Fresh Air

We explored a new hiking spot on Monday--at Chantry Flats, Big Santa Anita Canyon. We started out to hike to Sturtevant Falls, but changed courses on the way. It was a (rather steep, but) beautiful trail. You can see in this picture the treeline where the river runs down below. . .

Check "Find House to Rent" Off the List

Drum roll, please. . . line up here for your virtual tour of where we will live after the wedding!

I started taking pictures and quickly realized that photos of empty rooms are not only boring, they give little feel of the size or layout. So I will simply tell you that in addition to the living room (pictured below), there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms.There is also a kitchen and dining area, separated by the peninsula Erik is leaning on below. . .a patio that looks out over a small, private-feeling fenced yard (and shed). . .
. . . and our very own tangelo tree!I think that if I'm shown a picture of this house thirty years from now I'll still smell and taste those tangelos.I'll post some more pics after we've moved in. . . but for the REAL tour, you'll have to come visit us!! :-D

:-D

Yay for dinner with a wandering friend! Jeff, a friend from Orlando you MAY recognize from an August post, drifted back out this way again for work. Ben & I met him for dinner and conversation at Outback, which was yummy and fun.
AND. . . Erik & I go to sign on the rental on Friday! :-D Will post pics.

In Other News

We had a super-busy weekend in Bakersfield. . . not only did we clean out our cars, we also looked at houses to rent. And we THINK we've found one. So say a quick prayer! More soon, we hope. :-D

Summit Mountain

Ben, Erik & I headed out at some unholy hour of the morning last Thursday for Big Bear Lake, and picked up Ben's friend Rachel along the way. Ben and some of his friends had gone up the Sunday before and it was so cold and windy that they came back after one run (you know it was bad when they turned around after a 2.5 hour drive!!) So we came prepared. . . and quickly dropped layer after layer. It was a simply GORGEOUS day. So nice that we sat on a deck without any jackets for lunch!



Erik has only been on skis once before, back in army days when he was living overseas. After 20-some years, he's decided lessons might be in order next time. :-)

Yes, that's me... Ben and I took turns getting a few action shots. ;-D
That tiny dot coming down to my spot on the hill is Ben... note the big grin on his face in the second picture. :-D

Sunset on the way home.

Switzer Falls

Ah, the lovely sound of water running! Today's hike was COLD (not a lot of sun down in this woods) but beautiful none the less. Ben & I enjoyed the brisk air and then stopped to browse in a little bookshop on the way home. Doesn't get much better than that!

Monrovia Canyon Falls

Ben & I got out the old Afoot & Afield today and decided to check out a hike that Mom, April & Ben had explored when they were out here for Christmas. It was a lovely day!

After we'd parked, we walked behind the Nature Center to pick up the trail and there were a pair of deer grazing and playing with each other! They watched us and chased each other a bit; I think they must be yearlings. Fun!!

The book said it was a shady trail, and we were prepared to be chilly. But the sun was bright and there were plenty of lit spots along the way.


The stream was bubbling noisily, the sun was shining and the waterfall at the end was beautiful!
Afterwards we had fun doing a little exploring of the quaint side of Monrovia--and we found a yummy kabob place for lunch too!

Nice to have a relaxed day with a little new exploring. ;-D