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Thirsty Thursday: Inyo Wilderness

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: 2010 Joyce Chardonnay 

Around this time last year, teamwelliver was backpacking in the Inyo Wilderness. Great time! This year, we're a bit separated. Beth is off in Nicaragua (you can follow her adventure at http://pdxnica.tumblr.com/).  Pretty cool to be getting an MBA and traveling to cool places. She'll be putting together a documentary of the trip so stay tuned.

The Mas and I are headed up to  Feather Falls, CA for a bit of exploring. We're not backpacking this time, just day hikes around the area. We'll be basing out of Chico, CA. The good thing is that we'll (well, I'll...she's always) be unplugged. Enjoy your weekend!

 

Thirsty Thursday: Mountains

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: Poppy Pinot Noir

I can't believe it's another Thursday. Even worse, I can't believe I don't have Friday off. . . darn the government and figuring the money things out (sort of).  Oh, well, such is life. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Hopefully there won't be too much "work" over it. And since I've been working quite a bit lately, I haven't had the time to go through Germany and Italy pictures (yes, I know this is not good). Fortunately, the library is quite extensive, so here's a few from close to this same time two years ago. The Eastern Sierras are something at sunrise. You really can't appreciate how huge and majestic they are until you're standing below them. The reflection of color in the water gives all the shots a sense of peace. Here's to a relaxing weekend!

Thirsty Thursday: Italian Wine Chasing

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: 2009 Nada Fiorenzo Barbaresco Rombone

Thirsty Thursday here again! Time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. This week's installment is full of yummy drinkable goodness, but is not really a weekend destination from California. Welliver Photography was fortunate to spend a week wandering around Italy with nothing to do but eat amazing food, drink incredible wines, and take pictures.  

We scored a private wine tasting (thanks Wendy!) at a great family-owned winery called Nada Fiorenzo, not too far from Alba, Italy. The Piedmont region is known for its barbaresco, nebbiolo, barolo, barbara, and dolcetto varietals, and Nada Fiorenzo's barbaresco definitely did not disappoint. Plus, getting the opportunity to taste wine one-on-one with the son of the winemaker (who will likely take over as winemaker down the road) was incredible. We really learned about the wines while also getting a sense of the pride and love affair the family has with its vines, grapes, and wines. Great experience. Thanks Danilo! 

After tasting we wandered around the endless vineyards...and spent most of the rest of the day doing the same in and around Alba. It was such a beautiful area of Italy and I would love to go back to do an agriturismo stay at a vineyard in the area. 

Rodello

The view from Castello di Grinzane Cavour

So, I won't be getting back to Italy this weekend, or any weekend anytime soon...but fortunately I can still enjoy some great wine and cool vineyards right here in Monterey County. Enjoy your weekend! 

Thirsty Thursday: Lichtenstein Views

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: 2007 De Tierra Pinot Noir 

Beth's last Two Word Tuesday inspired me to finally begin to dig into my photos from Germany and Italy. We both have thousands of shots to go through and I have been having a hard time motivating myself to edit them. I'm not sure why, but it's just been tough lately. I suppose the best way to start is just to start. . .so, I picked the day with only a dozen images. To my dismay, sifting through the dozen photos took me quite a while. I think it had something to do with trying to style the photos. I kept feeling like they needed a vintage look or something like that. Perhaps I should have more wine. I finally settled on these seven shots.

 They were all taken almost immediately after I arrived at Beth's hostel in Germany. Well, I take that back. When I first arrived at Beth's hostel, she was still in class, so I let myself in and immediately fell asleep (jet lag gets me every time). Beth woke me up sometime later and we were off to the castle. I don't think I was entirely sure where I was and I didn't even know what castle it was until I saw her Two Word Tuesday! I promise many more shots are coming. Enjoy the weekend!

Thirsty Thursday: About a Year Ago

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: 2009 Ventana Rubystone

About a year ago we were lost in the wilderness. Specifically, we were in the Eldorado National Forest Desolation Wilderness, CA searching for a place to camp and walking across seemingly endless granite. The Mas was enjoying everything about the adventure save the blisters on her paws from the granite. We were enjoying the views and watching her run around. Looking through the archive this evening, I stumbled across a few shots that neither of us posted. Happy virtual Friday!

Thirsty Thursday: Celebrations

Rambler:  Beth

Drink at Hand: 2011 Noble Vines 446 Chardonnay

Thirsty Thursday here again! Time to pour something yummy and celebrate! What are we celebrating? Today happens to be my dad's birthday, so Welliver Photography is raising a glass to my dad for kicking butt through what's been a tough year, and to my mom for kicking butt right along side him.  

