Editor:

For you to know why, I have to take you back to my school years in Germany.

I spent every summer vacation from school in a little village with my aunt, uncle and two cousins. There was no war, just good times, times I will never forget — such as picking mushrooms in the forest and wading in a small stream from one village to another picking wild berries.

On Sundays, I rang the church bells with the pastor’s daughter — one went up, the other down. What a noise. I’m surprised my hearing didn’t suffer.

One day, I hardly made it over the fence. The bull was so close behind me. I never teased him again.

I could go on and on with funny stories …

The first time my husband and I came up to Idyllwild from Palm Desert, I knew I had come home. I had my little village back.

Within one hour, we bought a cottage on Glen Road. That was about 25 years ago.

Now you can understand why I love Idyllwild and am so protective about it. It has the old-world charm and is very spiritual. Let’s keep it that way.

Anybody who doesn’t feel this way and only wants to take and destroy doesn’t belong here.

I know I am not the only one wanting to protect our refuge. What a wonderful and peaceful feeling hugging trees and talking to flowers.

God bless you, Idyllwild, and God bless America.

Gisela M. Stearns

Idyllwild

1 COMMENT

  1. I grew up in Pine Cove and went to Idyllwild Elementary Kindergarten thru 8th grade. My best friend Toni (Pena) Borene agrees that “the Hill” is our home.
    And, Marge Muir drove our small bus from Pine Cove to school. Shoot, Marge held every job on the Hill! I come up to Idyllwild to remember all the fun times on strolling thru the forest with a myriad of friends.