Independence Day

Please allow me to introduce Hannah, a charming and well-spoken young lady attending the festivities in Napa, as our inaugural guest Dashing Eccentric. Anyone can throw on a pair of patent leather, platform, stars and stripes boots (especially on the Fourth in the USA) and call it done. But it takes true Dash to create a pulled-together and flattering ensemble featuring said boots. I especially love the way she chose bandana prints, an americana classic, for most of the red in her outfit. We only chatted a moment, due to the developing line to take her picture, but Hannah remained very gracious and sweet about all the attention.

Hannah, we Dashing Eccentrics salute you!

I took this picture in Veteran's Memorial Park, an amphitheatre overlooking the Napa River. It was a typical small-town American Fourth, emphasizing family, food, and fireworks after dark. Cruising up and down the river on a yacht and watching the fireworks burst straight overhead looks like a lot of fun, doesn't it! But the best part was the mellow, friendly feeling of the crowd.

Napa is an agricultural town in California, which means there is a large population of south-of-the-border immigrants living here and providing the skilled, difficult labor involved in growing and harvesting wine grapes - the foundation of every fortune in the valley. Everyone understands the painstaking activity required to make Napa fruit some of the most sought after in the world, and everyone knows exactly who is doing that work. It's not the case everywhere in the state, but in Napa the agricultural workers get some of the respect they deserve for their labor and knowledge. How i enjoyed seeing families of all hues out enjoying the holiday side by side, seeing the ideals of the holiday come alive.

Blog News: It has come to my attention that people to whom i am not related have been commenting on this blog. Some have even become followers. Many thanks to you and to all the people who visit! But do realize that you're only encouraging me...............