Each February, Russian River Brewery in Santa Rosa releases their award winning beer, Pliny the Younger. In 2009, Beer Advocate magazine declared it one of the best beers in the world, and the buzz has been growing ever since. Beer lovers line up for hours to get their hands on a 10oz glass of this gold colored bliss. But to my thinking, “it’s just a beer, isn’t it?”

Well, yesterday my friend Phil and I decided to taste the beer for ourselves and made the 10 mile trek to the brewery. We drove up at 1 pm to find a block-long crowd, so I got in line while Phil found parking. The aroma of malt drifted in the air. I had a flashback then of high school days, and the excitement of standing in line for rock concert tickets.

We took turns waiting and sketching. During my shift, I chose to capture the action at the pub’s entrance.

An hour later, a group of hula hooping women arrived to entertain the patient crowd, boom box thumping hip hop as they twisted and rolled to the beat. Two hours later we arrived at the patio gate entrance, each patron’s ID carefully scrutinized, even grey haired men. After receiving our bright yellow wrist band, hand scrawled with the word Pliny, we entered to find yet another checkpoint just inside. “Would you like to put your name on the list for a table?” The hostess asked us. We had come seeking beer and lunch; now, approaching dinner time, we decided to go with the flow.

“There should be about a 45 minute wait,” the hostess informed us. At this point, we figured, what the heck?

At first the crowd and noise overwhelmed, but we soon settled into the rhythm of the place. The bar was surrounded two people deep, but somehow we made it up to order two coveted Plinys. Raising chilled glasses, we toasted our diligence and each took a sip of the golden liquid. “Delicious!” I proclaimed and Phil agreed. Pliny the Younger is a triple hopped pale ale with a creamy head and the freshest hops I’ve ever tasted with none of the bitterness I expected, but instead balanced and silky smooth with citrus notes and a bright, flowery nose and the hint of a caramel finish.

A woman, introducing herself as Merry (“as in Christmas”) Sue, asked if she could set down her glass on the counter beside us. We all traded notes on the beer and on what we’d experienced to taste it, agreeing that it was worth it.

Thirty minutes later we ordered a pizza, a plate of spicy wings, and another round of Pliny. The first bite of pepperoni and sausage dotted pizza revealed perfectly fused crust, sauce, and cheese. The hot and tangy wings left my mouth watering, and we devoured these too, using Pliny to cool our mouths.

As afternoon turned into evening, we paid the bill knowing it was time to head home. But considering the time it took to get in the brewery and how much fun we had while here, it seemed a shame to leave so soon.

Sunday was my first time watching the annual Wings over Wine Country event in Santa Rosa. I was excited to see a large number of planes that were on display and the one that impressed me the most was the C-17 Globemaster III. This enormous machine towers above all the planes parked on the field. We queued up for a tour and as we entered the aircraft, Master Sargent Christopher Whittely, who is a Loadmaster, gave us a few particulars: the weight of the loaded aircraft can reach almost 600,000 pounds; its cruising altitude is ~33,000 feet, its cruising speed ~500 mph and it can also be refueled in flight. It’s difficult to imagine this airplane landing and taking off right here at Sonoma County Airport.

Then we climbed a ladder into the cockpit. I was impressed with the number of controls required to fly the plane. Switches, dials, and monitors line the interior. In the cabin, Amy, a Major in the Air Force Reserves, fielded our questions. The plane is primarily used to bring medical supplies and humanitarian aid to both Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s also used for returning wounded soldiers to the US for medical attention. But the aircraft has also been used for non military purposes, such as transporting Keiko the killer whale (from the movie Free Willy) to its new home in the Icelandic waters of Klettsvik Bay.

Tucked away in the back of the cabin is a narrow bed where one pilot can get some shut eye while the other pilot flies. As Amy spoke, I imagined what it would be like to sleep on this giant airship in the pitch black night, cruising at an altitude of 33,000 feet, listening to the hum of the engine making its way across the Pacific, and into the middle of an Afghani war zone.

Last Saturday wasn’t the only time I’ve sketched at the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery. Several years ago I created a soft ground etching of two diverging pathways as they snake their way along the hillside. Creating etchings plein-air is surprisingly easy with some planning. I prepared all my materials before hand, including my metal plate and acid bath.

When I arrived at the cemetery, I spend a good half hour walking around admiring the beauty of the twisted oak trees and the paths that weave through them. After finding a good place to sketch, I sat at the path’s edge and sketched directly on a piece of paper covering a soft ground etching plate. With the pressure of my conté crayon on the paper, my sketch was transferred through the ground to the plate below. Once the drawing was finished, I removed the paper and put the plate directly into an acid bath I had prepared in a plastic container. After a few minutes, the acid etched my drawing into the plate, creating indentations into the metal that ink would stick to when printed.

The Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery is a beautiful and peaceful place, almost park-like. My etching, Diverging Paths, shows the afternoon sun casting lengthy shadows across the paths and grave sites. I feel as though I’ve adopted this area as a place to visit my mom who died a few years ago. Since her ashes were spread in the desert botanical gardens of Arizona, I don’t have a local place to visit her. My mom loved the morning sunshine and I like to think of her resting among the violet colored sweet-pea flowers that populate this hillside.

While siting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, I had a chance to do a quick sketch. I found the room amusing because it looks like a typical, old fashioned doctor’s office. All the furniture is wicker, including the magazine rack on the floor. A poinsettia left over from Christmas graces the business card table while enjoying the afternoon sun through the blinds. The only thing missing was macramé hanging on the wall.

Friday afternoon while doing a few errands, I stopped by the local grease monkey to get my oil changed. As I pulled into the parking lot, I was disappointed to see about six cars already queued up and the unfortunate thought of having to wait an hour entered in my mind. But then to my right, I saw a bright red, 57 Chevy Bel Air in the Autobaun Detail Shop next door and my mood lifted. After checking in with the technician, I parked myself on a shady curb and began to draw. I’ve never had the pleasure of driving in one of these old classic cars but it sure looks fun. Back in the ‘50s, my dad’s parents owned a ’57 Chevy and he use to borrow it while in High School to take girls out on dates. I bet this car would still work well on dates today.