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It's a site wide birthday party for Gopher_Byrd!

Bliss Doubt

Bliss Doubt

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
June 26 is an important VU birthday. @gopher_byrd is a beloved and valued member of the forum for his response to new members; his participation in many threads celebrating vapers' milestones, vaperversaries, birthdays; his sharing of his master gardener skills, his humor, support and friendship. Happy birthday Gopher_Byrd! We are taking you to Jacks Wild Wine Estate for a picnic, a formal dinner party, and a cozy overnight stay in the B&B rooms there.

Here we come, around the bend on the winery road. Some of us opted for air travel. @gloopdegurp can be seen calmly piloting his plane to bring the birthday banner. His wheels are down, almost time to land. @SnapDragon NY rides her dragon pony. @2WhiteWolves has her car loaded with party supplies. She gave @misswish a ride. Goph borrowed his transport from the caddy shack back home. @Jimi gave @Heartsdelight a ride. @Freyja has her own way of getting around. We try not to ask her too many questions. We can't wait for everyone to arrive so the party can begin.

Goph party winery road 2.3.png

We've arrived at the entrance of Jacks Wild Wine Estate including vineyards, restaurant, shop, bed & breakfast accommodations, wine cellars, tasting room and picnic grounds. We have decorated the entrance in the colors of wine for Goph's celebration. The valet will park your car.

Wild Wine Bed and Breakfast welcome.png

As Goph and his friends arrive, a picnic lunch by the rock pool will refresh us. We didn't know Jimi was a two fisted drinker. Freyja appears to be enjoying herself in one of the inflatables you can take out.

Goph party rock pool lunch all ppl.png

This is a good time for birthday songs.



And we have cake and cake and cake, enough for lunch, snacks, dinner tonight, and breakfast in the morning. Look closely to see the appellation label on our souvenir bottles of Goph's birthday wine. This is no slouch either. This is the winery's best.

Crazy cake tower w pairings.pngChateau Neuf du Goph.PNG

Everybody relax and enjoy. We have a beautiful day ahead of us to celebrate, snack, swim and hike. Later we'll have a dinner party before retiring to our reserved rooms at the winery's Bed & Breakfast.

Happy birthday @gopher_byrd from your many VU friends.
 
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Heartsdelight

Heartsdelight

VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Bliss Doubt

Bliss Doubt

Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years

Time to gather in the wine cellar tasting room for dinner, all snazzed up except for Freyja. She wears only her vapor.

Goph party winery fnal.jpg

It's all about pairings. We can thank @SnapDragon NY for working with the sommelier to create an experience our tastebuds will never forget, pairing her dining suggestions with his wine expertise. For appetizer, we'll test cheese and wine pairing theory. For those who want dessert first, the crazy cake tower is on the table alongside the cheese platter.

Snap pairings cheese wine.jpg

After our cheese and wine appetizer, sit down dinner begins with salads. Our both/and guy @gopher_byrd and his guests have lots of choices. For salad pairings the time honored convention is that champagne goes with everything.

Goph dinner salads (1).jpg

Now the main attraction, yummy pasta and wine pairings. Servings are small-ish so that guests can try as many as they want.

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Dessert! Feel free to take some to your room. Espresso and strong tea are also offered with this final course.

Snap pairings cake wine crop.png

And a talent night birthday concert from us to Goph:

Goph birthday concert w2.jpg

After a long, beautiful day of travel, celebration, swimming, hiking, enjoying the company of friends, after a rich birthday dinner we'll take a final walk to the rockpool for a nightcap under the waxing moon (four days to full), as we view Goph's birthday fireworks display:


And at last our reserved winery B&B rooms are prepared for our deep, restful sleep. We have earned our slow paces and lazy places.

Sleepy ppl.png

See you tomorrow at breakfast.
 
gloopdegurp

gloopdegurp

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Welcome to gopher_byrd’s birthday party! Pop open a bottle of your favorite vintage, because we have a mystery to solve.
Below is a short, interactive, non-violent choose-your-own-adventure. Read the setup, make your choices, and see if you can unmask the "Shifty Scarecrow" before they ruin the harvest!

Scarecrow_crawling_through_vineyard_202606220834.jpeg


The Mystery of the Shifty Scarecrow

You are the Head Sommelier at the prestigious Jack Wild Winery. Tonight, we are celebrating gopher_byrd’s birthday, but a shadow has fallen over the vineyard.
Lately, some guests have been reporting a bizarre sight at night: one of the scarecrows in the premium Cabernet Sauvignon block seems to... walk. Even worse, the prized, award-winning grapes from those specific vines are mysteriously vanishing.
You decide to stake out the vineyard tonight. You hide behind an oak barrel near the premium block. The moon is high, casting long, eerie shadows over the trellis lines.
Suddenly, you hear a rustle. You peek out and freeze. The scarecrow—with its burlap-sack face, floppy hat, and flannel shirt—is slowly climbing down from its wooden post! It grabs a wicker basket and begins snicking grape clusters off the vines with a pair of shears.
What do you do?

Option A: Confront the scarecrow directly! Step out from the shadows and demand to know what they are doing.

Option B: Stealthily follow them. Keep your distance and see where they take the stolen grapes.

