cat shepard

Thank you for today’s FR&D, Jacqui! Roy, thank you for your maps! We are supposed to get some T-storms today. We need the rain, but not the T-storm. Vanessa, thank you for keeping up with all of us. Praying the pain goes away - for good this time & you get some great nights of sleep! I have not set the schedule for today yet, because I need to call around the DMV offices in my Sister’s County to make an appointment for Brayden to get his learner’s permit. I wish Florida required as much of gun owners as they do to get a learner’s permit & license. Once that is scheduled, I will check my “to do” list. I do want to fit some fun stuff in for Brayden who is on Spring Break this week. The past few weeks have been hard for him. Prayers for all who need our support. Especially the caregivers who selflessly give of themselves for their loved ones. Terry, praying for Tana, you & the entire support team. Cheers to all who are celebrating. May we each find a reason to smile today. I leave you with…. ******** Pontet Canet 2020 I confess this wine tempts me to step out of my wine budget. Classic - superb wines are usually quite a bit more. Numerous distributors with online prices starting at $99.99. Professional Ratings 98James Suckling Aromas of blackcurrants and black cherries with hints of crushed walnuts, grilled thyme, cocoa powder and graphite. It’s full-bodied with layers of ultra-fine, silky tannins that elegantly coat your palate, allowing the juicy and vibrant fruit to shine. Delicate and pristine, yet compact with lots of energy and power to uncover in the coming years. It lasts for minutes and is delicious now. The purity of fruit is really impressive. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. 50% new oak 15% old oak and 35% concrete amphorae. Try after 2027. 97Wine Enthusiast The magnificent structure and balance of this wine are powerful. It shows poise between the black fruits and the freshness of the vintage, while the texture is almost velvet. The wine is juicy and seriously structured at the same time. 97Decanter Dark chocolate, bramble tones, not overly floral or fruity with some cedar and cinnamon notes. Lovely high acidity straight away, forward, bright and energetic with lovely crunchy blue fruit on the palate but creamy textured tannins giving a round and complete mouthful. Nothing feels overdone, this is quietly seductive and confident but not at all showing off. I love the minerality and the graphite grip with plum and black cherry and tons of slate, liquorice and menthol freshness. Long finish, slowly expansive, building and growing from start to finish showing an impressive structure overall. Nicely constructed, charming still with the Pauillac touch. A great Pontet - immediately seductive and enjoyable with a long ageing potential. 97Jeb Dunnuck The flagship from this estate, the 2020 Château Pontet-Canet is a beauty based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new oak, with 35% in amphora. Deep purple-hued with a great nose of dark currants, plums, tobacco leaf, and truffly earth, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel and a great finish. The higher Merlot content here really shows in its overall sexy, supple, seamless style, and while this already offers pleasure, it's going to be one for the ages as well. Rating: 97+

Another super rushed day, but all because I made a commitment to myself to get to the gym today. And of course it is in the opposite direction of everything else I have to do. But worth it. Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love 2021 I used the 2021 vintage info, because that should be easy to find. This Shiraz sounds lovely, but it is outside of my budget. Fairly easy to find with online prices starting at $79.95. Wine.com Winemaker Notes Intense in color, flavor and aroma, the 2021 Carnival of Love Shiraz captivates the palate from the first sip. Powerful yet delicate, lifted aromas of red cherry, blackberry and turkish delight evolve, while subtle hints of mocha linger. Infectious chocolate cherry, fresh plum and liquorice add to the complexity, while creating a seamless structure and lingering finish. Professional Ratings 96Tasting Panel Sarah Marquis has crafted an intense, dark-fruited Shiraz with spice, black pepper, and a hint of bacon. This is not a sideshow wine: Thanks to its lively and energetic notes of blackberry and plum, it's more like a bustling carnival that pleases all of the senses.

Rich is way too modest!