Terry and I are very fortunate to have parents who get along very well. With our families spread across the country, it helps that we can all get together in one place and have a good time on those rare occasions when we get to see one another. Back in May we extended a trip to Colorado to see Terry's parents in Wyoming...and my parents came out from Iowa so we could all be together for a few days! There's always good BBQ, good drinks (margies, wine, beer, whatever), and good laughs.  

This was dad's first trip to Wyoming since becoming a paraplegic, so it was nice for me to see him away from home. He even showed off with a little walking!  

Happy Birthday Dad!  

Everyone else, get out there and celebrate something this weekend!

Thirsty Thursday: Esslingen, Germany

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: Ventana Monterey Red Table Wine  

Thirsty Thursday here again! Time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. We just got back from a little time away in Europe. I spent two weeks in Germany doing a little school work, then Terry joined me and we headed to Italy for a week. All around awesome!  

While in Germany I was staying just south of Stuttgart in a town called Reutlingen. On the train ride from Stuttgart to Reutlingen I noticed this quaint town with what seemed like miles of vineyards around it. I made note of the name...Esslingen. One evening after classes were done for the day (and after too many nights of biergartens) I decided to go on a solo exploratory stroll around Esslingen...on the train I hopped and off I went. I didn't have an agenda, just to see the sites, and hopefully capture some grape vines overlooking the city. I didn't find exactly what I wanted, but I still found some great old buildings and some cool views from the old city wall. Definitely an worthwhile outing! 

Totally jealous of these mountain bikers. 

Just a few from a little city wandering. Many more photos of our euroadventure coming!  

Thirsty Thursday: Spring Flowers

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: Ventana Red Table Wine

With the summer months rolling on and the greeniness disappearing, it's nice to look back on the time a few short months ago when the flowers ruled the landscape. 

Thirsty Thursday: Sunset

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: 2007 Enrico Serafino Roero (italy preparation)

With Beth being out of pocket this last week, you'd think I'd have time to draft a Thirsty Thursday, set it down for a while, and then come back and proof it. Alas, though, it's been just as busy with her gone as it was with her here! Perhaps even more so! It's amazing what sucks the time away. I blame the dog mostly (not too much though because she's a rockstar!). So, between taking care of things around the house and making sure our travel plans for Italy are in order I almost forgot this post. In fact, we've both been so busy lately, I had to dig through the archives for a few decent pics to post. Hopefully, our upcoming Italiano adventure will help us both recenter on taking more beautiful shots (and not just of the Mas). Here's a few from the beginning of last year...wow, that's over a year ago now. These were taken on the way home from our Hanta adventure (dig through the archives to find that gem of an adventure!) somewhere near Paicines, California.  The sunset at this fork in the road on that day was spectacular. Enjoy the weekend! 

Thirsty Thursday: Switzerland Memories

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: Ventana Red Table Wine

Beth's leaving for Germany soon and then I'll be joining her in the near future in Italy, I figured it was appropriate tonight to sift through a few of our last European adventure to Switzerland. You could probably go back through the archives on the blog (March 2012) and find some better shots, but something new (or rather unposted) was in order for tonight. If Italy happens to be anything like Switzerland, I think we may never come back.  Of course, I do hope it's a bit warmer

Thirsty Thursday: Wyoming Skies

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: Lamarca Prosecco

Hey Welliver Photography friends...Thristy Thursday here again. Time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans! I finished yet another quarter of my MBA earlier this week (hence the prosecco) and finally have time to write a post and share some photos. Even better, I have recent photos to share! 

We spent a little time in Wyoming at the end of May visiting Terry's parents. My parents joined us from Iowa and one evening we found time to go for a drive. We ended up on some random road north of Cheyenne, chasing the last few rays of light in a constantly evolving sky. I'm sure my mom (photo assistant for the evening) was confused by my ADHD scrambling, but at least she's smart enough to avoid the steamy cow pies as we went running across pastures to get the right composition. 

We ended up with some incredible yet fleeting clouds. And some incredible but fleeting color. There for a minute, gone the next. It felt good to be out in my photographic element though. All is right with the world when I'm there, unencumbered by case studies, group papers, accounting problem sets, or the usual work issues.

Smiles. All around. 

In case you want to visit that tree, we were way out on Whitaker Road, northwest of Cheyenne. Or, better yet, get out there and find your own tree and crazy sky this weekend.  

Thirsty Thursday: Wyoming Sunset

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: 2010 Ancient Peaks Malbec

A quick post tonight from a lonely road north of Cheyenne, WY. The ocean is replaced by the rolling hills of the prairie. The clouds are gorgeous, but a bit different than clouds over the ocean. It's also quite windy. This is the standard for Wyoming. Fortunately, these few handheld shots came out okay. Here's to hoping you're able to find something beautiful this weekend!

