July 2013
 
Greetings!

Happy Summer! We are now open daily from 11am to 6pm, and our Sunset Tastings are back on Saturday evenings (see details in the Upcoming Events listed below). Last year it was "weather permitting," but this year it's every Saturday, rain or shine! It stars at 6pm when our regular tasting hours end, and lasts until sunset ($5pp cover charge). So come out for a comfortable relaxing moment overlooking Lake Ontario.

In This Issue
THIS SATURDAY
Anniversary News
A Message From Fumie
Win Our Wine!
Upcoming Events
Starry Starry Nights Begin THIS Saturday 
A FREE event to enjoy & learn about the stars! 

The first Starry Starry Night is this Saturday! Fumie is slightly anxious about what she'll talk about and how. She's got a star chart to hand out, but if you have your own, you can bring it over. You're welcome to set your telescope and/or binoculars up as well if you'd like to share the view with others. You may also want a "dimmed" flashlight so that you won't disturb our eyes that are used to the dark. You can easily do this by using your regular flashlight and covering the lighted end with a piece of colored (usually red) plastic or cellophane. If you own one of those little key-chain lights, that would be great. 

We will walk out to the field behind our Tasting Room when it gets dark enough to see the stars --- perhaps around 9:15 pm --- and stay there until 11 pm. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A WINE TASTING EVENT. However, wine will be available by the glass or bottle for purchase before we walk out. Due to the nature of the event, this is WEATHER PERMITTING. If you wonder if it will go on, just call us! 

25th Anniversary Specials 
We have plenty of our anniversary glasses;

get one FREE with a purchase of a case of wine!

And the Anniversary Wine is coming --- hopefully later this month. Recent rainy weather has kept us busy with extra vineyard work, but we've been working hard in the cellar, too (Really; believe me!!)! Like us on Facebook to stay tuned! Monthly drawing for a free bottle of wine from new likes continues in the rest of this season. 

Like us on Facebook 

A Journey of Jupiter   

Next year will be the 36th year since I first saw the conjunction of Jupiter and Gemini, the Twins. The mighty God just passed his conjunction with the Sun so it  is out of sight from this year's twilight scene. Instead we have Venus' company --- that is delightful for our Sunset Tastings and Starry Starry Nights!

Perhaps the most amazing thing to myself is the fact that I still look up and enjoy the stars. Did I ever expect or plan that when I first got to know the fun of stargazing? They have been my good friends since the beginning, and in a future that I don't doubt.

Sincerely,



Visit our blogFumie Thorpe
Owner
Thorpe Vineyard
Win Our Wine!  
Congratulations to the May drawing winners, Caitlin Conheady and Ron Johnson! It's easy to win a free bottle: read our email newsletter and
like us on Facebook to stay in touch. We pick a winner
from both each month. Good luck!
Upcoming Events
Sunset Tasting at Thorpe Vineyard
Saturdays from June 22nd - August 31st
6pm until sunset

Starry Starry Night
at Thorpe Vineyard
July 6th & 27th,
August 10th & 24th
sunset until 11pm, weather permitting

July 13th & 14th
"Sippin' the Lakes" Wine Garden
Corn Hill Arts Festival in Rochester
details coming soon

August 3rd
Central New York Wine & Jazz Fest at Wolcott
11am-8pm

August 15th
Wayne County Fair
Wine, Cheese and Farm Market Tasting
6pm to 8:30pm

 
Triplets
from the spring 2005 edition of the Trillium Ridge Times


The last one was in 2002 when Jupiter resided in the constellation Gemini the Twins and was acting as their third brother to form the "Triplets." Jupiter has an orbit of 12 years around the sun that means he travels each sign of the zodiac per year and completes a round in 12 years. 

It was during the summer vacation of 1978 when Fumie first saw this "Triplets." She was then a high school girl starting to face the answer-less question of the real world. She had books, friends, music and stars for her companions to deal with the situation; she was perhaps looking for a place to rest.  

Jupiter
She often read day and night and when looking outside, Jupiter was rising following Castor and Pollux, the Twins, all three forming a straight line just above the north-eastern horizon in the brightening morning sky. To her weary eyes the golden luster of the Mighty God Jupiter looked as if he had been forgiving everything.

The next conjunction was in 1990. She was working toward her meteorology degree at Oswego State as well as taking care of this haphazardly-started wine business. She was busy all summer long thus had no chance to see the sight.  

By the way, why summer for the winter constellation Gemini?

The lineup of the three occurs when Jupiter is passing the Twins toward Cancer the Crab, the next sign of the zodiac. Because of the planet's orbital properties, it can only happen when they ascend in late summer. The heavenly schedule is much more precise than we imagine.

Then came 2002... she raised her hopes for the event as she remembered the bad luck of 1990. But it turned out to be another disappointment and she was depressed for a while.

Sometime in the middle of August last year she suddenly woke up early in the morning. It was still dark so she walked up to a window to look outside: that is just the second nature of a long-time stargazer. She peeked out with probably only one eye open then got startled. There was the "Triplets" right there. "It shouldn't be this year!" After being startled, in the next moment she realized it was Saturn, not Jupiter. But it brought her some cheer; how nice it would have been if she could have seen this 2 years ago! There was brilliant Venus not far from Saturn adding grace to the scene.

So now Saturn is in Gemini passing by the Twins to be the "Triplets" for a while again this summer. Fumie opened her astronomy book and found that Saturn's orbital period is 29 years. She thought for a moment and pulled out the oldest "book" of her poetry to surprise herself by finding a mention of the same event 29 years ago. She had officially started her composition, largely a form of poetry, a year before then and wonders if she will see this again 29 years from now.

It was well into fall by the time she saw Jupiter for the first time in the later viewing season of 2002. Being out longer in the evening through the night for the busy harvest time brought her the opportunity. It was a scintillating yellow light while climbing through the treetops. But once it cleared the obstacles along the horizon, there was no doubt that the golden sparkle was Jupiter himself. He was already in Cancer the Crab, approaching to another celestial spectacle, the Beehive open cluster.

The life wasn't easy then. But it doesn't mean that it is better now. Unanswered questions are still here. And Jupiter, of course, remains silent.

"Though you have already advanced your step; the mighty God, you are there still smiling."   

She went back inside and noted in her book.