Happy Anniversary Dailyites! @kazu Jacqui, not just my records, but CC’s records show that this is the anniversary of the day Rich introduced the Daily! Thank you for today’s FR & D, Jacqui! Thank you for our maps, Roy! Dixie & Debbie, thank you for your beverage & food info! It is an honor to be part of the F & B department with you. Sandi & Lenda, thank you for all the amazing photos you share. Vanessa, keeper of our lists - thank you for keeping up with all of us. I really do not know how you do it! @richwmn Rich, thank you for creating this amazing place for all of us! To all my fellow Dailyites - thank you for sharing your lives with all of us! A bit cloudy this morning. Cats are fed, Bindi walked & fed, sipping coffee! Need to get out and fertilize everything- though another cold front is expected Tuesday. Praying we don’t lose our oak leaves for the fourth time this year. Our pollen has been horrific since January. It has just seemed to slow down, so the past two nights, Brayden (my Sister’s Grandson) and I have eaten supper outside. And the pool water has just reached 85! @summer slope Ready for swimming! He is off school this week, so we might get in & play some badminton! Prayers for all who need our support. @smitty34877 Terry, thinking of you & Tana. Cheers to all who are celebrating! May we each find a reason to smile today! ********* Bota Box Nighthawk Bold Cabernet Sauvignon This Cab from Chile has lots of consumer fans, is easy to find and reasonably priced. Online prices start at $17.49. Winemaker’s notes TASTING NOTES Nighthawk Black Cabernet Sauvignon channels the hedonistic side of this classic grape variety. A single sip dives into lingering flavors of dark black cherry, blackberry, and cocoa. Velvety tannins and hints of baking spice brings balance to this full-bodied wine. PAIRS WITH This complex aged red makes a perfect guest for any dinner party, paired with porterhouse steak or your favorite BBQ. WINE DETAILS Alcohol: 13.5%

Pennie How wonderful & on top of your Jackpot win! Martina is sending a message. ❤️

The Daily for Monday Mar 16, 2020 fka Fleet Report By richwmn, March 16, 2020 in Holland America Line ********** Not a pretty copy, but…

Sorry, super behind. Bindi is not having a great morning. The craziness of the past few weeks has finally caught up. ************ Castello-di-Monsanto-Chianti-Classico-Riserva This Chianti sounds lovely. Might even be sippable on its own. A decent number of distributors with online prices starting at $26.98. Distributor notes Estate grown blend of 90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and Colorino. The wine is rich, intense and complex with excellent depth of red berry fruit, distinct spice, outstanding acidity and nicely weighted tannins. REGION Tuscany, Italy APPELLATION Chianti Classico Riserva D.O.C.G. CRU Loc. Monsanto – Barberino Val d’Elsa estate vineyards GRAPE 90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and Colorino VINIFICATION Hand-picked grapes are selected at the optimum moment of the vintage. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at controlled temperatures AGING 18 months in French oak barriques with an additional three months rest in bottle. COLOR Ruby red tending towards garnet. AROMA Rich, intense and complex with notes of black cherry and spice. PALATE Full bodied with rich red berry fruit flavors complimenting a backbone of tannin. SERVING SUGGESTIONS Open in advance and allowed to breathe. Decanting is preferable. An exceptional compliment to red meats, roasts and game. FORMATS 750ML ALCOHOL 14%

Get your party gear out - tomorrow is the 4th Anniversary of the Daily! What a wild ride it has been! It is time to celebrate all of us & our Editor-in-Chief - Rich!

@Quartzsite Cruiser & @JazzyV Lenda & Vanessa, my Sister is in such a better place. Thank you for thinking of her. Encompass had lunch waiting for her when she arrived yesterday. And she loved her supper. She actually got to shower & wash her hair today for the first time since February 27th. She had three hours of PT/OT evaluation and tomorrow they will do a balance assessment. If all goes well, she will be able to get up on her own. And she got her first great night’s sleep last night. No constant interruptions or snoring roommate, or “neighbors” shouting. Now she has to do the work. She has let herself go physically, so she has a long way to go before being totally independent.

