This is Anfield.

After finishing a nice plate of Scouse, I asked Thud how Liverpool (the football club) were doing in their match against Tottenham Hotspur.  (It is a tradition of my English family to have Scouse on Saturday and then watch the footy results.)  "Well, you can find out for yourself," Thud said, "Come on."  What?  Yes, Thud was taking me to the match.  A quick drive into Liverpool, Anfield to be exact, and I found myself on the most hallowed of grounds: the LFC stadium.  (Seating capacity 44,741 + one Vinogirl.)
Not without some major bother, my sister in law, Mrs Thud, had managed to procure a couple of tickets to this evening's match.  What a surprise!  I was in a bit of a state of shock, walking through the streets of Liverpool, past La Serenissma's recently demolished grammar school (very sad), until I finally parked my bum in my seat and realised I was actually at the game.
And a great game it was.  The end result may have been a 1-1 draw, but it was a very entertaining match.  From the rousing rendition at the outset of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' to the standing ovation at the conclusion of the match that the Liverpool squad received from The Kop, and every other person that bleeds Liverpool Red in the audience, I was enthralled by the whole experience.  And then I sneaked down to the pitch and took this photograph from the corner.  Goal!

Go 'ed girl!

Yesterday, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers held their 13^th annual Napa County Pruning Contest.  The weather couldn't have been more cooperative on a day when the industry’s top vineyard workers get to challenge each other in the art, and speed, of grapevine pruning.  And the winners were;
Women’s Division:
1st Place: Celia Perez, V. Sattui
2nd Place: Maria Romero, Walsh Vineyard Management
3rd Place: Maria Dolores Torres, Promontory
4th Place: Maricruz Gutierrez, The Napa Valley Reserve
Men’s Division:
1st Place: Omar Perez, Joseph Phelps
2nd Place: Victor Silvestre, Renteria
3rd Place: Rolando Esquivel, Beckstoffer Vineyards
4th Place: Jesus Juarez, Moulds Family Vineyard
Now, I wouldn't normally be as specific as to name names, except for the fact that this year, for the first time, women were able to compete.  And it's about time that women were included in this fun contest.  Beginning at 8 a.m., at Beringer Vineyards Gamble Ranch, each contestant pruned six Chardonnay vines in the preliminary leg of the competition. Three judges reviewed the quality of the cuts which accounted for 40% of the total score, and the time it took to prune the vines which accounted for the remaining 60% of the score. The top six scoring women and top eight scoring men moved on to the finals, where four men and four women placed as winners.
Good job girls!

What wine goes with...No. 5.

...Scouse? Nothing! For God's sake, who would pair wine with a good plate of Scouse? And, it was indeed a great rendition of a classic Liverpool dish...thanks Thud!

Goodbye Blighty.

The last day of my holiday arrived.
It was an all round good day; had a leisurely stroll in the park, watched a cricket match, ate Scouse for dinner, had some relatives stop by to say cheerio, and watched the Eurovision Song Contest. A very English day.
The main reason for my trip home was the expectant arrival of a new niece. For two weeks I asked my sister-in-law, several times a day, if she was having any twinges, but nothing...howzat! I had insisted on a fine bottle of something bubbly from Thud's cellar after dinner as I was determined to wet the baby's head, even if she was refusing to come out and meet her auntie Vinogirl, before I jetted off.
It turns out I wasn't disappointed after all. I had 45 mins with the 40 minute old little darling before I was driven to Manchester Airport.
She's a little corker!