Do You Dream in Color in Napa...

One of the documentary subjects, and me
in a funny hat.

I had a very special job a few weeks ago in Napa. I was hired to do sound in Napa (Wine Country) for a documentary about blind children. I had mixed before for this project in Palm Springs, and I was happy to work with these folks again.

The drive up there was rough. There were four of us packed into a car with a ton of gear. Once there, we had to drive some more to pick up one of the subjects from Santa Rosa. The shoot itself went well, but it was exhausting. Woke up early, went to bed late, and long, extended interviews. That meant a lot of time with my hands above my head holding the boom, but that's the job.

Nick.

What made this job special is that it really opened my eyes to another world. The problems facing the blind are extreme. Unemployment is almost 80%, and education is not doing much to accommodate them. Still, these kids had good heads on their shoulders, and I have a feeling they will rise above.

I have never really spent much time with the blind, but at this camp I was one of the few people who could see. One thing I noticed immediately is that they seem to have much more patience then most people I've met. Perhaps this is because they can't judge you on appearances, and in turn make their impressions based on what you say or do. Basically, they have the gift to do the rarest of all human qualities: listen.

At the Dance Hall

I was also glad to see Napa. Besides San Francisco, I haven't seen a lot of Northern California. Wine Country is absolutely gorgeous; filled with mountains of endless green and imposing Redwoods. The air was clean and the quiet was very nice.

The way back was pure hell. We had to drop kids off in Santa Rosa, San Francisco, and San Jose. Then we still had the drive back to Los Angeles. I got in after midnight, and a few hours later I lurched into work like a zombie.

This kid wanted to be one the cowboys.