The Mission of Santa Clara de Asís is the eighth Spanish mission in California. It was founded on January 12, 1777, by the Franciscan Order to bring Christianity to the native Ohlone and Costanoan peoples in the Santa Clara Valley. There were 21 Spanish missions in California, established to help colonize the Pacific Coast. TheContinue reading “The Mission of Santa Clara de Asís”
Author Archives: coloradowineandfood
Custodian of the Spirits: Pack of explorers
Since we missed having the book party for Custodian of the Spirits due to COVID-19, here’s one of the selections I would have read at the party. Thanks for watching!
Henry W. Coe State Park
The 87,000-acre Coe Park is located near Morgan Hill, south of San Jose, in the Diablo Range. The park is the largest in northern California. It began as the Pine Ridge Ranch, a 12,230-acre cattle ranch owned by Henry Willard Coe, Jr., from 1905-1943. Coe’s daughter, Sada Coe Robinson, repurchased the ranch in 1950 andContinue reading “Henry W. Coe State Park”
Guglielmo Family Winery
The Santa Clara Valley’s history is rich with stories of immigrants, including Italian and French families who settled there. As with all immigrants, they brought their traditions with them, including drinking table wine with meals. Local wineries sold younger, fruitier red and white wines than are in vogue today, as the style of wine thenContinue reading “Guglielmo Family Winery”
Harris-Lass House Museum
The Harris-Lass House Museum is an oasis in Santa Clara, California. Walking onto the grounds of the last farm site in the city is a step back in time. The museum preserves the spirit of the Harris and Lass families who lived on the property for 125 years. The site incorporates the farm house builtContinue reading “Harris-Lass House Museum”
Research for Book Two
Thank you to all of you who have read Custodian of the Spirits. The story continues in Book Two, which is in progress. Pictured are a few sources to help make the story more authentic. Stay tuned!
Grooves in the Earth
This is a picture of grooves in the earth left by the thousands of covered wagons headed West. Taken near Fort Laramie, Wyoming, it gives a sense of the rugged nature of the journey.
Welcome to the Valley of Heart’s Delight
Fiona Lenihan has crossed an ocean, so why not a continent? Welcome to the Valley of Heart’s Delight, also known as the Santa Clara Valley or Silicon Valley. Back in the 1850s it was a sweeping plain with oak trees and marshes, dotted with thousands of grazing cattle and sheep. The Valley of Heart’s DelightContinue reading “Welcome to the Valley of Heart’s Delight”
Bronwyn Long Borne
Bronwyn is a nurse by day and writer by night. She crafts stories about strong women like the women who have inspired her over the years, especially women who come to know their strength through adversity. Custodian of the Spirits tells the tale of such a woman. This blog will provide updates and behind-the-scenes informationContinue reading “Bronwyn Long Borne”
Fiona Lenihan Moran 