Thank you for today’s FR & D, Jacqui! Roy, thank you for our maps. It is a lovely 58 this morning. Bindi walked & fed. Cats fed, stuff for my Sister collected and off to wait for the school bus. Then I will head home and start my day. Lots of stuff around the house has been neglected and I plan to do my taxes today. Prayers for all who need our support. Bless all the caregivers. @smitty34877 Terry - always thinking of you & Tana. Cheers to all who are celebrating! May we each find a reason to smile today. ******** Kunde 2021 Estate Zinfandel (Sonoma Valley) I need to taste this Zinfandel- the description makes me believe I will love it. $17.99 93 Wine Enthusiast Absolutely delicious, fruity and mouthcoating, this full-bodied and gentle-textured wine is easy to drink and enjoy on its own or with cheesy, meaty proteins. Pure raspberries, blackberries and plum jam flavors flow on a broad texture backed by light tannins.

Happy Birthday, Brenda! May your new year be filled with love, laughter, great health and a cruise, or two! @bennybear

Thank you, Terry! The transfer takes place at 11:30 this morning! Woo hoo! Keeping you, Tana, your entire family and all your caregivers in my prayers. ❤️

Running super late will check back later. ******** Mark West Pinot Noir Having had enjoyed a bottle or two of this California PN, I was stunned to see how easy to find and priced to try it is. The first two bottles I enjoyed were outside of Denali National Park. Online prices start at $10.98! Distributor notes The 2021 Mark West Pinot Noir is a classic, medium-bodied red wine grown in California’s northern and central regions. This wine brims with layers of red and dark cherry that are complemented by notes of toasted oak, brown spice and nutmeg. The mouthfeel is full and plush with a long, rewarding finish. WINERY: MARK WEST Mark West was founded in 1978 with one desire - to craft remarkable Pinot Noir that delivers exceptional quality at an affordable price. Our name, Mark West, is an ode to a region in the heart of Sonoma county, one of the world's best places to grow Pinot Noir. It was here that we started our winery and our passion for Pinot. Nothing worth obsessing over ever came easy. And that's certainly the case for Pinot Noir. The grape is an interesting one: It's thin-skinned and fickle, which means it's not easy to grow. Even the slightest change in temperature can throw it off, which is why we look for the best cool, dry climates when choosing our vineyards. But, when it's done right, the result is a wonderfully complex wine. The perfect Pinot, in an infinite number of expressions. It's unlike any other grape. Pinot Noir the grape is hard to grow, and once it enters the winery it's important to have a gentle hand during the winemaking process. Each and every aspect matters, which is why we have devoted ourselves to Pinot Noir—so we can get it right. To make the best Pinot Noir, we first gently destem and crush the grapes when they come into the winery. Daily punch-downs and pump-overs extract flavor and color. And after a light pressing we use French oak to marry the flavors you find naturally in Pinot Noir. At Mark West we focus on quality, and let the grapes speak for themselves. Each harvest is a new adventure, each crop is different, and each year we bring you the wines that you love.

Happy Birthday, Pauline! May your new year be filled with love, laughter, great health & cruises! @grapau27

Brenda, it is a Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid

Lenda,we do not have a definite time, yet, but tomorrow is THE DAY! Thank you and Steve both! The current place is horrible. The only saving grace are the weekday/night nurses. In addition to not getting supper one night, the nurses did not answer her call button for 27 minutes Saturday afternoon - not even to check to see what she needed. It was a fluke that we happened to see what time she pressed the button. Had it been an emergency and unable to call for help - who knows what would have happened. The cleanliness of the place left so much to be desired. Fruit juice/punch that was spilled Saturday evening was still there today, when I was helping to pack my Sister’s bag. Cups, straw wrappers littering the floor. I hope someone sends her a survey. I told her I would help her write some detailed comments. Her fingers are still sore from all the poking during the past two weeks. Encompass is like Heaven in comparison. Ann

Thank you Jacqui for today’s FR&D! Roy thank you for our maps. A cool 48 here this morning. My great nephew had to scramble to change his shorts for long pants when he heard the temp. 😎 Vanessa, thank you for keeping up with all of us. I can barely keep up with me these days. Hoping that you continue to see improvements. 5 hours of sleep is not enough for me. Had a chance to peek in earlier while waiting for the bus to pick up my GN. Good use of my time. I have a class today, then a visit to my Sister. I need to gas up at our new Costco. I have now used two tanks of gas since last September. Not too shabby. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating. May we each find a reason to smile today. ************ Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 This Australian Cab has won some awards and is considered a “Best Buy” by several sites. I used the 2021 vintage because it has a decent number of distributors with online prices starting at $18.00. Winemaker Notes The wine has an aroma of rich blackcurrant, subtle spice, tomato leaf and a touch of eucalyptus. French oak maturation is also evident with subtle aromas of cedar and dark chocolate. Great intensity. It has distinctive blackcurrant and cassis fruit flavors. Subtle oak characters of cedar cigar box and spice are also evident.The tannins are fine and elegant – a hallmark of the varietal. The palate is well balanced, complex and fulfilling and lingers on the finish.

