On pines and needles
This post is really just a place holder so that I can keep to my regular schedule. Not that I haven’t thought it through, I have and there is a reason to put it up here. But, I am working on my summer travel post and, as usual, it is taking up a lot of time. Also, as if I don’t have enough to do, I am starting up a new project on the internet, making a series of lace shawls from an exciting new silk and cotton yarn I found, and helping Deanna and Al find their dream house in California (such a lot of fun). Earlier in May, Geoffrey and I finally accepted an invitation from his business partner to spend the weekend with him and his wife at their getaway cabin in Pine Mountain. Now, I have known about Pine Mountain for about 20 years, but had all kinds of misconceptions about it. I thought it would be just a pale imitation of Big Bear Lake or Wrightwood. The reason may be that virtually nobody in SoCal knows about it.
For one thing, it is north of us in the middle of the Central California Valley. Both Kern and Ventura Counties claim it as the line between them literally bisects the mountain. For another thing, the road to get there from either the 5 Freeway (our main north/south drag) or the 101 on the coast, is a winding and narrow two-laner. It has a low population and, get this, everyone who moves there has to join an association or club. That is the way they keep it clean, safe, and beautiful.
We had been turning down these invitations every single year in May to attend the Lilac Festival up there. This year, May started out uncommonly hot (even for Santa Clarita) and so it seemed refreshing to just get out of here and go to the boring mountain and sniff a few flowers.
Right. First of all, we were astonished to discover the place is stunningly gorgeous. Secondly, it is two thousand feet higher than Big Bear and Wrightwood, yup 9000′. Thirdly, the flowers were the least of the attractions. The festival itself was camp, silly, upbeat, lively, kitschy and delightful.
Geoff’s partner’s “cabin” is a stunning multistory home, with breathtaking views of Los Padres National Forest that lies all around it, at its feet. Nestled into the side of a mountain, the lookouts were forever. The tree-covered mountains on Pine Mountain and as far as the eye can see in each direction are almost blue, thriving and vibrant. This may in part be due to the fact that there was extra snow this winter because of El Niño. Only intermittent signs of the drought were visible.
We got to sleep in, breathe sharp clean mountain air, gaze through crystal light to bright and vibrant homes and features that club members have added to adorn and outfit the area. And we could walk to the festival each day, absorbing the celebratory mood and dragging back bags of stocking stuffers for our nieces and nephews, to be tucked away for the holidays.
Everything was wonderful. There were some hairball aspects though, hence the title of this post. For one thing, the roads climbing to 9000 feet, while gradual and surprisingly gentle curve-wise, had absolutely no shoulders and virtually no barriers.
You could be careening around a sharp turn only to see that the road dropped away for hundreds of feet below you on one side, protection-free. There were signs warning of the high fire danger, bears, deer, BEARS? Wait? We were planning to hike around.
Now, let me be clear. Geoffrey, his partner, and his partner’s wife are all marathoners, triathletes, outdoorsmen/woman, campers. There was only one citified princess among us and that dainty individual was nervous enough about getting scratched up and maybe bitten by a snake. It didn’t help to have the prospect of having to outrun or outclimb a ‘baar’, into the mix. As to that fire danger: there is only one, narrow (albeit, well paved) road in and out of the entire mountain. It goes on for at least one hundred miles from the desert to the sea, if not more (I am guessing and too lazy to check), so, if there were to be a brush fire, well, it’s go vertical or perish. Hmm.
No cell phone service either. Just the computer at the cabin, more a chalet. So, the dash to the top was fierce, even by car.
To add to this, literally the minute we got home on Monday morning, Geoffrey’s car that we had driven all weekend, developed a death rattle (or so we thought). He limped it over to the mechanic in Valencia who discovered a loose wire, that blew out the entire electrical system. If it had happened just a few hours before, well, I would be writing this from the funny farm.
Anyway, to wrap this up, here are some of the hundreds of pictures I took. If you come to SoCal, you might want to take a trip back in time to Mt. Pinos/Pine Mountain, and then tell me, am I right or am I right? 😀
Images: Chez BeBe assets: Pine Mountain, California
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/mountain/
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/mountain/
nice post and wonderful pics
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Thank you so much, Jim! Something easy on the ears and eyes was in order, for a change, I thought, LOL! ❤
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I was so happy to see this post from you. In the last several days, I’ve frequently wondered if you had disappeared!
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Hi Patty, thank you for stopping by and commenting.
I am only on WP every two weeks, every other Friday and I have been posting all along, like clockwork. I do have a sticky seasonal travel page, but if you look on the right column here, you will see all my bi-monthly posts.
I am equally happy to hear from you and hope you have been well.
xx
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Yeah. I think I missed your last couple of posts and I lose track of time easily. My kids have been keeping me crazy busy!
