cat shepard

@StLouisCruisers Sandi Elliott Rose is just so darn cute!

@luvteaching Happy Anniversary & Happy Birthday! May your new year be filled with love, laughter, great health for you & DH and a cruise!

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it! Thank you for starting us off, Sandi! Rich, thank you for sharing your cruise with us and making sure the R & D continued while you were cruising. Vanessa, thank you for taking care of our lists! Dixie & Debbie thank you for being such great members of the Food & Beverage team! A very laid back Sunday. The Northeast winds are whipping and there is a fine mist falling. So fine, that Bindi had no trouble going on her morning walk. Hope we actually get some rain today. Celebrating Easter with the family at a local restaurant, so we can all enjoy a great meal & relax. Bindi walks. I might plant a few seeds today. Not sure what else I will get up to. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Happy Anniversary @ger_77, Gerry! Get well & stay well everyone! ********* Giesen Chardonnay Marlborough The Fuder Single Vineyard Clayvin 2017 You just might be able to find this New Zealand Chardonnay. I found one online p distributor that appears to ship to me. It has excellent reviews from consumers and at least one critic. It might have a hint of oak. The distributor I found offered it for $14.97. 94 Wine Enthusiast Pale gold with a green tinge, this exudes pineapple rind, preserved lemon, honey, butter cream and toast. It's ripe and concentrated with some showy oak, but it never goes overboard on either. The palate is rich with a lactic texture, the lemony acidity tempered by toasty oak. The tangy fruits lingers on the persistent finish. It would make a top drop with buttery lobster or similarly rich seafood fare.

@TiogaCruiser they are sandhill cranes.

Thank you for getting us started, Sandi! Rich, thank you for pulling the info together for us! A lovely pink tint to the sky, we are supposed to get rain tomorrow. 🤞🏻 Vanessa, thank you for keeping track of our Cares & Celebrations! @Overhead Fred Fred & Mitzi - Happy Anniversary! @smitty34877 Terry, praying that the new aide stays with you and Tana. A quick trip to the gym, the local nursery and then my landscape folk come to plant my new plants. I might still have a few gaps left, but they will be easier to find once the new plants are in the ground. Orayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ************* DeLille D2 Columbia Valley 2019 This red blend sounds amazing! This well known winemaker has created a wine that both consumers and critics love! Lots of excellent reviews & this wine has come into its own in 2023. Available from numerous online distributors with prices starting at $37.98. Winemaker Notes #30 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022 The 2019 D2 aromas dance effortlessly between savory and dried fruit characteristics. Cranberries, roasted coffee beans, cassis and burnt orange are highlighted by deep, rich barrel tones of nutmeg, vanilla bean, dark chocolate and clove. As the wine develops in the glass, the fruit profile shifts between red and dark fruits, a trademark of D2 that we love. An inviting freshness and pronounced herbal quality on the palate leads to a structure that is refined despite the wine's youth. Cellar for 15+ years. Blend: 60% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot JD94 Jeb Dunnuck The 2019 D2 (60% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) is terrific, with a ruby/purple hue as well as gorgeous cassis and black cherry fruits, notes of spicy, dried herbs, and lead pencil, medium to full body, and a pure, balanced, undeniably delicious profile. It's going to keep for 15-20 years and is one heck of a wine. Best After 2022. WS94 Wine Spectator Polish meets structure in this red, which offers well-defined black cherry, toasty spice and bay leaf accents as this slowly unfurls toward fine-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now V93 Vinous Masses of crushed wild blueberries, tart cherry, sage nuances and a hint of spiced citrus rinds waft up from the 2019 D2. This is elegant and silky in feel, with peppery-tinged red and blue fruits underscored by saline-mineral tones that add a lovely tactile feel toward the close. It tapers off structured and concentrated, and yet it maintains a fantastically fresh persona. Frankly, it's amazing to think that the D2 is the "entry-level" Bordeaux blend from DeLille Cellars. The 2019 is a Merlot-heavy blend rounded out with 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. WE91 Wine Enthusiast Merlot comprises 60% of this wine and Cabernet Sauvignon 34%, with the rest bits of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The aromas pull you into the glass, with notes of plum, raspberry, chocolate, vanilla and spice. The flavors are reserved and creamy feeling, delivering on all that promise. JS91 James Suckling Aromas of ripe red cherry, red licorice, dried sage and suede. Full-bodied with firm tannins. Wet-mineral character mixes with bright red fruit. Ripe raspberries, cherries and sweet paprika. Toasted finish. 67% merlot, 28% cabernet sauvignon, 3% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Best after 2023.

