Sky Diving is a fancy way of falling

Today's adventure is  simple, sky diving.  This was my second time. It was Judy's first time and her friend Shamala's 3rd.

A few things about this trip. 

1. No fancy suites

2. Training lasted 5 minutes

3. Plane sat 10 people.

4. It was really cold.

5. It was cold and I had nothing intresting to say the whole video that I had. I shall try and post later. 

Here are some pictures enjoy!

Simple enough

Getting all strapped in.

Judy and Shamla my sky diving buddies

Judy, me, Shamla

Origami Lucky Star

First Star

A few weeks ago, I was falling asleep at my desk. I was bored out of my mind. I don't want to read the books I brought because they are making me sleepy. The coffee I've drank had not hit my system yet. I kept looking at my jacket longingly to ball it up and use it as my pillow. I forgot my phone at home, so I don't even have the option of texting random people to keep me company. I had just moved locations so don't know anyone in the new building. Clicking on the random article so much I think I was burning a hole in the screen. So instead of having my head slam down on the desk like I was was about too, I found this website http://www.origami-fun.com/origami-lucky-star.html. There I learned to make a lucky paper star. The first one didn't work out so well because I was trying to push on the points on in the center. The second star worked a lot better. These are very easy to make! I had seen people make them out of straw wrappers at Outback before and was always amazed. Now I can amaze people! If you click on the link then you can too!  

Second Star

Grapes of Wine

As part of my personal quest to find new adventures, this adventures actually started a few months ago. I had decided back in like July that if it is was possible, I would like to help harvest some wine grapes. It is my goal to get re-connected to how things are made, created, and the effort it takes to make them happen.

So many times I walk into the grocery store and grab whatever I need, but more often than not, I have no idea how much time or effort it takes to make those things. Like so many people and the giant “They” of the world says, we are getting more and more disconnected from our food. To try and stop the cycle I am reaching out, give my time and energy, to help people and learn something new.

My adventure started with an unknown number come up on my cell phone? I didn’t recognize the number so waited until it reached voice mail and checked it out durning lunch. It was a guy name Dave, from Virginia Mountain Vineyards. They had started to harvest their Chardonnay grapes had seen that I was interested in helping and wanted to let me know. I told him I couldn’t make it during the week, but if they were still picking this weekend I’d love to help.

I waited until Friday, called back and confirmed that they were still harvesting, he said yes. So I told my friend Judy about this adventures, she agreed, and we headed out early Saturday morning to pick some grapes.

We were there for about two hours and learned a lot of useful information. Here are just some of the fun facts that we learned:

Chardonnay Grapes

Gapes get harvested at different times of the year. Until then, I assumed that they all were picked at the same time. We only picked the Chardonnay grapes. I am waiting for a call to help with the merlot graps.

All grapes are currently hand picked.

Walk in fridge.

As soon as you pick these grapes they are to ferment. To slow down the process these grapes are put in a very large walk in refidgerator.

One way they can tell the grapes are ready is when the birds start to eat the grapes. They then pick some, do some testing, and can even send grapes off to other locations to analznie if they are ready.

If you go to a wine festival, even though you probably bout a ticket, the local vineyards are kind of expecting you to buy a bottle of wine. Not maybe for each vendor, but at least one, especially if there are samples. Think of it as going out to eat, you pay for your dinner, and then you give your waiter/waitress a tip (If you don’t you suck as a person and need to rethink how the food industry works)

The blended wines does not get mixed until AFTER they have been made.

Most grape vines don’t start making grapes until they are about 5 years old.

Birds do not eat all the grapes on a cluster. They poke there beaks in one or two and move on. Bees like the sugars and hang around these broken grapes to get the juice.

Wearing a hat covered in bug spray is a good idea.

Your hands will be very sticky.

The tools are very sharp.