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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Neighborhoods Employment Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 30, 2006 Dining al fresco harks back to simpler times Once the weather turns civil, Dominguez dinners are centered around our backyard deck. I consider al fresco dining a delicious sort of pastime. An experience that turns even a humble meal, which most of them are, into an event. I just love it. In part, perhaps, because there are no clocks on a deck or patio. So even the most hurried diners have a tendency to readjust their pace and linger a while longer. But this passion for deck dining runs much deeper than that. It's a passion, I think, that can be traced back to a slower, easier period. For the first 19 summers of my life there were luxurious lumps of time spent at Kenwood, my cousin's country home in the Sonoma Valley wine country. Their city home was in San Francisco, along with city jobs for Reg and Nida, and city schooling for Ann, Bonnie and Jim. But every weekend, each and every summer, they would shelve their big-city worries to make their home in the country. On our visits, I sensed how quickly my parents were able to put aside their own set of urban woes. By the time we had snaked along the half-mile of gravel leading from the highway up to Reg and Nida's property, my mother's hands would have reached around to the muscles behind her neck, rubbing out the last bit of tension. She'd turn and release the kind of smile that had been building for weeks. Days at Kenwood were as varied as the transient mosaics of morning light displayed across my bedroom wall when the sun shimmered through the grand old oaks. We spent our time by the pool, the creek and along the back roads where the best blackberry patches grew. There were trips to the local wineries where the children were allowed to wander among the musty oak barrels, each one the size of a one-room cabin, while our parents sipped and chatted with the winemakers. Advertisement But by 5:30 in the afternoon, like so many pigeons coming home to roost, we always joined forces again. Nida would throw together a simple little sangria made from some local red wine for the adults, and bring it out onto the deck where we would gather to watch the sun pitch slowly toward the west end of the valley. We'd munch on crackers, grapes and carrot sticks and mull over the day's events. Then Reg would fire up the grill, our signal to ready the picnic table for the simple meal soon to follow. Nida was well organized for these dinners on the deck. She had a vast collection of platters on which she would arrange the side dish of rice or fresh pasta alongside whatever came off the grill. By piling as many offerings as possible onto one platter, her trips between deck and kitchen were greatly reduced. Sometimes, instead of a barbecue, there was a main-dish salad, assembled hours earlier during a free period. Again, this meant fewer dishes were carted to and from the deck. At other times, the meal would consist of thinly sliced cheeses, meats and vegetables which we were encouraged to sandwich between great chunks of locally baked sourdough French bread. Little did I know then that those meals would hold such a firm grasp on my soul. But I'm grateful that they did because, as I said, we've had some wonderful dinners on our own deck. Nothing fancy. Simple meals. Holdovers from a simpler, slower, easier time. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing UK Homeowner Loans GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com