Idyllwild overnight

We drove up to Idyllwild Friday, just for a one night stay at the "village" at the Silver Pines Lodge.  These are individual lodgings with a small fridge, microwave, and coffee maker.  Ours had a wonderful fireplace and a front porch also.  Hubby had Saturday off, so away we went!

I awoke before 7 a.m. and went for a morning drive downtown before it filled up with people.  I could hear blue jays, robins, and woodpeckers, and even a red-tailed hawk.  It was pleasant to be downtown without a bunch of people milling around!  I even went to the library when they opened and got a couple of hardcover books for $1 each.

While it wasn't a long stay, it was pleasant for both of us.  We both had a stressful week.  In fact, hubby awoke with a headache and dizziness, so I was eager to get him off the mountain this morning.

If you do wish to get out of the desert heat, I can recommend Idyllwild.  It has a small town feeling and the people are friendly.  There are lots of places to stay up there.

 The new Silver Pines "village".  Honestly, I wasn't thrilled with this.  Too close together and NO privacy.  There are 4 "cabins" here...

 Deer statues downtown.

 Look...NO CARS!   :-)

No cars here either.  I love 7:00 a.m.!

Good Fences~All Kinds of Fences~031315

All kinds of fences from last Sunday's outing!   (and horses)...

 That's Quad, my off-the-track thoroughbred, a great-grandson of BOTH the great horses Secretariat AND Affirmed.  He never won a race in 7 starts.

My mustang, Scout.  She's a handful!

Here's the link to Good Fences:   http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

Near the Pacific Crest Trail

There are two places in Garner Valley where hikers can catch the Pacific Crest Trail.  One is right off Highway 74, near Highway 371, which goes down to Hemet.  It is within walking distance of Paradise Corner and the restaurant there.

The other place is off Fobes Road.  Hubby and I took that road, with thet Nissan XTERRA up to the point that it was so narrow shrubs started to scratch the car.  That was it.  Period.  Apparently we were within 1/4 mile of the PCT.  We didn't see any hikers~they had already passed through.  They start in San Diego in May and by the summer months, are long gone and into the Sierras.  It's just too hot for them to be out in the desert portions in late June.

You can see the bulldozed road to the PCT in the top photo.  You have to drive quite a few miles back to get to the trail.  Once in a while I'll see a car on this road.

I love the quietness of the forest.  I could hear a bunch of meadowlarks here last Sunday.

Weekends

After working with 25 8 year olds all week, I NEED my weekend (nature) time!  BELIEVE ME!  I usually try to head up Highway 74 by Deep Canyon, if hubby has to work, or sometimes on Saturdays, I'll head out the opposite direction.

Last Sunday, however, I drove up Highway 74 to Lake Hemet.  There is a new roof on the grocery store there and it looks very nice and I'm sure it will do its job!  The cottonwoods at the lake are all budding out, so in another week or so, new green leaves will appear.  The lake was very quiet last Sunday.  I like it that way.  I like to explore the little day use area by myself and not be bothered by screaming kids.  I enjoy the screaming blue jays, but not screaming kids!!!

 I love the quietness of Lake Hemet.

 Cottonwoods are beginning to leaf out.

 Nosy squirrel.

Cute bird...bluebird?

A bit of color for the 2nd day of daylight savings time!

My goodness!  The kiddos were brain dead yesterday!  Yawning, stretching...they could hardly stay awake!

I found these daffodils up in Garner Valley on Sunday, in the little area with small houses and lots (one of my favorite areas).  Aren't they pretty?  I had to shoot through a chain link fence, but they are still enjoyable!

While I'm enjoying the longer afternoon/early evening light, it's hard getting up at 4:45, which is still, to me, 3:45 a.m.!!!   :-(

Lupine and creosote

There is quite a bit of lupine in bloom now along Highway 74.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that I can't find a turnout where I can pull over to take photos or walk to a patch of it.  There is one turnout and I stopped there again yesterday to take photos of the lupine with my Canon.  I had my Nikon last time and it was extremely windy and only 2 photos came out in focus!  I pass patches and patches of lupine, but, with cars either whizzing the other direction or right up on my bumper, and NO turnouts, I can't stop.  So, these photos from yesterday will have to do for now.  I tried to scout the locations of the clumps of lupine, but they are all either on a curve with no turnout or a straight road with no turnout.  Hmmmm.....I'm going to have to figure this out!  Also, the creosote is blooming right now and it's actually pretty!s

Click on photos to enlarge.

Even the creosote is pretty right now!

Whitewater Canyon and wildflowers

Hubby was off yesterday and he wanted to drive down to La Quinta for breakfast at the new Broken Yolk.  It is at the corner of Highway 111 and Washington.  So, off we went.  He told me they had Nutella crepes, so that was fine with me (I don't eat egg dishes.)  We got breakfast and then didn't know what to do for the rest of the day.

We decided (I decided...) we should drive out to the Whitewater Preserve and take photos of the trees in their springtime glory, so off we went.  Unfortunately, every spot in the parking lot was taken (it was 10:30 by then...) and there were no spots out along the narrow road, either.  So, we left.  We will have to return another time.  There must have been some sort of program going on Saturday.

We did stop and admire all the wildflowers and the brittle brush blooming, however.  It was gorgeous up there!