March 1, 2016

Taking a Drive...

…not taking a drive.


The Sunrise Highway.

We set out Sunday morning to have a little adventure.  Nothing extravagant mine you, just a short jaunt to the mountains and back.  Back country roads can be beautiful this time of year.  They still curve though they have been much straightened since I was a kid.  The tree’s still arc over the road way, and the hundreds of years old California live oak trees are magnificent.


I had forgotten that fires had roared through here several times in the last few years.  I had forgotten that beetles were decimating the live oak trees.


I had told George about the dramatic views ahead.  Coming from the tree enclosed road to suddenly face the barren desert was always a treat.  Not this trip.  The fires had burned right to the desert face.


This young pine gave me hope.  No oaks but lots of tiny pines.



We had lunch in the tiny mountain town of Julian that had been spared from the fires.  We came home, drove to Mount Soledad, and home again.  Monday the car drove out to Poway and back.  This morning, the car wouldn’t start.  George tried everything…including banging on the starter, but she wouldn’t start.  The tow truck driver banged on the starter too.  It started.  Now that breakfast is over, I’ll take the car to the dealership for a new starter. 


                                                                    
  • Himself:  He’s at work.
  • Herself:  Today the IBS wins.  All the good food and vitamins leaves me marginal today.
  • Reading:  More Longmire.  Good stuff.
  • Gratitudes:  That I have a car.  I remember when I didn’t.


  • 13 comments:

    1. I know about the town of Julian. It's famous for its apples. My daughter's best friend from high school got married there. I have yet to go see it, though, as I'm not fond of traveling to southern California.

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    2. Glad you had a good adventure. Sorry about the car.

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    3. When I go home to Colorado I am so surprised as how fast the pine beetles have moved across the mountains leaving kindling for future fires. The Rangers have given up and say that it will come back eventually without their interference...

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    4. Beautiful, but hard to imagine a short jaunt to the mountains!

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    5. Just my kind of day trip. We can get to the mountains easily here. Not tall ones such as the Cascades and the like but still good. The pine beetles are heavily in Gifford Pinchot NF in Washington too. Concerned there will be another bad fire because of it.

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    6. So banging on the car helps, hunh? I feel like doing that to my computer sometimes.

      It's so sad about the fires that decimated the forests. It's supposed to be part of the natural process right?

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    7. We see pictures of those fires raging through an area but we never see the aftermath. Great pictures! Such devastation, but hopeful, like you said. Great post.

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    8. Some of those pictures were a little sad-making, but things will regenerate in time.

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    9. Don't you just hate it when something on the car doesn't work but when a repairman (or tow truck driver) touches it, suddenly all is right and you stand there with egg on your face? LOL Gads. Glad you have a car too!! I commiserate with your tummy issue. Rough...

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    10. Last night I saw a lovely programme with Timothy West and his wife Prunella Scales (she has Alzheimers but is valiantly carrying on) sailing a canal boat down the Canal du Midi in France. Sadly the beautiful trees that line both sides of the canal have been decimated apparently caused by some fungus brought over during the war.

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    11. My son takes his boys to Poway to fish...I think.

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    12. Yes, those fires did a lot of damage here in So Cal. The drought we're experiencing doesn't help matters any. Fortunately, where I live in the foothills below Mt. Baldy we haven't had fire that close by recently. Glendora, west of us, still has to be concerned about possible mud slides from burned hillsides whenever we have heavy rains -- but haven't had much of that moisture -- maybe this Sunday.

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    13. That was a great drive. Possibly Palomar Mountain next.

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