Camping at Big Bear

The journey begins. We filled our "new to us" xterra with our survival gear and made our way up the mountain.
We opted for the roomy 4-man tent my dad gave to us. We slept in car camping style- air mattress, three quilts, a double sleeping bag and real bed sheets. We were roughin' it!We all know by now what a wonderful cook Katie is. And when she teams up with Jody and Rae great things happen. Dinner friday night- tri tip and meatball skewers with peppers, onions, pineapple and mushrooms over a bed of some kind of awesome rice.

Meal time is a group event.
Below, Brian makes sure the morning coffee is up to par while Jeff cuts the onions, Rae manages the eggs and Katie makes sure everyone is doing what they should. Haha
Our hammock square was not only a great resting spot but also gave us an idea as to which way the wind was blowing. It blew the whole weekend!
Breakfast Saturday- Egg, sausage, bacon burritos with guacamole, shredded cheese, green peppers, onions, and fresh pico de gallo.
After breakfast we hiked 3+ miles up to a summit for a nice view and lunch.

I was amused when I saw this rock formation. We called it "Butt Crack" Rock.
At the summit. A clear day!
We stopped for lunch on our way back down the mountain. A downed tree and minimal wind made for a good spot.

With no one to take the photo we ended up with this crooked pic. That's ok. I kinda like it.
Our last gourmet meal consisted of chicken sausages covered in Katie's homemade chili, topped with shredded cheddar/pepperjack cheese all held together by a whole wheat hogie bun.
I never thought I would be in southern california at the end of May standing in snow. This is what we woke up to Sunday morning. Our gear was tossed quickly and carelessly into our trucks with numb hands. It was the perfect excuse for a Starbucks hot spiced apple cider before heading to breakfast two hours earlier than planned.

We ate at Old Mountain Inn. We approached our table and I made eye contact with some of the victims that had to sit next to us. They were about to experience a loud group.
Breakfast was great but the extra time we spent chatting meant extra snow on the roads. Our waitress warned that we should leave soon cause they could close the mountain.(I'm sure she wanted us to go.) I had already forgot my homework on the trip so I was the first one out of my chair.
Kate and I saw the humor in the sign that flashed: "Warning! Chains Required." As if the two inches of snow that did fall was going to do a lot of damage. We blew by the sign and smiled when we saw people pulled to the side of the road staring at their chains without a clue where to start. As you can see the roads were clear.

Topanga Banjo/Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival

So remember the show Dr Quinn Medicine Woman? Well, i guess it was suppose to take place in Colorado Springs, CO, but they filmed it right around the corner from Hollywood in Topanga, CA. The set was nestled amidst the rolling hills of Topanga State Park at Paramount Ranch, just West of LA-- where we just happen to spend the majority of our day. What brought us there was not the fact that Jane Seymour herself walked those dusty roads, but the 50th Annual Topanga Banjo/Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival. oh! It was great. My favorite show was a band called Molly's Revenge with Moira Smiley -- acoustic Celtic bluegrass band. Anyway, here are some highlights:


It was nice to be in a different kind of crowd from the typical LA scene. Lots of families and folks that just loved bluegrass. We got there early enough to walk around and enjoy the scenery without the crowds...and catch the musicians tuning their instruments.

Only a few moments were there crowds of people hovering around mini "jam" sessions under this huge oak tree.... if you look closely, there is a girl my age warming up on her accordion. It was lovely.

One of the many "Jam" sessions...people would just walk up and join them, either in song or with their own instrument.

The banjo and fiddle contest part included beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.


Lunch...

This was our spot... some friends and their friends joined us.


Another huge oak tree... provided great shade!

The Flowers are Blooming in the Desert

Past the freaky alien windmills and off the busy I-10 freeway sits a National Park like no other. To get there you pass the houses that cause you to ask yourself, "what do these people do? There's nothing out here." question. The break off I-10 is a reminder that 80 mph isn't normal and you begin to let off a bit. Your reminded that you want to get away and roll the window down a bit and catch anything but smog. It's a goooood day.
As we enter the park i'm reminded by Katie how ugly the Joshua tree's are. She peers out the passenger side window and I don't even need to see her face. I know it looks like she ate a sour lemon. A couple minutes pass and I am again reminded of the ugliness of the trees. Fellas, don't go to Joshua Tree for romance. The trees provide little shade against an already angry sun. As we hiked I couldn't help but think about how we were like little bugs and someone is holding a magnifying glass over the whole park. We stopped at a little information sign. It read "Joshua Trees provide much needed food and shelter for the little critters of the desert all year long." Kate said, "awww, that's nice." I was a little confused. She thought they were ugly but I guess she loved their personality. I began to question what she thought of me.
Barker Dam is one of my favorite hikes. This was the first time there was actually water in the reservoir. Unfortunately, this is the busy hike this time of year. Lots of hikers. Little kids, 80 year olds, and the walking heart attack who smells like McDonald's. It's a unique and easy hike. One that I could do everyday.
Some trees looked as if they were doing yoga. Katie made sure they were doing it right...
And so did I...
Stretch much? I tried a class or two with Katie. I was laughed at by the girls. It's cool, I know i'm a walking contracture.
Cacti with their blooms were very eye catching.

Below is a Joshua Tree bloom. It's my fourth visit to the park and the first time i've seen one.
Who wears short shorts? I were short shorts. Remember that commercial?
This flower had yet to open but I wanted a picture to imaging what it would look like when it did. It was the biggest flower i'd ever seen. Imagine how big the bumble bee is going to be!!
The foreign tourists were overjoyed with lizard sightings. Nothing new to us. They do push ups and eat bugs in my backyard all day long. They say, "sup Scott?" and "mornin' Scott" when I walk outside in the morning while brushing my teeth on the deck. This is the first black lizard i've seen though.
Midterms start next week. This means no fun for the next two weekends and busy weeks at school. With the exception of a golf tournament next Saturday I will be in the books. Only a couple more weeks!

For only $22 ...

So while I anxiously wait for my garden to produce an abundance of fresh veggies, I signed up with a co-op to get a weekly basket of fresh local organic produce. It will be interesting to see what i get each week as the season changes. I'm excited to try cooking with some new things like Swiss chard...


I was a bit disappointed at first when I went to pick up the basket this morning. Instead of the expected rustic heap of dirt-crusted (fresh out of the ground) produce, I got a nicely cleaned (some packaged) and organized collection that looked like I just shopped at an organic foods market. Plus bananas do not grow down here :)

But for the most part, I am pleased with the selection (that is mostly local): a bunch of Swiss chard, a large head of romaine, one avocado, one onion, two zucchini, a couple heads of broccoli, a bunch of carrots, a package of California shiitake mushrooms, two pieces of fresh ginger, a lb of California strawberries, and a variety of local citrus...oh and 5 bananas from Ecuador. I would say a least a $25-30 value from an Organic produce market, and I paid $22. I could have gone without the citrus...being that we currently have a backyard of tress full of ripe fruit... and the mushrooms. yikes! We are not mushroom fans... suggestions welcomed.

Until the next pick-up, K

An interesting Easter.

There are lots of things that could make Easter go wrong this year. With the exception of the police helicopter that is circling our neighborhood with it's spot light on right now or the 7.2 earthquake that hit just south of us this afternoon it was a pretty great day. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Katie finishing up her garden this weekend. Well, no beans or tomatoes yet but it's a start.

Sunday night Katie made Paska, an Easter Bread her mom and grandma make every year, from scratch. Studying
The thoughts of summer are settling in my mind- beach, biking, bbq, Blaine and beating those that care at ping pong.