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That’s the best kind of busy, Patty! I truly appreciate your being so caring. We need to look out for each other, no? 😀
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Yeah. I think I missed your last couple of posts and I lose track of time easily. My kids have been keeping me crazy busy!
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Yes!
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Wow. A nice castle in the woods. And I love the sign (although I’d like for for cats!).
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They probably had those too! I should have looked. So much to see and do. It was fun. Thank you Susan! 🙂
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It’s days like this…posts like this…where I wish I had like all the money in the world and could buy a house like that and just sit there in my office writing shit like this all day. This was a good post…albeit, minus your ‘tude.
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I thought I would give you all a break! Now, especially, before things heat up. Next post will be like this one so it will be safe to come back, BF, LOL!!! Thank you. ❤
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OK…well it is summer, we could all use a break from ….something, I guess.
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I really think you and Geoffrey needed a place to unwind, relax and go a little “wild!” Is that you on stage singing my beautiful friend?! So sorry, u did not come sooner to soak in all the gorgeous photographs and breathe deeply the pines and feel chlorophyll floating through air particles!! I loved this oasis/break but you still, as always, impart wisdom. Thank you for your recent visits! ❤ Robin
p.s. my new dating experience is with a first generation Italian man who had his life upended in divorce, now living with his parents who work for Les Wexner, (the Limited clothing lines). He was in the sleep study field, having gone to Army (as a medic) and college, nursing not physician area. He was born in Brooklyn, NY and his first name is Calisto. He had nice home, pool, two boys, stocks and bonds and wide divorced him, taking almost everything. Not my best choice, due to I dreamed of not struggling. . . Just an FYI, no physical intimacy, just hand holding, kusding. . .and we have known each other only since 3 months ago. It has me smiling a goofy smile, until I realize we aren't going to be able to make it, it is my spring semi-fling. xoxo hi to Geoffrey!
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You deserve flings. Just give it all time. What’s the hurry? And make sure that is all true and that he has not sheltered his money somewhere. He sounds interesting Robin. I want you to be happy. Be careful, but enjoy yourself.
Thanks for the kind words. Everyone has pointed out my resemblance to the singer, which I hadn’t noticed at all. She probably makes more money than I do. I should really switch careers, LOL!
Hugs, Robin ❤
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Of course, you can thump me over the head! My friend thinks I am silly to develop a crush on someone who lost it all to a stay at home wife who got bored and divorced my new “crush.” 🙂
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Well, it is all dependent on lawyers. She got a better lawyer, if this is all true. It amazes me how the quality of the attorney determines outcomes, not the merits of the case. I should write a post on our time “running” one of my FIL’s companies. The lawyer makes all the difference. Take it slow, Robin. Have a good time stepping out but don’t commit!
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Beth, I agree who you get as a lawyer may make the difference between night and day.
I definitely won’t get physical nor, in the near future~ or ever, get committed.
I was really hoping for someone to take a little bit of the load off my shoulders, so am dubious when I meet men. I intend to have fun on every other weekend, this summer.
I like his sincere, gentle voice, friendly nature and thoughtfulness.
Thanks for the nice comments on my posts. Funny, I like coming to YOUR place here, where photographs are amazing and you have us think. . . about green choices, being vegan or careful not to eat meat, and politics! 🙂
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You are all saints to put up with me. I hate being “heavy” but then again, am a fairly serious person and these things apparently matter to me or they would not keep recurring.
Why can’t people just get along? Enjoy this companionship, Robin, he does sound lovely. xx
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Spectacular !! Quite contrary to “pine forests” close by Colts Neck NJ .
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IKR!?! Our house was right in the middle of the woods, but flat land. I miss Colt’s Neck all the time. Thank you Bob!
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Thanks for this California touring tip. Can we stay in your friend’s cabin. Just kiddin. Looks like a great place.
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Thank you Stephen! You probably know Pine Mountain yourself. I am kicking myself that I didn’t go there sooner. I’m trying to convince Paul, my husband’s partner, to make it an Air BnB. It is lovely but I wouldn’t want the responsibility, myself, of it burning down if there were a fire. I am surprised there hasn’t really been one up there, as there have been in Big Bear and Wrightwood. We will keep our fingers crossed!
🙂
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Glad you didn’t get to outrun any bears 😳😄. Lovely post
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No, after all my angst, we didn’t see anything except one quail on a fence post. Totally benign, LOL! Thank you Charlotte!! 😀
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Now THAT is a cabin! Sign me up! I don’t camp… but I’d stay in a nice cabin like that. 🙂
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LOL, I will put you on the list, Jason! 😀 Thank you!!
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Sounds like a plan to me! 👌
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BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS & PINES.. ❤ my heart is drooling over the beauty of the greens… I loved the pic "dogs welcome. people tolerated" ahahhaha awesome capture dear…
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That was one of my favorites, too. 😀 It is a beautiful place all year round. I hope you get to visit. Thank you!
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