I had all sorts of odd thoughts running through my head as my son (and indeed his mother) prepared for his first day of school (kindergarten, so only half days, but monumental in any case). I had all kinds of musings on fatherhood and how much my kids mean to me. I have shared on many occasions how I am putting away all kinds of Ports for him for later on in his life, and that kind of hit home today as he takes this next step in his development as a person. Soon enough it will be other stages in life and eventually that day will come (speedier than I might wish it) that he and I will be opening up the first of his cache of VPs from 2003.
I also had a bunch of bottle ends that helped lubricate the mind and deal with this mixed bag of emotions. I finished the last dregs of the bottles of a Warre 1995 LBV, a Niepoort Ruby (it had sediment!!!

They helped make the view later on in the evening even more spectacular. With a fully lubricated mind, I was astonished by the clarity and power of the Northern Lights tonight - first time I have seen them since Spring. What a hauntingly beautiful show they put on tonight - dancing and moving from as far East as I could see to as far West... all to the North and bright as day at times. Greens, blues, whites, violets, purples, and tinges of orange, yellow, scarlet red at times... beautiful. I only wished I had a camera (still or camcorder) that was capable of recording such beauty. It would be awesome to be able to share the awe and beauty of this scenery with all of you.
Todd