October 8: View from the Mountaintop

We celebrated Keith's birthday on Saturday, and his idea of a great birthday was to climb Long Valley Peak (elevation over 4900 ft) which looks down into the valley in which our small town in nestled. He took this photo of the highest point, looking northeast. (He's a little sore today after 5+ hours of hiking.)

September 30: Sunset

As I drove Jonathan down to Alpine to play in the Starbucks Jam with the Free Teen Guitar Class, an outreach of Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity, the sunset was incredible. So I asked J to pull out my camera and take a few shots while I drove. And this was the best photo of the bunch.... :)

September 5: A Bit o' Rain

Rain in Southern California is a precious and rare commodity. I heard sprinkles on the roof around 3:00 AM, and a definitely rain shower came through later in the morning. Clouds hung heavy over our little valley all day, a blessed relief from the usual summer heat we have in the mountains during August and September.

September 4: Cleared at Last!

This concrete slab has been ankle-deep in wood pieces, logs, and assorted detritus for a couple of years as we often split and stack our wood pile here. But the boys' summer project was to clear it--and they did. All the stacked boxes are full of kindling, and the wood is stacked and ready for winter.

July 19: Praying on the Porch

A quiet day, with Keith and the boys working atop the mountain, affords a lovely Quiet Time of prayer on the front porch with my Book of Common Prayer, my English Standard Version Bible installed on my Kindle, and, a rare blessing, uninterrupted TIME....

July 13: A Cloudy Sunset

The sun sank behind deep, thick clouds, reminding us of our current spring temperatures, a welcome break from summer heat!

July 7: Study Session

This afternoon I spent a couple of hours on our front porch, reading and writing. It was so quiet and relaxing, truly a little piece of mountain paradise.

July 6: Summer Rains....

Summer rains may be common across the country, but here in Southern California, rain is a rare treat. The lack of rain endangers our precious oaks, many centuries old, and it has grieved me to see so many lost in the ten years we've lived in Pine Valley. So two days of summer storms are not only a blessed relief from the oppressive heat; they are also a blessing for our thirsty trees and natural foliage in this place which receives about 20 inches of precipitation per year (double what San Diego proper receives) and reaches into the 110s regularly throughout the summer. The summer storms drop the temperatures by 20 degrees within 15 minutes, bringing flashes of lightning, crashes of thunder, and the welcome patter of rain and sometimes hail, all rarities in this south-western-most corner of the country.

July 3: Mountain Sunset

After a cloudy day threatening summer showers since daybreak, the few remaining clouds are beautifully lit as the sun sinks behind the mountains of our small town....

May 31: Quite a Catch!

T discovered this three-foot long gopher snake in our garden. I hope he is truly keeping the gophers at bay!!! :)

Day 60: Deserted Treehouse

The boys haven't used the treehouse in over a year. I miss seeing them up there, playing and goofing around. They're growing up so fast....

Day 59: Goodbye, Snow!

Weather in the sixties today meant that our six inches of snow is melting rapidly. So as the sun disappears in the west, we bid farewell to the patchy snow around our front yard, only our second snowfall of the winter.

Day 58: First Icicles

In our ten winters here in this small mountain town east of San Diego, we've never seen icicles...until now, the day after the storm. Icicles may be common place for you Back Easters, but this is Southern California!!! Icicles are big news!!! :)

Day 57: Out the Bathroom Window

I took this out the bathroom window while the storm raged. Snow is a rare thing in Southern California, especially in San Diego County, and receiving six inches of the white stuff makes this storm the second biggest snowfall in our ten winters here.

Day 56: Battening Down the Hatches

We have the coldest storm in twenty-thirty years bearing down on San Diego County tonight. So the boys stacked firewood all over the hearth and all over the porch so that when we receive the expected 6-12 inches overnight in our town. There's even a chance of snow flurries in the inland valleys where I grew up--that's happened only twice in my lifetime.

So we're ready for the deluge and prepared to be snowed in for a few days....

Day 55: Signs o' Spring

As I walked home from having tea with a friend, I stopped by my lilac bushes to check, and--lo and behold! Buds!!!

So despite the coldest storm in the last thirty years bearing down upon Southern California this weekend (snow down to 1000 feet, and possible snow flurries in the eastern valleys for the first time since my childhood), my garden is showing signs of the coming spring.

Day 54: Storm Coming....

As I walked out our gate on this frigid day (well, frigid for Southern California--it was in the high thirties and windchill in the high twenties when I took my stroll), I stopped to capture the incoming clouds while on my way to our town's little coffee shop to meet with my dear friend Judith, poet extraordinaire. :)

Day 52: Snow Play

It was cold enough on Sunday that the vast majority of the snow stayed with us through Monday. B couldn't resist making a snowman on Sunday....

...which he promptly destroyed on Monday.

Boys....

Day 51: A Snowy Drive

We had snow last night, and on our drive home from church, the surrounding mountains were white, right at the offramp to our town.

Day 50: Evening Snowfall

After dark we received our first snowfall of the season, a rather rare event in Southern California. Some years we get none; other years we can get 8-10 snowfalls, usually just a half-inch or so. Tonight we received about a half inch, and we hope for more tomorrow. I took this looking out our back door.