@StLouisCruisers Happy Birthday, Sandi! May your new year be filled with love, laughter, great health & a cruise or two!

Thank you Sandi for getting us started & all the work you do to share Port of the day pictures! Rich thanks to you for making sure the R & D continues while you tour the World. Vanessa thank you for so diligently capturing what is happening with us ! A bit of a marine layer & fog this morning. Last night’s Pink Moonrise was spectacular! Almost as bright as a sunrise! Thank you Graham for the cute Easter video, @grapau27 Off to the gym. Then Bindi walks & chores. 🤞🏻 that I get a call from my local nursery that my last group of plants have arrived. Tomorrow is planting day! Maybe some pool time. For all the cat lovers touring the US, who need “a purr fix”… , Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Good luck Ren & the entire FC Dallas team! Get well & stay well everyone! ********** Oberon 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, California This Sauvignon Blanc has very good reviews from consumers and at least one critic. I used the 2020 info, since that should be easiest to find. Available from numerous online distributors with prices starting at $15.99. Winemaker Notes Bright natural acidity with layered fresh flavors of green apple, tart kiwi, pear, and melon. "With each vintage, we want Oberon Sauvignon Blanc to show bright natural acidity and fresh flavors. We also want an underlying richness and complexity that balances the wine and adds fullness and length," says winemaker Tony Coltrin. Critical Acclaim WW89 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com COMMENTARY: The 2020 Oberon Sauvignon Blanc is well-made and focused. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of dried earth, ripe fruit, and chalk. Enjoy it with grilled oysters. (Tasted: February 3, 2022, San Francisco, CA)

The Pink Moon rising. Spectacular. And so bright!

Sandi How amazing for Ren, you & all the family, his team and fans!

Thank you for starting us off, Sandi. Rich, thank you for giving Sandi the foundation that makes her task a bit easier! Vanessa, thank you for taking care of our lists. It is another gorgeous morning in the neighborhood. Our amazing Easterly breezes/winds have made the hot temps enjoyable and really helped keep the humidity down. That probably means they have kept the much needed rain away. Just Zumba, Bindi walks, and chores for me today. My neighbors and I are starting to plan our Spring block party. We are going to celebrate our “piece” of the planet on Earth Day. 🤞🏻 Hoping for good weather. Prayers for all who need our support. Thinking of you @kazu, Jacqui. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone. ********** Calera Pinot Noir Mount Harlan Jensen Vineyard 2019 This California Pinot Noir sounds amazing. But it comes with a price tag that takes it outside of my budget. Available from quite a few online distributors with prices starting at $94.89. Winemaker Notes #92 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022 At more than 40 years old, the coveted old vines of Jensen Vineyard have produced a stunning wine that offers depth, elegance and layered complexity. On the nose, aromas of ripe plum and persimmon flirt with more dramatic black fruit undertones. The palate is lush and mouth-filling, striking a seamless balance between energetic red berry flavors and deeper flavors of black cherry and blackberry that glide to a long, resonant finish. JS95 James Suckling A medium-bodied red with very poised and fine fleshy texture, with strawberries, orange peel and hints of hazelnut. Fruit tea. Juicy, long and flavorful, yet always reserved and focused. Refined and polished. WE94 Wine Enthusiast Rugged cherry aromas meet with earth herbs, star anise and gamy charcuterie on the nose of this bottling, which was grown in true limestone at 2,200 feet. That rugged character rolls through the palate, featuring wild plums, salted meat, bay leaf and wood oil, with enough texture and acidity to last awhile. WS93 Wine Spectator Very fresh, featuring raspberry, blood orange and mulberry fruit that's well-defined and backed by mouthwatering acidity. Offers rose petal and savory notes along the way. A nice piercing minerality extends the finish. Best from 2023 through 2032.

