In late January, on a rare dry day, my wife and I went to a 50th birthday party for a friend we know in Davis (Jenna), who my wife actually went to school with (they were on the cheerleading team; there’s a bit of Americana for you, we didn’t have those at my school in London). it was at the Ruhstaller brewery in Dixon, near Davis, an interesting location that was definitely getting sketched. There were a lot of people there in the covered but large and airy barn, so I went outside and drew the building against the setting sun. The party was fun, the beer was nice, and it was a good evening. The only thing was that they had these wood fires for warmth, but inside; when stood next to or near one, you immediately smelled of wood fire. All our clothes reeked of it when we got home, it reminded me of nights out in Camden in the old days before the smoking ban. The wood smoke seemed to get into our pores, so I had to have a good shower that night and thoroughly wash all my clothes. That wood smoke would put me off going there again to be honest. But it was a popular place and the beer tasted very nice, and the party was enjoyable.