Napa Back Road

There is a road that cuts thru the hills between Napa and Sonoma at about mid-point of the 2 valleys.  It’s a twisting, turning road, called Trinity Road.  It actually has several names as it passes thru the hills, but in the beginning, on the Sonoma side, it’s called Trinity Road, and that is how I always think of it.  I truly love to drive down this road when we visit this area because it reminds me of what I always picture when I think of driving thru wine country.  A small, winding road that always holds the promise of what lies just ahead.  When processing this image, I decided to convert it to a painting effect, because it seems to soften it, much like our minds do to favorite memories.

Napa Back Road

Enjoy!

Misty Mood of Wine Country

This was the first time I had ever been to the Napa/Sonoma wine country when most of the time, it was rainy.  Altho after a while, it did wear on me, I have to admit I truly loved some of the great moody photo opportunities it provided me.

End of Season

The trees have just about lost their leaves for this year.  The crush of the wine grapes is over, and the leaves on the vines are turning glorious fall colors.  Yes, these things I’ve seen on previous visits.  What I hadn’t seen before, and what lent an entirely different feel to the landscape was the fact that I truly felt the hills in wine country this time around.  Why?  Because I seemed to see them more clearly this time, ironically, because they were often covered with misty clouds rolling down them.

Misty Mood

Would I have noticed this small grove of trees had the sun been shining brightly?  Well, if I would have, it would only have been in passing.  Shrouded in mist, they seem to have taken on a mysterious quality, and almost seem like a perfect setting for some sort of tale of mystery.

Green in the Fog

Altho the fog frequently seems to mute colors, in this instance, it made the green sort of stand out, albeit in a soft way.  This lonely little cabin truly left me with a feeling of loneliness, which is why I positioned it where I did in this image.  Surrounded by nothing.

Low Napa Rainbow

What do you get when you mix water with just a bit of light?  The prism effect of a rainbow!  I have to say, tho, this one was a special treat, simply because it was so low to the ground!  I don’t recall ever seeing one that almost seems to want to hug the earth below.  And, after a day of grey shadows, it was truly eye candy to see the bright colors!

Enjoy!

Beauty in Nature

Being in wine country in the fall seemed to provide not only the colors one would expect in the fall, but also some bright colors that I would typically expect during the summer.  All of them really showed off Nature’s palette and versatility….

Autumn in Full Glory

Of course – the brilliant colors one would expect in October!  I truly love the way yellow, orange and red blend in the leaves of this tree.  And, in what I find is often the case, I needed to look up to see the beauty just above eye level!

Raindrops

We were in Napa/Sonoma at what was a rainy time for them.  So, just a few steps from the fall brilliance, I felt like I was seeing the result of spring rains.  The colors of these leaves and the rain drops on the petals of the flower reminded me of the old saying about April showers and May flowers!

Interesting Autumn Colors

Let’s shift gears again, but in a much unexpected way – to autumn colors that included purple!  Yes, it’s true!  I can’t recall seeing any purple before in the fall, so I will count this as a first, and a true treat from Nature.  I do love the softness of all the colors – and this time with nary a water drop to be seen.

Autumn Leaf in Sunshine

This would be a somewhat typical expectation of autumn in wine country.  A leaf on the vine in mid-color change, with the warmish autumn sun shining thru it to also reflect a bit of the shadow of the vine.

Raindrops 2

But, I’ll leave you with this taste of false spring.  Roses are very plentiful in wine country, and this one seems to be getting ready to drop on a green rosebush leaf just below it.  I always love when I can capture raindrops on flowers or leaves – the real thing and not something that has just been sprayed or sprinkled on!  I tip my hat to the versatility of Nature.

Enjoy!