June through September 2001     The on-line magazine sonomapicnic.com is an outgrowth of and continuing update to the recently published Sonoma Picnic, a California Wine Country Travel Companion. Scroll on for highlights excerpted and updated from this handy little book! The Farm and Garden Issue Love's Organic Produce at the Healdsburg Farmers Market     This summer's issue of our magazine of California food and wine arts is dedicated to the farmers, ranchers and gardeners who year 'round supply us with the bounty of the land. Our joy at a table well set and graced with fresh flowers comes as a result of our neighbors who keep faith with the timeless rhythms of the seasons. Take a summer drive to the sea with Vanessa Barrington and friends in "Jimtown to the Tomales Bayshore Picnic." Shore Report     By the end of June, the coast of Northern California is regularly enveloped in a thick, cool fog that may or may not persist into the afternoon. It is not uncommon to find oneself driving from a fiercely hot inland valley into a dense afternoon fog that hangs like a damp sponge over the beach. This is great if you are seeking relief from the heat. But if it's the sun and sand you're after, we recommend you call our friends listed below for a weather report before you go.     Check out our friends at the Tides Wharf Fish Shop or call them for current information on locally landed fish. The Tides Wharf 835 Hwy 1 Bodega Bay 707-875-3554 Wreck of the F/V Point Reyes at Inverness on Tomales Bay     Fresh halibut openings will be from mid-May through June.     The end of August through September is the time to come to the docks for fresh albacore tuna.     Surf fish should be in through the end of June; then start looking for smelt.     Rock fish should be in all summer, weather permitting.     Local clams can be taken if you have your fishing license. Abalone season runs April through June and August through November. You are required to have a fishing license and abalone endorsement sticker.     For up-to-date information on summer ocean fishing or bird- and whale-watching trips, you might give our friends at Bodega Bay Sport Fishing Center a call at 707-875-3344.     Call the good folks at our local surf shack for up-to-date shore conditions. Bodega Bay Surf Shack 707-875-3944 www.bodegabaysurf.com Hot links to Local Events: Select! Sonoma County Sonoma County Wineries Association Russian River Wine Road Consorzio Cal-Italia Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods: Supporting Volunteers in the State Parks The Bolinas Ridge Trail, Marin County Another season's Berry stains on wood table Families at play Zinnias are up! Two leaves promise bold June hues Snails are on parade. At the river's edge Dragonflies mating en masse An orgy in blue Baby buck and doe Standing in tomato patch A paradise found Inhale time and space Swimming toward the sun's hot breath Melting all but soul. The kiss of nectar Plump cheeks yield and blush Ephemeral apricots. Sun clad innocence Laughter wafts from river's edge Sweet water, sweet sound Searing heat sizzles garden snails in their own shells Part of nature's plan? Tawny sunflowers A colorful chorus line Upstaging the rest. An old ceiling fan Beating away the white heat High noon, midsummer "Summer Haiku" by Penelope La Montagne (Morning Haiku, 5:58 a.m. on KRCB 91.1 FM) The Garden Club Rides Again in the FFA Parade Summer Events by Month: Please call the phone numbers listed for details June     A month of color and long, warm days. A Taste of Redwood Valley Mendocino County, 800-760-3739 www.atasteofredwoodvalley.com Festival of Art and Wine in Duncans Mills On the Russian River. 707-824-8404 Russian River Blues Festival Gurneville, 707-869-9000 Russian River Rodeo Gurneville, 707-869-9000 Parade and barbecue Art and Artisan Show Sonoma Plaza, 707-996-1090 Ox Roast Sonoma Plaza, 707-996-1090 Lazy Creek Winery, Anderson Valley, Mendocino County July     The heart of summer, a time when picnicking really pays off. Reservations are recommended for everything.     You might see the vineyard crews cutting fruit from the vines and tossing it onto the ground. This baffled us our first season in wine country. It's called thinning, and although seemingly wasteful, it's an essential movement to the farmer's dance, for it isn't the amount of fruit on the vine, but the quality of the remaining fruit that counts. Thinning helps concentrate flavors in the remaining grapes. Fourth of July Fireworks: Healdsburg: 707-433-6935 Gurneville: 707-869-9000 Cloverdale: 707-894-4470 Bodega Bay: 707-875-3422 Sonoma Town:   707-996-1090 World Pillow Fighting Championships 707-833=2440 Loads of fun in Plaza Park, Kenwood. Healdsburg Harvest Century Bike Tour 707-648-3286 Sonoma County Fair Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, 707-545-4200 Living History Day 707-847-3286 At Forst Ross State Historic Park Saturday Concerts in the Plaza Healdsburg, 707-433-6935 Sonoma County Showcase and Wine Auction 800-939-7666 A wonderful, fun event to benefit the Boys & Girls Club Dragonfly Garden, Healdsburg August     The month of wait-and-see: Cellar crews are busy preparing tanks and barrels for the coming crush.    Calling all Jims! (And all friends of Jimtown!) Jimtown Store celebrates its 10th Anniversary with a "Jimboree" on Sunday August 5th, 11-4 P.M. Enjoy live music, a backyard barbecue, games and photo opportunities. We will award prizes for the Oldest Jim, the Youngest Jim, the Most Talented Jim, and more. Jimtown Store is located at 6706 Highway 128 in the Alexander Valley. Call (707) 433-1212 for more information. We promise a "Jimdandy" time!    From Grape to Glass Tastings 707-546-3276 Healdsburg Guitar Festival Villa Chanticleer, 707-433-6935 or 800-648-9922 Street Dance on Healdsburg Avenue Healdsburg, 707-433-6935 Healdsburg Farmers Market Zucchini Festival 707-433-6935 Accordion Festival Cotati, 707-664-0444 Polka dance party in La Plaza Park. Sunday Concerts in the Plaza Healdsburg, 707-433-6935 Bodega Bay Seafood, Art and Wine Festival 707-875-2721 Old Adobe Festival Petaluma, 707-762-4871 Square dancing and Native American dance at Petaluma Old Adobe State Historic Park Wine Country Film Festival Sonoma, 707-996-2536 Janette, Jack and K.T. enjoy a summer picnic at Fife Vineyards, Mendocino County September     From late August to early October, experience the full-tilt excitement of the harvest. Norteño, Mariachi or Tejano music blasts from the boom boxes, according to each crew's tastes. The pickers race with lugs of fruit held overhead to the bins where the foreman records the tally. Everyone's on the run. It's the focal point of our year. Silver salmon season begins for offshore fishing and on the Russian River Harbor Seal Watch At the mouth of the Russian River Jenner, 707-875-3422 Russian River Jazz Festival Gurneville, 707-869-9000 Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival Downtown Sonoma, 707-996-2109 Blessing of the grapes in Sonoma Plaza. Women's Weekend #2 Gurneville, 707-869-9000