“A sunset is the sun’s fiery kiss to the night.” —Crystal Woods
Cecile and I picked up our and our good friends Nelson and Susan Bye's take-out order from Hong’s Gourmet Cuisine in downtown Saratoga. On the way back, we saw this magnificent fiery sunset over the 13.9 acre Central Park Orchard, a Saratoga Heritage Landmark that ensures that the land would remain undeveloped. Years ago I used to dowatercolor paintings with the Saratoga Community of Painters. Before Silicon Valley became the global center of technology, the valley was known for acres of orchards that covered its landscape. I had to stop to take it all in and took the attached photo. I had also decided to take a selfie with the sunset in the backdrop but then decided why spoil something that was already beautiful on its' own:-) When we got to Nelson and Susan Byes' home I had asked Nelson if he had noticed the sunset since the back of their townhome has an unobstructed view of the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Sure enough, Nelson had taken a photo as well.
Nelson and I had a bottle of Pliny the Elder that gets its’ “World-Class” street cred for popularizing the double IPA from the Russian River brewery. I don’t normally like the bitter taste of IPAs but this one is balanced with fruity hop aromas and flavors and was a nice counter-balance to the sweet Chinese sauces of the sesame chicken, Chicken Chow Mein and the Filet Mignon in Black Pepper Sauce Cecile and I ordered.
An avid collector of wine, Nelson also offered us a glass of a red proprietary blend of wine from “The Prisoner” Label in Napa Valley. Apparently, Lady Gaga’s Las Vegas residency backstage is stocked with Prisoner wines. The controversial name was inspired by the classic sketch Le Petit Prisoner by nineteenth-century Spanish artist Francisco Goya.
