Farewell to Winter—Maybe

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The day before yesterday, we said goodbye to snow for this Winter. Now, that may very well be wishful thinking. It's only early March. We are a long way from long, lazy, days filled with sunshine. At any rate, we celebrated a beautiful snowfall, and I finally got some use out of my new snow boots. We took time off for a drive around the valley simply drinking in the scenery and being grateful for living in such a beautiful place. This winter has been a bit of a blur for me. I felt as though I had missed the entire season. Now, the daffodils have peeked out from under their covers and I am fully ready to watch for spring wildflowers and longer days.

P.S. I'll be back to regular visiting and leaving bread crumbs in a few days. More about that later.

Spring is Around the Corner

Yesterday we had to go to Los Angeles for a couple of appointments and several odds and ends errands. It wasn’t a fun day, but it started out great. Due to a major accident that rendered our favorite route a non-choice, we took the route west out of Tehachapi and headed down out of the mountains into the San Joaquin Valley. At somewhere around two or three thousand feet elevation, we saw our first spring flowers of the year. All I have for proof is an example of my crazy drive-by photography shown above—we were on a tight schedule and stops were out of the question. But, I promise you that those wild flowers—not to mention the blossoming fruit trees we saw down on the valley floor—surely got hope a-stirring in my heart. Spring is on the way.

The trip to Los Angeles yesterday drove home something I had begun to suspect about myself. After living in Los Angeles for over thirty years, I had become completely spoiled to green plants and flowers year-round and I have been missing that part of the southland. But however much I may miss the green of Los Angeles, I have no real desire to return. I sincerely love living in Bear Valley Springs. It is, after all, a bit like living in a state park, and I am incredibly grateful to live in such a beautiful place. I suppose it simply comes down to another example of the many trade-offs we face in life.

I am looking forward to those spring flowers. It was lovely getting a preview—I admit getting pretty excited at the sight, and I may sneak back for another peek in a few days. Meanwhile, I will concentrate on enjoying the last of winter's very special light and beautiful skies.