In Italian, still life is called natura morta, literally, dead nature, in other words, inanimate nature.
Yesterday, Tracie P and I visited the San Diego home of friends and wine club clients Chrissa and Dan, where we took these photos.
After winning her battle with cancer, the couple decided to devote their lives to homesteading: they grow nearly all the produce that they consume and they slaughter and butcher all the meats that they consume (check out their site and educational program here).
All of the fruits in these photos were grown by them in their garden.
At a time when most of us urbanites place blind faith in the so-called “organic” choices at the specialized super markets, these folks — he a software designer, she an interior designer — have embraced the homesteading approach to self reliance (o that wonderful American ideal!) with a gusto and vibrancy that inspire me.
I brought over a bottle of 2009 Pinot Grigio Jesera by my friend Giampaolo Venica. Look at the wonderful ramato (copper) color of this true Pinot Grigio (a red grape, btw). We raised a glass of this delicious salty wine and remembered the grape growers in Collio (Friuli) whose vineyards were devastated over the weekend by a terrible hailstorm.
I also took a few shots in the garden — natura viva. I loved the red veined sorrel.
Sage.
Thanks for reading!
Do Bianchi 
I beleive the image is of Lamb’s Ear (from WIkki)
Stachys byzantina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Stachys
Species: S. byzantina
Binomial name
Stachys byzantina
K.Koch
Synonyms
Stachys lanata
Stachys olympica
Stachys byzantina (syn. S. lanata; Lamb’s-ear or Lamb’s Ear) is a species of Stachys, native to Turkey, Armenia, and Iran.[1][2] It is cultivated over much of the temperate world as an ornamental plant, and is naturalised in some locations as an escape from gardens. Plants are very often found under the synonym Stachys lanata or Stachys olympica.
@Ned AWESOME! thanks for the info and love it! I’m sure that you’re right… :)
Oh no, thank you. I really enjoy reading here every day. Keep up the good work.
Le notizie che ha fornito Ned Horton sono stupefacenti, tanto quanto sono i particolari del post. Congratulazioni!
sad to hear about the hail storm but glad Venica was spared – my fav pinot grigio! met the winemaker at Osteria, can’t wait to try them in italy. Thanks for posting!