As you can see this is still a work in progress but I am excited knowing I will be able to be more "hands on" with this user-friendly web platform. I will be adding to this site constantly now that I am at the helm of my own domain;)
I will be able to blog, post my new paintings with more frequency & hopefully I'll figure out along the way how to be more interactive with you.
Pandemic Pause: Regarding Crystal Lake Wines; this has been a tough one to figure out & we're still trying!
You're probably asking what is up with Crystal Lake Wines?
Extreme temperatures have continued to rise over the past ten years since 2010 when CLW created. The Summers have become increasingly too hot for shipping safely & the Winters have become more challenging recently with the extreme cold. Wine bottles will pop under extreme temperatures. It is not a pretty sight.
Then we have shipping costs that we have to integrate into our base cost & it has gone up every year. Keeping prices down & incorporating free shipping into our costs has been increasingly challenging. This is a family-owned boutique Winery & the profit margins are steadily decreasing due to the rising shipping costs, increased costs of packaging & other small business challenges.
And then there's the Pandemic... oh yes, that has had & continues to have a serious impact on all of us. Valley View Winery in Jacksonville, Oregon is still open & the Crystal Lake Wines are still available at the Winery. The rest we will figure out as time goes on.
Right now, I am focusing on my Painting and I hope you'll join me on this new adventure. I am using this gift of time to focus on my first passion which has always been about my creating & art!
So, as we attempt to survive this real nightmare that currently surrounds us I hope you'll check in with me from time-to-time to see what I've learned, posted, written & painted!
