Larry and Linda Saarloos have led a charmed kind of life. Blessed, some might call it. They grew up in Bellflower-Lakewood, California, and attended the same high school. Both played three sports and Linda was a cheerleader. They've been together since the Junior-Senior Banquet, when Larry was 18 and Linda was 17 years old. They made their first trip to Santa Ynez in 1985 to watch their former high school football team play Santa Ynez High. We both said to each other that we wanted to live here at some point in our lives, Larry Saarloos recalls.

That point arrived five years ago when they bought 100 acres at the north end of Ballard Canyon. We were looking for land that we could ranch and farm, says Larry, who grew up working in his father's wholesale gardening and veterinary supply businesses, ìand this parcel was perfect. It was planted with 5,000 Fuji apple trees, which weren't producing a profit, so we replaced them with 17 acres of Syrah grapes. We're expecting our first harvest this year.

The decision to plant Syrah grapes was a no-brainer, according to Larry. ìFirst of all, it's my favorite wine. Second, our neighbors are Tom Stolpman and Tom Beckman (of Beckman Winery) who set the standard for Syrah production in the Valley. Finally, the microclimate at this particular spot is ideally suited for Syrah production, over Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, or anything else.

Both Larry and Linda work the vineyards dailyóweeding, pruning and tying up vines. In addition, the Saarloos raise registered Black Angus cattle and have seven quarter horses. (Their first foal was born this year.) Although the Saarloos maintain a home in Naples, California and businesses elsewhere, their move to Santa Ynez made Larry feel the need to establish a business here, as well. We'd been to the Roasted Bean coffeehouse and loved it, Larry says. ìIt's got a special, neighborly feelingóplus, it's in Santa Ynez, which is the perfect Hollywood Western town. When you walk into a place and get that good a feeling, you want to have a little piece of it, so I inquired whether it might be for sale.

As it turned out, the former owners had just put the business on the market that week. The transaction was accomplished soon after. Owning the Roasted Bean has given us a chance to meet and greet all our new neighbors in the Valley, Our employees are students at Santa Ynez High, and the sweetest, most kind-hearted group of girls you'd ever want to meet, he says. ìI tell people that now I've got two sons and nine daughtersóthe girls who work for us at the Roasted Bean.

Larry and Linda have been reluctant to make many changes to the menu, dÈcor, or other features of the coffeehouse because Valley residents love it the way it is. We feel as if the people of the Valley have allowed us to operate the Roasted Bean although, really, they own it, Larry says.ìWe've got an 18-member group who comes in every morning at 6:30 to talk vineyards, politics, or the stock market. We call it "The Breakfast Club.' And we like to think that everybody else comes here, too. We serve the cowboys, the contractors, and the celebrities. Plus, we serve the soccer moms, business leaders, and everybody in-between.

Only about 20 percent of the coffeehouse menu actually is coffee, Larry notes. ìWe serve smoothies, blended coffee drinks, tea, and pastries. ìPlus, there's always a table waiting for you, where you can enjoy your favorite daily newspaper or Inside Santa Ynez Valley. The Saarloos bought another local business in May: Santa Ynez Self-Storage, in Buellton, which Larry describes as ìthe Nordstrom of self-storage facilities.

We just want to be more deeply rooted in the Valley, Larry says. The Saarloos, who have been together since they were 18 years old, also have two grown sonsóKeith, who works in the family's garden supply business, Excel Garden Products, in Santa Fe Springs, California; and Kirk, a six time All-American at Cal State Fullerton, who is a starting pitcher for the Houston Astros (and was pictured in the August 10, 2002, issue of Sports Illustrated).

For me, the thrill of both the boys is that they've grown up to be grounded, hard-working, and positive people, Larry says. ìI used to always tell them "you can be a fountain or a drain, and I don't want you guys to be a drain.'

They're both fountains.

When it's mentioned that his life seems to have worked out rather serendipitouslyómarried nearly 30 years to his high school sweetheart, living in the place of his dreams, two fine, grown sons who've added delightful daughters-in-law to the family and multiple successful businessesóLarry agrees. I think I'm the first to recognize how blessed I am. I can't explain it really. My father was a child of the Depression, who was farmed out to live with neighbors after his own father died. I saw how hard he worked to do better for his kids. My wife, too, is the daughter of Minnesota farm people. She wasn't born with any silver spoon in her mouth.

We both work really hard and treat people kindly, as my father taught me. The rest really are blessings.