Sailing on the SF Bay

One of Matt's coworkers generously offered to take us out sailing on the San Francisco Bay the other weekend, and we gladly accepted. The day started out cold and a bit rainy as we headed out, but by the early afternoon, the weather cleared up and it was almost warm out on the water with a steady wind. Matt especially enjoyed learning about the different sail configurations and how to maximize efficiency and speed. He was also a natural at steering (something which I never quite got he hang of). I snapped a couple pictures before things got too wet and wild.

DIY wedding bands

Last month, Matt and I made our wedding bands at a jeweler's studio in SF. Adam, our jeweler for the day, was a fantastic teacher and helped us turn a little hunk of platinum into two gorgeous rings. First, we cut the bar in two; a larger piece for Matt's ring and a smaller one for mine. Then we used a press to roll the two pieces into thinner strips. With Adam's guidance, we bent and pounded the strips into a rough circle, then brazed the joints together with platinum solder. What followed was a few hours of pounding, annealing, and sanding to get the rings completely circular and looking polished. We sent mine off to a professional engraver and stone setter for some extra sparkle. We couldn't be happier with how they turned out!

    

Matt sawing the joint of my ring so that the two ends are completely flush

Annealing the rings after pounding them into circles

Matt really liked all the steps that involved fire

Our rings after a day in the studio

All finished and lookin' fancy

April!

It's been a pretty quiet April for us. We've been busy with home improvement projects, wedding plans,  a couple hikes here and there, time with friends, and neighborhood walks. It's been a good month!

Butano State Park

Spring is here!

I took a walk in Filoli Gardens this week and soaked in all the new life.  Spring is definitely here in California! 

Fall Creek

Stacey and I went for a hike at Fall Creek Unit, part of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, near Felton, CA today. It was a beautiful hike through 2nd growth redwood and douglas fir, following a babbling creek up to deserted limekilns dating back to the 1870's.

New frontiers in the kitchen

For Christmas this year, my parents surprised Matt with a top-of-the-line food dehydrator.  Not one to back down from a challenge, Matt has been experimenting with making apple and pear chips for the past couple of weeks.  We've been enjoying these so much that we've not made it much further into the world of dehydrating yet, but the possibilities are endless.  On the list for future snacks are yogurt, fruit leathers, teas, and kale chips, just to name a few.  Stay tuned!

Hidden Villa hiking

Last weekend, Matt and I headed over to Hidden Villa for a hike back in the foothills. We stopped by to visit with the animals before starting the hike, a prerequisite whenever we visit the farm. We were delighted to meet a pack of new baby lambs, and greet the piglets that have been growing steadily since last summer.  Our hike was mossy and the day was one of the clearest we've had in many weeks -- we were able to see all the way to the mountains in the East Bay.