Soon it will be spring again, or in our case, one of those glorious April days when you think winter is over. Anyone who has lived in Idyllwild or visited frequently knows what I mean. The sun shines brightly without a cloud in the sky and warms you over 70 degrees. You’re thinking of putting [...]
No discussion of scenic views would be complete without talking about South Ridge Trail, which offers excellent views of both Strawberry Valley (Idyllwild) and Garner Valley. Although the nearly mile-long road to the trailhead can be a little iffy and downright impassable in the winter months, you can usually get to the trailhead in a [...]
On the last Sunday of January, in the 5:20 a.m. darkness, I drove down to my friend Christine’s place in Aguanga. Christine Fogg Horton is both a life-long artist and photographer extraordinaire. I have been seeing many of her beautiful landscapes on Facebook for the last year or so and I could not wait for [...]
About four years ago, I wrote a column about a hiker asking me if there were any “sights to see” up ahead on the trail. I was just coming down from Saddle Junction (he was heading up). This inquiry surprised me and I answered, “Just more of the same; trails, mountain peaks, trees and rocks.” [...]
It seems I have been spending an inordinate amount of time with my camera in the pursuit of sunrises and sunsets. My recent trip to Wyoming whetted my appetite for sunrise photographs. Now Idyllwild has proved to be no slouch when it comes to great sunsets. After Wyoming, I started paying attention to the sunrise [...]
In my 35 years of living in Idyllwild, I have seen many weather anomalies, like snow in June and occasionally 70 degree days in the heart of winter. Nevertheless, I have never experienced anything like the first week of January. When you can resort to wearing shorts and T-shirts, open all the windows and turn [...]
The day after Christmas, Miss Wyoming and I drove to Gillette. Wyo. We left Denver in the early morning darkness and reached the state line before sunup; and we were greeted with a sunrise. What a sunrise it was! The clouds were lit up with an ever changing pattern of pink, red, orange and gold. [...]
This town is much bigger than Idyllwild. So are the mountains and the streams look more like rivers. Still, I feel at home in Denver, Colo. It’s a frosty Christmas morning. I have just returned from a stroll in the snow covered park which has many bike and walking trails. The one we chose meandered [...]
My off-the-Hill working adventure is almost ended. After one more day of working in the city, I will be happy to return to Idyllwild; but my stay will be short. On Thursday, for the first time in six years, I will be heading out of state for the holidays. All this traveling makes me want [...]
In about 18 days from the time I write this column, I will be officially retired. As of Dec. 29, I am 62 years old and have already applied for Social Security. Back on that day in 1965, who would have thought when a fifteen year old got his first real job working as a [...]
