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