Detayls

Yes, we are aware that yet more snaps of Tas is over-the-top behavior. He is very fine though!

Here he is playing with his absolutely favorite toy, the stringy thingy. He loves to chase it in ever decreasing circles and when he catches it, he growls like a mountain lion. Be afraid, be very afraid.

If you have been paying attention this far, there is a treat. A short video. It should be the last one in the gallery on Smugmug, which you get to by clicking on the picture…

JoLynn and David paid a brief visit to China Camp in Marin County recently.

It was a misty moisty day and the quiet was very comforting.

Click on the picture to see all the other images in Smugmug.

David, JoLynn and Jeanni held a party for Christmas Eve again this year. This year we had Cioppino, which is Italian Seafood soup. Various guests also brought lots of potluck food. Vicky outdid herself from 2008 with even more glorious sweet stuff. Her Pecan Brittle is so light it has no calories!

For some reason the kids needed to have contest to see who could make the weirdest looking face. Who do you think won?

Once again we played the familiar Secret Santa game and had lots of fun. These folk were so gentile with the gifts that it was all over very quickly.

This is a particularly good set of pictures. First click the image here to get to the gallery in Smugmug and then be sure to click “Slide Show” at the top right for best viewing.

Happy New Year 2010, everyone!

Once again Wildcare held its holiday party at Karen and Todd’s house. The kitchen project is complete and it is a stunner. Karen and Todd were gracious hosts as usual.

The food was astounding. We’re all getting a little complacent about it though. In 2010 it’s cheese sandwiches and diet soda!

This year David Latour graced us with a tuxedo and Melanie wore her best shoes. The tuxedo earned David some pickled eggs. We still don’t know how well the shoes worked out. Melanie?

The “secret Santa” game was fairly tame this year. In 2010 you will be required to sign a “cutthroat affidavit” to play. Much more stealing will be required.

There were at least fourteen dogs at the event. Six of them were called Tucker. We are thinking of allowing “canine participation” in the game in future. They have two secret weapons: they can tell what is inside the wrapping by smell alone and can employ “droolage” if a gift is too desirable to be stolen. Staff are encouraged to apply as canines if the cutthroat requirement is too manly. (David Latour is automatically considered “cutthroat-ready” unless he tries to recycle the eggs!)

Lisa McDowell dropped in the San Francisco Bay Area in early December 2009. She waited patiently until her friend Daniel arrived and then they nipped over to Napa for a couple of days.

Lisa had spent the previous four months on an epic trip around the world starting from England in July by flying to India and gradually inched nearer to California via Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. There are some contributed pictures from her trip in a previous album here.

One of her requests was a quick trip to Wildcare in San Rafael and she virtually demanded some Dim Sum in San Francisco. Eleven years is just too long!

She had fond memories of a trip to the Harbor Village restaurant at the Embarcadero with us for Dim Sum in 1998. Sadly the Harbor Village is no more. David and JoLynn recruited Jeanni and Grier to take us to a favorite restaurant and we all had a lovely meal.

Afterward we visited the Legion of Honor to absorb a little culture before heading home to Marin

Hi, I’m Lisa McDowell (Guest Contributor and David’s niece). I left London in early August to see as much of the world as I could fit into the space of 5 months. The following photos are my best shots, ranging from India and Nepal to Australia and Fiji. Unsurprisingly I had the time of my life – enjoy!

Moira and Robyn Taylor from Wellington, New Zealand came to visit the Taylors on their way home from New York in Early November 2009.

Robyn had run in the New York marathon the previous weekend with a time of 4 hours and 27 minutes. This was only her second major marathon. Her previous was in New Zealand. Her sisters Moira and Alison and her brother Alec went with her for support. Alison and Alec then returned to where they are living. Alison is working in Indonesia and Alec in northern Canada.

We took the sisters to the top of Twin Peaks in San Francisco to get good views of the bay and then took them for a Chinese meal in Chinatown. We traveled on a Cable Car for a few blocks on the way.

On Sunday we all went out to Tony’s for oysters and seafood in Marshall followed by a visit to Point Reyes Station.

We held a Barbecue at home for Jeanni’s birthday last week. Jeanni has always been 19 as far as we remember.

We were lucky to have a Salmon to grill and a small Turkey to rotate above the Weber. A bunch of Jeanni’s relatives visited and more were missed. We did get to see Jeanni’s sister Bridget with son Daniel, Jeanni’s uncle Scott with wife Vicky and son Luke. Jeanni’s brother Sean with friend Colleen. Jeanni’s brother Mike with friend Valerie. Grier was here with sons Chance and Lance.

We also had Jeanni’s son, Alex and pals Lucy, Rue and Helen.

Grier cooked the Salmon which was fabulous and David managed to avoid overcooking the Turkey. The carrot cake for dessert was divine!

As you will see a great time was had by all.

Jeanni got a new iPhone and needed some advice. We all needed breakfast. We all went to the Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax.

The other flower was a gatecrasher but my oh my don’t they grow pretty around here?

Yes, one more Tas gallery. David caught him snoozing and just as he was waking up grabbed these shots.

We promise to calm down the the Tas shots already but he does have a worldwide fan club and his fans do clamor, you know!