@Overhead Fred Happy Birthday to Mitzi!

Pennie I am so sorry. Even worse that you weren’t there. At wonderful memories help ease your pain. Hugs. Ann

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

Welcome to the Daily!

Sandi, this is so great. Praying that this move sets Morgan on the path to peace of mind & reducing her PTSD.

Thank you Jacqui & Roy for today’s report and maps! Hope you are feeling better Jacqui! Vanessa, I know things are not back to 100% for you, but I love reading about what you are able to do now & how much sleep you are getting. Thank you for keeping up with us. My Sister is gaining strength and able to do some activities by herself. Good thing too, because her temporary home leaves a lot to be desired. Neither she nor her roomie got a supper last night. Luckily the medication nurse rustled up some cheese and crackers & Ensure. @Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, Encompass is tracking her and she will transfer as soon as a bed opens up. It can not be too soon. @smitty34877 Terry, my Sister’s 16 year old grandson is staying with me, and I can only think how my situation is a bit similar to yours. 😎 Luckily he is a great young man. He just passed his learner’s permit exam and once his certificate arrives, he will start driving school. Prayers for all who need our support. Hats off to the caretakers! Cheers to all who are celebrating! May we each find a reason to smile today. ********* Matahiwi Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Picked the 2022 vintage of this NZ wine, since it should be easy to find and has lots of consumer fans and at least one critic score of 92. Online prices start at $15.99. Distributor notes Matahiwi is sheltered by the Tararuas mountain range and enjoys a long and dry growing season with balmy warm days and pleasantly cool nights. The climate and the exposed stony sub-soils make the area ideal for growing grapes. Alistair Scott’s vision was to establish a wine company capable of producing world-class wines and to this day that vision has not changed. As a Pinot Noir enthusiast, Alastair has focused his efforts on this notoriously complicated but delicious variety. He planted Matahiwi’s 80-hectare single vineyard with 60% Pinot Noir and the balance with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris. Alastair and Jane share a vision and a passion to make wines to reflect a purity of fruit and a sense of place by staying true to the characteristics of the local area.

Craggy Range Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc This New Zealand SB sounds lovely. A decent number of distributors with online prices starting at $19.99. Distributor’s notes Founded in 1997, Craggy Range exclusively crafts single-vineyard, terroir-driven wines and is a benchmark ambassador for the high quality of New Zealand’s wines. The grapes are partially hand harvested from the estate-owned Te Muna Road Vineyard. 85% of the grapes are destemmed before fermentation in stainless steel tanks and oak barriques using partial wild yeasts. The wine ages on its lees for 5 months in old and new French oak barrels before being fined, filtered and bottled. TASTING NOTE In appearance, it’s a pale yellow, straw color. On the nose there are ripe Sauvignon Blanc aromatics with notes of white stone fruit, passionfruit pulp and kaffir lime. The palate is lively with deep concentration and a salinic acidity. FOOD PAIRING This wine will pair well with aperitifs, seafood and poultry. UNIQUE SELLING POINTS The higher-elevation Te Muna Road Vineyard is harvested about a week later than sites in nearby Martinborough. The grapes have greater freshness and acidity. The vineyard's lower terrace has stony soils with limestone, excellent for Sauvignon Blanc. White wines from this vineyard show a distinctive fine, subtle and elegant texture.

Well we thought we were home free. But the hospital wants my Sister out today and there are no beds currently available at her chosen facility. So we are all scrambling trying to find a decent facility in the general area. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 @grapau27 Graham, I was so sorry to read about Sarah’s father. My condolences to her, you and Pauline.