Return to Paradise (Rancho Kuma)

We finally escaped LA on New Year's Day. It was a gorgeous day as we drove up the coast. There had been a little storm just after Christmas and the swells were still happening, so we passed by a bunch of surfers -- all wrapped in neoprene or whatever they make those wetsuits out of. It looked so cold out there in the water, but what a glorious way to welcome a new year, huh.

The water was the bluest blue, and then, after the Gaviota Pass, the hills open up and, BAM, you are in magnificent wine country.

I had finally broken the spell of the ranch during the weeks in Hawaii, but as we got closer and closer, I could feel the enchantment coming back. And 5 days later, she's completely got a grip on my heart now!