Fierce

Konocti Region, Clear Lake
Lake County, California


My favorite part of this beautiful stretch of land I live in?! Its unsung rugged beauty. And while living in this glorious oasis of sweetness and countryside might most often begin with haltingly apologetic acknowledgement - oh, so unsure and very definitely misinterpreted - nevertheless, its landscape signifies a bold juxtaposition of humanity, bravely vetting itself against the scoffing snobbery of its southern counterpart, Napa.

It's as if the supercilious idiocy of the latter, while outwardly flaunting and touting appearances of luxury, will ultimately reveal itself as nothing more than a heavily makeup-caked stage madam, desperate to redirect attention from what will surely come to be a washed-up, second-rate performance, begging for yet another encore in an effort to extend borrowed time. For borders of desert scrub brush surround such territory, almost in gleeful audience, biding time until it devours these acres of pseudo self-importance, estates at a time. And no matter the arrogance or vacuous trifling of autocracy and/or east coast ownership, the tired crescendo of pandering will surely decay, only to leave them noisily vying for whatever's left of the sorely tapped reserves of any residual ground water.

At the end of the day, wells run dry, coin can only go so far, and reality will always trump perception - no matter the pomp and circumstance.

But here?! Mmmmm... the lushness of the Pacific Northwest generously grants pockets of pine and redwood, lilting and beguiling, wanting and hopeful, as if each tendril of wildflower sings a beckoning song of freedom and ease in the laughter and hues of yellow and lavender. Blissfully welcoming each cluster of pine into the presence of the oak. Merging. Becoming. Glorying. Existing. Breathing an innocence that basks within bucolic reverence.

So perfect. So ours.

Yes, our Lake County vineyards occupy hillsides upon hillsides of grape and leaf, Merlot and Cabernet, Pinot and Chardonnay, dismissing any prejudice upon the taste of their own exquisite flavor and the recognition of mountain air, mountain grown, mountain home.

For it's here that earth and sky meet the potency of the pureness of oxygen in a community of resilience unmatched; and while it might seem to present to the outside world as unschooled, untamed, unkempt, too poverty-stricken, and perhaps fodder for mockery by the self-professed and "sophisticated", it is real. On every single level. It's as if the scorched earth and the vast green of the endless meadows meld together in the same way that our community and people do - dearest friends embracing collective human kind - one that has experienced endurance and heartache and will always rise again. One that will never take for granted what truly matters and will find the diamond in the barest vulnerability of each other's souls. Triumph over heartache. Prosperity over positioning. Essence over the changing facades of power or popularity.

Yes, this is Lake County. This is God's land. And this is the place I'm proud to call 'home'.

#LakeCountyInvest #BuyLocal #LakeCountyStrong#LakeCountyWines #VisitLakeCounty

Living Joy - This Carman Girl