Thirsty Thursday: USAFA Class of 2013

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: 2010 Le Orme Barbera D'Asti Superiore​

Yesterday we attended the USAF Academy Class of 2013 graduation. 11 years ago, we were in those shoes. I barely remember the day. Both Beth and I were trying to remember what we did after graduation and we still can't. The day (actually the several days) was just a blur . . . a good blur. From pinning on butter bars to attending awards ceremonies, to checking out of the Academy, it all just blurs together now. I remember receiving my diploma, saluting, and shaking a hand or two. I remember throwing my hat, but that's about it. After four years (or five for me - prep school), it was over. What a fantastic experience. 

​This year, we were back to watch a friend, Lauryn, pin on her butter bars. Watching her and the thousand or so newly minted second lieutenants graduate was simply awesome (and yes, it gave us both chills). Congrats Lauryn, well earned and well deserved. 

Congrats to the Class of 2013 . . . go do great things!​

Thirsty Thursday: View from Another Top

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: Ice Water

I should be packing right now, but I decided to take a break and post a few notes on the adventure we may be taking. We're not sure if we're actually going to go through with it yet, but we're prepping for it. Weather, both precipitation and wind, will be the deciding factors. I think we can take a bit of snow, but high winds will probably mean a no go. Oh, so, what's the adventure. . . to summit Mt. Shasta of course. Having never hiked 14er that's covered in snow, we're a bit leery. You have to start somewhere I suppose. We think we have the right gear (better sleeping bag for me is key).  Beth has of course researched more than me, but we've both read some about the hike. The hope is that we get some decent weather this weekend, but it's not looking so good at this point. We'll be checking the Shasta Avalanche site for details on the current conditions and will probably make the decision to go or not tomorrow. Wish us luck if we decide to have a go!

But on to the photographs for tonight. Talking about climbing a big mountain always makes me think of taking the train (yep, riding, not hiking or climbing) to the Top of Europe.​ It was definitely cold up there and windy, but not as high as Shasta. The views though, were amazing!

​

​Only 11,782ft

Thirsty Thursday: Mono Lake Sunset

​Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: Monterey Red Table Wine

​It was probably not the best day to be at Mono Lake. Well, in the sense that there was very little drama in the sky. We have found that this is pretty typical for us when we attempt to capture a sunset. That's not to say that we don't get clouds and a fantastic sunset every now and then (because we have) . . . . but it seems that a clear sky is our norm . . . especially when we are looking for a sunset. I suppose that's typical, it always happens when you're not really looking for it. Regardless, here are a few shots of Mono just before sunset and then one at sunset. If you haven't been, it's worth a trip. Kind of an alien like place. And besides, then you're on the eastern side of the mountains and the Eastern Sierras are gorgeous.

Thirsty Thursday: An Adventure

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: Ventana Red Table Wine

Another weekend is near and another adventure is scheduled. I'm not sure where we're going yet, but here are some shots from a previous adventure (or hike). Depending on the amount of homework and other work we have this weekend, we may be heading south to SLO for some vino and other exploring. A break from the normal is definitely needed. I know the Mas (whom is resting near me as I write this) will be up for it!​

​

Thirsty Thursday: Distant Bridge

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: Ventana Red Table Wine

Once again, we find ourselves seemingly out of time to write a proper blog post...but perhaps that doesn't matter. Perhaps, it's okay to dig through the archived photographs. You never know what you'll find or what you'll end up posting. Tonight I took a few minutes to browse photographs from Switzerland, random hikes, the Alabama Hills, and even street photographs from trips to Portland. I ended up settling on just a couple coastal shots. I think I liked the wideness of the shots with the crystal clear sky. It makes you feel small and you can feel stress just fade away. You'd think I get tired of shooting the coast, but I don't. Such a beautiful coast. Sometimes I don't think we make over to the coast enough. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it!

Thirsty Thursday: Stuck on Lupines

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: 2008 Twomey Merlot

Not much to say this week. Work has been keeping us both pretty busy but we've been lucky enough to get the Mas out for some short runs. As far as shooting outings, they've been few and far between again. I think this may be my last post of lupines for the season, but they were sure awesome this year. Hopefully, we (and you) can get out there this weekend for a mini-adventure!​

Thirsty Thursday: More Lupines!

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: Ventana Red Table Wine (again)​

The lupines at Ft Ord are fading fast. The long grass has pretty much overtaken them. They are still visible, but not as grand a couple weeks ago. In last Thursday's post, Beth posted a few of her lupine photos. I always find it surprising the different compositions we find at the same location. If I remember right, she was shooting with her trusty 24-70mm and for my shots, I started with a 40mm and then switched to 180mm. Prime lenses are just awesome. I still think she may have taken the shot of the day (first picture from last week's post).​ I'm not sure if we'll be able to get out this weekend to shoot, but I know the Mas and us with have some sort of adventure (always do). Happy almost Friday!

​The Exception

​oh, and of course, the mas loved the entire shoot...