Option A:The Direct Confrontation

You brace yourself, step out from behind the barrel, and shine your flashlight directly at the trespasser.
"Hold it right there!" you call out. "Put down the Cabernet!"
The scarecrow gasps, drops the wicker basket with a thud, and takes off down the vineyard row! The scarecrow isn't super fast—the floppy straw boots are making it stumble—but it's heading straight toward the employee parking lot.
As you give chase, you notice a figure standing near the trunk of an old delivery van, looking anxious. It's Julian, one of the winery's trusted vineyard hands. He's holding a clipboard, but his eyes are darting wildly.
The scarecrow runs right past Julian and dives into the back of the van.
What do you do now?

Option A1: Question Julian first. He's an employee; surely he knows what's going on.

Option A2: Block the van door and demand they both explain. Stop the escape before they can drive off.

Option B:The Silent Shadow

You decide to play it cool. You slip from vine to vine, being very careful to not make a sound.
The scarecrow meticulously fills its basket with only the absolute finest, perfectly ripe grapes. Once the basket is full, it whistles a low, bird-like tune.
From the edge of the property, a pair of headlights flickers twice. The scarecrow begins walking toward a dusty delivery van parked on the dirt road. You slip closer and hide behind a fermentation tank.
You see Julian, your vineyard hand, open the back doors of the van. He whispers to the scarecrow, "Did you get the premium clusters? We need those specific buds and seeds if we're going to graft our own vines next week."
"Got 'em," a muffled voice replies from inside the burlap mask. "Our future vineyard is going to have the best start in the valley."
This is your moment to act!

Option B1: Turn on the vineyard's automated sprinkler system. Startle them into a wet surrender!

Option B2: Step out and calmly present the evidence. Let them know they've been caught red-handed.

Option A1:Questioning Julian

You jog up to Julian. "Julian! What is going on here? Who is in that scarecrow suit?"
Julian turns pale. He looks at the van, then at you, and sighs, shoulders slumping. "Alright, you caught us. It’s my cousin, Remy."
Remy steps out of the van, pulling off the burlap scarecrow mask, sweaty and apologetic.

The Confession:

"We weren't trying to hurt the winery," Julian admits sheepishly. "But we've dreamed of starting our own boutique vineyard. I knew which grapes had the perfect, prize-winning genetics. I moved the scarecrow to mark the best vines, and Remy came at night to harvest them for our starter seeds. We are so sorry."
You agree not to call the authorities if they return the grapes, help clean up gopher_byrd’s party venue, and promise to do their future agricultural research legally. Mystery Solved!

Option A2:Block the Van

You sprint past Julian and slam the back doors of the delivery van shut, turning the latch. "No one is driving anywhere!" you declare.
Julian gasps. The van doors creak, and a voice from inside says, "Uh, a little help out here?"
Julian sighs and looks at you. "Okay, okay, don't call the owner. We'll confess." He opens the door, and his cousin, Remy, steps out, pulling off the straw hat and burlap mask.

The Confession:

"It was a family plot," Remy explains. "Julian used his job here to scout the absolute best grape varieties. He'd place the scarecrow next to the prime vines during the day so I knew exactly which ones to harvest at night. We wanted to steal the secret to Jack Wild’s success to launch our own startup label. We got greedy."
With the mystery unraveled, you sentence them to community service: pouring wine and washing glasses for gopher_byrd’s party all night! Mystery Solved!

Option B1:The Sprinkler Trap

You quietly slip over to the irrigation control panel mounted on the side of the fermentation tank. You find the switch for "Block 4 - Cabernet" and flip it to MAX.
WHOOSH!
The high-pressure overhead sprinklers burst to life, drenching the scarecrow and Julian instantly.
"Agh! It's raining!" Julian yells, shielding his clipboard. The scarecrow starts slipping in the sudden mud, dropping the basket of grapes.
You walk out, completely dry under the overhang, holding a towel. "Care for a dry towel before I alert the management?"
Soaked and defeated, the scarecrow pulls off its mask. It’s Julian's cousin, Remy.

The Confession:

"Alright, you got us wet and caught," Julian shivers. "I was using my insider knowledge to spot the best grape clones, placing the scarecrow as a marker. Remy would steal them at night so we could start our own rival vineyard. We didn't want to hurt the winery, we just wanted a shortcut to success."
You hand them the towels in exchange for the stolen grapes, and they agree to make amends. Mystery Solved!

Option B2:The Calm Confrontation

You step out from behind the fermentation tank, crossing your arms. "You know, if you wanted a starter cutting of our Cabernet, Julian, you could have just asked for an employee discount."
Both Julian and the scarecrow freeze. Julian drops his clipboard. The scarecrow slowly reaches up and pulls off the burlap headpiece, revealing Julian's cousin, Remy.

The Confession:

"We're so embarrassed," Remy says. "Julian has been placing the scarecrow next to the most premium grapes during his day shifts. At night, I'd sneak in and harvest them. We wanted to use the seeds and cuttings to start our own family vineyard on the cheap. We knew these grapes were the best in the region."
Julian looks down. "I'm sorry. I love this winery, but we got impatient about starting our own dream."
Because they came clean peacefully, you offer them a deal: they return the grapes, and in exchange, you'll mentor them on how to propagate vines legally. They happily agree! Mystery Solved!

Scary scarecrow w grapes 2.png

Sleep well, guests, the scarecrows here at Jack Wild Winery don't really walk at night... or do they???
 
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