Thank you for starting our day, Sandi! Loved the pictures of Ren scoring & the celebration with his teammates! Rich, thank you for setting things up, so we can keep going. Vanessa, thank you for capturing & sharing our happenings. A really dense fog this morning. Seems to be moving in from the shore. Heading to another nursery this morning to hunt for the rest of the plants on my list. Then Bindi walks, chores and my HIIT class. Prayers for all who need our support. Thinking of you @kazu Jacqui. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone! ******* Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu 2021 This Loire wine sounds perfect for a hot, humid day! Light, dry and not too sweet! And fairly easy to find! Lots of consumer and critic fans. Quite a few online distributors with prices starting at $31.99. Winemaker Notes #83 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022 The original Huët vineyard is nearly 9 hA. It has the richest soils of the domaine’s three crus - a deep limestone-clay - and the wines are generally the estate’s most approachable. In some vintages, small quantities from nearby estate parcels may be added to Le Haut-Lieu. V94 Vinous This is a very fine, fragrant and floral Le Haut Lieu Sec. While delicate, the 2021 fills the mouth with a cloud of pure fruit reminiscent of violets, apple and nectarine skin. There's a fine sinew that pulls the wine through on the finish. It can be approached in its youth but will go on and on. JS93 James Suckling A wealth of sliced-pear, white-peach and citrus-zest aromas with a hint of honeycomb makes this dry Vouvray very appealing. Abundant succulence in spite of the rather sleek palate. Long, very silky finish with impeccable balance. From bio dynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. WS91 Wine Spectator An elegant white with beautiful fruit purity, featuring freshly juiced apple, fleshy lychee and baking spice notes that build in intensity on the palate. Shows salty acidity that's nicely set against a buttercream note, with salted caramel marking the crackling finish.

@NextOne Edi, may your new year be filled with love, laughter, joy, great health and a cruise - or two!

We can always start a “Go Fund Me” campaign to raise bail money for you. 😎

Dixie, that is good news. Still hard to hear.

Carolyn, what wonderful news! 🥳 Hope DH’s bout with COVID is mild.

Praying that the news is good!

Welcome to the Daily! Hope to “see” more from you!

Thank you for getting us started Sandi! Rich thank you for setting up the program that allows us to continue! Vanessa, thank you for caring enough to capture and share all our events and happenings. @Mr. Boston thank you for that great shot of the city that you shared yesterday. I was born in Massachusetts about 30 minutes North of the city and spent my formative years there. Lots of fun trips into the “Big City”. And every now and then I drop an “r” or two. Another lovely morning here. Just chores, Bindi walks, one gym class and yard work. My local food bank asked me to change my morning to Wednesday, so things are a bit less hectic today. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ************ Trinity Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Hawkes Bay Prison Block 2020 Another elusive New Zealand wine. It sounds amazing, though pricey. I couldn’t find a distributor that would ship to me. But if I could, the price would be about $75/bottle + shipping. Definitely outside of my budget. Raymond Chan review "Full, deep, inky ruby-red, slightly lighter on the rim. The bouquet is full, immediately pleasing, enticing aromas of cedar and cocoa entwined with cassis, blackberry, menthol and an amalgam of spice. Full-bodied, concentrated aromas of cassis and blackberry interweave fragrant black tea, menthol, clove and nutmeg, cedar and cocoa lend a dry, savoury, long finish. The mouthfeel is dense and dry with a fine-grained structure, extended by meaty, savoury nuances. Effortless, balanced acidity supported through the layers and an exceedingly long finish. This well-structured Cabernet Sauvignon possesses a powerful, dense palate with multilayers and an extremely long finish. Match with tomahawk and braised short rib over the next 15 years. Fruit from Gimblett Gravels, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, handpicked, destemmed, 100% whole berries, fermented in a large closed top-fermenter to 14.5% alc, 15 days on skins, aged in new 225-litre French oak barriques for 19 months. No fining, minimal filtration." - 19/20, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

Fred, safe travels & Bon Voyage to you & Mitzi.

