729 February 17, 2022 Giessinger Winery
The moon last night was bright and gorgeous. We stood outside looking before we went to bed. It was already chilly and the temperatures dropped overnight into the 30’s. We were warm and cozy inside and even though we had no hookups, we could run the propane furnace.
The male ostriches had a very busy evening. In order to attract females, the males make a booming noise; two short bursts followed by a longer burst. Tim said it sounded like a 400-pound owl and indeed it did! It was our observation that the girls and guys were all in a very amorous mood…love was definitely in the air!
In the morning, while I had my coffee, I sat watching the moon set, and the sun as it cast a reddish glow on the mountains.
I walked the property and along the backside of the ostrich pens. The ostriches followed my every move. I was looking for feathers to take to Oliver and Austin but the ostriches wouldn’t allow me to get close enough to gather them. I had definitely learned to respect these animals!
We left the high desert and traveled through San Francisquito Canyon. This was a winding, wiggle-waggle road with stunning scenery.
We think that these huge pipelines carry water to the cities along the coast.
There were reminders about fire danger posted all along the roadside. There are no campfires, wood fires, or charcoal fires allowed. Camp stoves can only be used with a permit. It is so dry. The ostrich ranch owner was telling us about a fire that encroached on their ranch, reaching the highest ridges near their home. A couple of the fenceposts caught fire but otherwise no harm came to their family or the birds. He said it was the scariest night of his life.
At last, we arrived in Heritage Valley. This area is rife with avocado groves and citrus groves and lots of tree nurseries.
We arrived at Giessinger Winery, another Harvest Host site, before lunchtime. We wandered through historic downtown Fillmore. This is a cute little town with a railroad theme.
I love the smell of an old hardware store…the aromas of must and paint and oil and wood comingled.
Old truck of the day.
Our campsite sits parallel to the railroad tracks but the trains are inactive except for fun weekend tourist rides.
We had a delightful afternoon, tasting wines with Shelby. We tried a white, two reds, a cider, two dessert wines and two ports…it was ALL good! We purchased 3 bottles.
There were some men sitting along the walking path. They had no food. Tim gathered some fruit and protein shakes and yogurt and took it outside to them. We have so much to be grateful for…we need to help when we can.
