I did the modified Anderson Valley loop today (modified b/c McDowell is picked so I only had to sample Vidmar and Broken Leg). As I was getting back on 101-South to head home I picked up a voicemail from Steve Williams, the grower at Broken Leg and Vidmar. Steve's messages are almost always crackly and require a decoder since I only get about every 3 or 4 words (cell phone towers are not too popular in the Anderson Valley) but this time I hear him nearly screaming loud and clear, "Tracey, I hope you get this message before you get to the vineyard because you need to know THERE IS A BEAR IN THE VINEYARD. MAKE A LOT OF NOISE. WHISTLE A TUNE OR SOMETHING. "

So, I nearly careened off the road as I realized that the noises I heard at the perimeter fence where more likely attributed to the BEAR than Steve's sheep.

Funny thing is once I settled down I was more concerned about loosing precious berries in this light vintage than I was about safety and such!

# posted by adonkey @ 1:43 PM