonderful time and it was Christmas.

We got back home in time to pick up a phone call inviting us to friends' house for a drink and a sack. The drink was an early afternoon dram of Laphroaig.

The evening found us at my step mother's sister's house for the last party of the day. There was a large crowd of kids and grand kids, fortunately none younger than 16, and a lot of food.

I took two bottles of wine, pictured above, the Kinkead Ridge Revelations. The white is from the 2007 vintage and there were only 40+ cases of this wine made, and the red was from the 2006 vintage of around 400 cases. No one else at the party was familiar with the wines and there were only four or five wine drinkers there, but both quickly disappeared before the bottles brought by other folks. The white was primarily a Viogner and Rousanne blend white the red was Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Both have been discussed here separately in previous posts, and both are excellent wines.

Today is another holiday from work and there will be a small party here with a standing rib roast of beef and some good wines. Before all the preparation begins, Scott and I will take another shot at that pheasant and the quail. This time the camera goes along.