Where's My White Christmas?!?!?!

One of the conditions of moving to California was that we had to

return to Minnesota for Christmas every year. Christmases are meant to be snowy and white with crisp air that puffs like smoke from your mouth when you breath. The pine trees should be layered with snow and the other trees should have frosted branches that sparkle and shimmer in the sunlight. Snow should be piled up on the side of the driveway like frosting on the edge of a cake. If the air is crisp enough, your nose and cheeks will have a rosy glow to them when you come in from outside and the tips of your eyelashes will be frosted. All of it very invigorating, getting the blood pumping and making me feel alive!

Christmas 2014

Christmas 2013

This year, the temps were 60 degrees warmer compared to last year when we got of the plane in Brainered, Minnesota. Last year, the temperature was -32 and the first breath of fresh, crisp, Minnesota air seared our lungs (love that! though the rest of my family does not). This year, the temperature was 30 above zero. I stepped off the plane and breathed deep, excited for the first really cold, really fresh breath of air I'd had since leaving Minnesota last year after Christmas, but it didn't sear my lungs and let me know I was alive. It was just like any other breath in any other part of the country. I was so disappointed!

Christmas 2014

On the way to my parents house from the airport, it started to rain. Rain!?!? It's supposed to snow! Don't get me wrong, I love rain, but just not at Christmas time in northern Minnesota. If it rained this time of year at home in southern California, I would be doing a happy dance and taking the day off from work to enjoy it, but not in northern Minnesota at Christmas! The worst part was the rain was washing away what little snow there was on the ground. 

Christmas 2013

I tried not to despair. I looked at the forecast on my phone again, reassured by the promise of cooler temperatures and snow for the next two days after that awful rainy day. I breathed a sigh of relief that the temps would drop and the snow would come in time for Christmas and all would be right with the world....but then the forecast changed! More rain, more warm temps, more melting. And now there isn't a little snowy cloud symbol on my mobile weather app until AFTER Christmas! This isn't supposed to happen in Minnesota! We aren't supposed to ever be concerned about not having a white Christmas. Hell would freeze over before Minnesota would have a Christmas without snow! 

 
Well, hell sure as hell ain't frozen over, and neither are we....

Give Me Some Space!

"I love seeing so many people out enjoying the trails," I overheard a woman say as she rode by on a bike with her friends through Santa Rosa Plateau. As much as I'd like to say I agree with her sentiment, I'm too selfish to feel the same way.

This weekend was a busy one, so the first attempt at exploring more of southern California took us just down the road a few miles to Santa Rosa Plateau for a Sunday morning hike with the family. Lately, the city has felt a bit claustrophobic, so getting out to nature for a while was a much needed break.


Despite the lack of rain and being several years into an epic drought, there was still a few pockets of nature that allowed for a temporary escape from the dry, brown landscape that has become the norm. The stream beds were still dry, but there were groves of trees with green leaves and views unobstructed by buildings or other signs of civilization.

Civilization is exactly what I am trying to get a way from when I go for hikes, so I always search out "the road less traveled" where there is room to breathe. Even if it's a short hike, the time away from people, buildings, technology, and the modern world helps me to regain my energy to face all of that again. 

So as much as I wish I could be so selfless as to say that I love seeing so many people out enjoying the trails, I can only agree as long as they don't enjoy them at the same time I do. I know it's selfish, but I spend the majority of my time sharing my space with way too many people, so when I hit the trails, I will continue to search out the ones least likely to attract the masses. 

I Need to Put the Shine Back on California...

I've been in a slump. And not just with my blog, but also because the shine of California has worn off a bit.

This it typical of me - I love new things! I get excited, I pour all my energy into it, I start fresh, and feel like I have a new lease on life! Then the shine wears off and the routine of everyday life starts to take over.

When we first moved to southern California, I loved my new neighborhood, the new sites, new places to explore, all the possibilities... I still do love my neighborhood, mostly because we have GREAT neighbors who have become fantastic friends, but the pull to go out and explore, to discover new things, to see what's around the next corner just isn't there like it used to be.

And, I'm missing being part of a community. I loved living in a small town, knowing the people who lived there, bantering about business with the owner of the coffee shop where my favorite flavor of ice tea was always on hand, going to the flower shop to get suggestions for the perfect gift (they were always spot on because they knew everyone's tastes), walking down the sidewalk and recognizing most of the faces. Our city here grew up fast as a home for commuters who worked in San Diego and Riverside but wanted cheaper housing. In twenty years, the town has gone from a tiny diversion off the freeway to a major city with a couple hundred thousand people. As a result, we have great schools, new homes, a lots of amenities, but it's all spread out and there really isn't a downtown area or a central community area. And there are lots and lots of unfamiliar people.

