Betty Teller

Before moving to Napa, I hadn't lived in a place that was for the birds. But Napa County is a rich haven for avian life.

The statistics are in for May home sales and Napa County finds itself as the leader of the nine Bay Area counties in median home price appreciation at 13.5 percent. A cause for celebration? Likely not.

Sometimes we just aren’t listening, or we think the warnings aren’t meant for us until it hits home. No one plants a poisonous plant on purpose.

You walk into a store and peruse the wine shelves. Besides being confused by foreign terms, unpronounceable brand names and strange designations, there are those little cards underneath many wines.

This year’s short supply of rainfall in California has raised the prospect of water shortages if next winter is similar.

Wow, the little delta smelt did what no one else could.

A British study has showed that firms that import wine in bulk and bottle it in England can reduce their carbon emissions by 30-40 percent without affecting quality, and when they bottle it in lighter glass they can reduce the carbon footprint by an additional 30 percent. Bulk shipping doubles the capacity of transported wine.

While going through the dull mechanics of shaving, I was jarred by raucous bird squawks. The best I could make of it, a lynch party of ostriches had the house surrounded.

Not only did the 27th annual Napa Valley Vintners-sponsored wine auction raise big bucks last weekend for local health, youth and housing endeavors, it came off without a hitch.

Dear Len & Rosie, My mom is 78.

An application for a use permit has been filed for a private 18-hole golf course in Pope Valley in a portion of what used to be Juliana Vineyards. Golf courses are permitted in agricultural areas.