Thank you for starting us off, Sandi! And never missing a beat with your Port of the Day info and pictures! Rich, thank you for ensuring the Report & Daily can continue while you tour the World! Vanessa, thank you for capturing & sharing our events! We are a busy group. It was 70 with a slight breeze when Bindi and I headed out earlier. And there was quite a marine layer, that is just now beginning to burn off. Just sitting down with coffee outside and the birds are singing up a storm! The deer are starting to wander through for a drink. Mom & the twins just visited my back yard. Bindi is so good not to move or bark, even when they wander close to check her out. 😎 Gym, Bindi walks, chores will fill my day. I could see @RedneckBob using this joke! Easter is coming… Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! *********** Los Vascos Chardonnay, Colchagua Valley, Chile I used the 2022 vintage info, since I actually found a review for this one! Doesn’t sound too oaky, and it is widely available. Numerous distributors with prices starting at $7.95. Wine Enthusiast Review This refreshing everyday Chardonnay offers notes of grapefruit and peach followed by hints of smoke. Vibrant acidity makes the wine easy to drink on a hot summer day.

Thank you Sandi & Rich for making the Report & Daily happen! Thank you Vanessa for keeping track of all of us. Dawn is just starting to lighten the Eastern sky. It is already 69. Gym, Aldi, Bindi walks and maybe some pool time. I love sitting out on the deck in the evening, because it is Fawn Season! Last evening I saw this year’s twins skipping & hopping after Mom as she walked through my back yard. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone! ********* Laboure-Roi Chablis 1er Cru, Burgundy, France Another elusive wine, but this one is from France! I used the 2018 vintage info, but could find no critic reviews of recent vintages. Consumers rate it very good - excellent. I couldn’t find any local distributors, but there were several European distributors with prices starting at $35.95. If I could convince them to ship to me, I suspect the shipping costs would double my cost. Distributor notes Pale yellow in the glass. Aromatic with a classic Chardonnay note and fine minerality. Wonderfully vinous and round with delicate honey notes and a spicy finish.

#12

@ger_77 What a wonderful way to welcome that young couple to their new home, Gerry! Perhaps they can now believe the light at the end of the tunnel is a good thing. Bless you and your community. Ann

Amelia, you are gorgeous! But you probably already know this! 🐈

Thank you for starting us off, Sandi! Rich, thank you for making sure the Report & Daily continue each day! Another lovely morning sky. Last night’s dinner with the salmon & strawberry basil relish was a smash! I doubled the basil amount, and probably would have enjoyed even more. Thank you for hunting that down, Debbie! Vanessa, thank you for taking such great care of us & tracking our events. I have an early visit from my handyman to replace my pool enclosure door closing mechanisms. Both went caput in the same week and I had to detach them from the doors, so I could close them. I sense a conspiracy. 🤔. Then I am joining friends for a brunch at a local restaurant. Bindi walks and going out with my Sister & her Grandson for dinner will round out my day. I usually don’t eat two meals out on the same day, unless I am on vacation. Words to live by… The winners or the Guinness Book of World Records for # of cats in one box! Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ********* Cambridge Road Martinborough Dovetail 2020 Well this NZ Pinot noir - Syrah blend is another elusive wine, except for @erewhon I hope she & DH are trying the ones that sound good to them. There are no distributors that ship to me. If I visited New Zealand, I would spend the equivalent of $49.46 for a bottle. Winemaker notes Cambridge Road Vineyard is a small family farmed estate established in 1986. We focus our time and energy on perfecting and beautifying our land and cultivating it according to natural biodynamic and eco-farming principles. We believe in minimal intervention winemaking, low yields, and healthy living wines. We seek purity of voice in all our wines with a respect for the taste of place. We source organic fruit from other vineyards within the region and occasionally further afield to offer a wider selection of taste. A fascinating blend of Syrah and Pinot Noir. This has the beautiful ripe red currants and cherries that you'd expect from the Pinot Noir but it opens up to give a range of lovely licorice, clove spice and other earthy tones.