There's a comfort in being surrounded by people who know you, even if they know the not-so-good things about you, as well as the good things. When you are part of a community, you have to take everyone for who they are because you are stuck with them. Sometimes you don't like them, sometimes you cross the street to avoid some of them, but most of the time you take comfort in the familiar smiles and the casual waves as you pass by, or the quick conversations in the aisle of the grocery store.

Most of all, I miss having family near. My closest friends when I lived in a small town were related to me. Being surrounded by cousins, aunts, uncles, and especially my parents gave me a sense of belonging. Great friends are fantastic, but it's hard to replace family.

Now I live in a big city, in a neighborhood bigger than the town I used to live in, right in the midst of urban sprawl. And because I work in a different large city, I just live in this city--I'm not really a part of it outside of a little part of my block in our neighborhood.

But this is our home now. The schools are great, we live in a nice neighborhood, and it's sunny and 70 all the time (which greatly improves my husband's mood), and our son loves it here. So, I have to find a way to put the shine back on southern California.

In order to do that, I set a couple goals. They aren't huge goals, but they are small steps in putting down deeper roots here.
     1. Find a quaint coffee shop: I love bringing my computer to an eclectic coffee shop or cafe to work,and it's even better if it's full of regulars. I want them to know my regular order, and I want to recognize the other people who are there, even if the only connection to them is a small smile of acknowledgement.
     2. Start exploring on the weekends: There is a lot to see within a couple hours of where we live. I love discovering new places, so I want to take day trips at least once, maybe even twice, per month to discover the towns, mountains, beaches, and hidden hideaways that are right here. I'm missing the country life right now, and feeling like I have space to breathe, so getting out and seeing what's around us will give me a break from the city and feed my need to discover new places.

I still think moving to California has been a great experience, and a good change for our family, but I have let myself get into dull routine. It's easy to look back and think things were better when....especially when homesickness sets in. It took three years, but I'm thinking this is like the end of the second week of a vacation - lots of excitement and great adventures, but now I'm ready to get back to the familiar.

Since the familiar is 1900 miles away from where home is now, it's time to take ownership of where I am

Hidden Treasures Along Highway 79...

If you venture down Highway 79 in Temecula past the box stores and condos to where the road becomes single lane and winds toward the inland desert, there is a hidden treasure. The first time I drove that way, toward Vail Ranch Resort, I was startled by the horses standing sentinel over the road, the goat staking his territory on a hill, and the snake coiled at the foot of the American flag. 

These are all creations of local artist, Ricardo Breceda. He is famous in the Inland Empire for his metal sculptures, and his work is a major draw for tourists to Borrego Springs, just another hour up the road from Temecula.

I stumbled upon his studio on a Saturday afternoon after venturing out to take photos of the sculptures along the highway. Mr. Breceda builds his creations on site at Vail Ranch Resort, and they will happily let visitors enter the grounds to see the sculptures on display.

Mr. Breceda himself came out to greet me as I wandered around the grounds. He smiled and nodded when I asked for permission to photograph his work, then took a seat on the back of a trailer and proceeded to tell me about the sculptures. He used to be a boot maker, and a very good one from what he says. His shop was well known and his reputation carried far and wide. He created his first sculpture for his daughter, a life size dinosaur, and after that the creations just kept coming.

The sculptures are amazing in size and creativity. Some are true to life, astounding in their realism, such as the stagecoach drawn by a team of horses. Others are amusing and whimsical, like the winged pigs. He’s most famous for his horses and his dinosaurs, but I must admit, I like his gargoyles the best.

I love the unexpected, so the first time I drove down Highway 79 and saw the sculptures of the rearing horses perched on top of the hills, I was like a kid finding an Easter egg. It was truly a treasure and I wanted to find more…

To see the sculptures, drive east from the 15 on Highway 79 for about 7 miles, then start looking at the hills to the side of the road. His sculptures dot the roadside until you get to the entrance to Vail Ranch Resort. There you will see the horse-drawn wagon and a plethora of other sculptures right next to the road. Once there, it is definitely worth your time to drive in to the resort and see Breceda’s studio. All of his works are on display outside, so it is a great way to spend an afternoon strolling around the grounds.

To learn more about Ricardo Breceda, visit his website at www.ricardoabreceda.com