M.F.K Fisher, renowned author and our late dear friend with whom we spent many days in her last six years, told us she built her house on what is now the Pleydell-Bourverie Audubon Preserve because the gently rolling hills, the green and then golden-brown grass, the oak trees, the light winter rains and summer heat, and even the aromas of the flowers and the grape crush reminded her so much of France's Provence.

The Valley is a peaceful, quiet, and romantic place with little unemployment and a low crime rate. Vineyards, wineries, parks, hiking trails, restaurants, and tourist attractions form a rich mosaic of valley life.

There is a constant struggle to protect the valley from development that might destroy its rural and small-town nature or damage its historic heritage, which dates back to 1823. It is not that Sonomans want to "pull up the drawbridge" to keep out newcomers, but most are adamant in their efforts to preserve its beauty, its peace and pace, and the human scale of this unique valley.