Back to the "Big House"...did I hear someone say cocktails???

On the way back to the "Big House" from our afternoon at the bridge...


One end of our favorite porch...perfect for games, chit-chat, drying wet shoes and t-shirts...and did I say cocktails???


The other end of our favorite porch...perfect spot for afternoon reading, chit-chat, slumber, watching the trees grow...and did I say cocktails???


Yep...this is the "Big House"!!!!


Love this place...no picture does it justice...everytime I round the bend of the switchback where the house comes into view, I am stunned by the beauty of this place...and my good fortune to be able to visit here each year and make it our home away from home, even for a short period of time...

Okay...time to go in...

Anyone ready for the Name Game???

Hmmmmm....who's got dinner duty tonight???

Aside from our newly remodeled kitchen at home, this is by far my favorite kitchen!!!

Love this fireplace...especially with a roaring fire in it!!!

One of our favorite spots to hang out, play games, chit-chat, slumber....did I say cocktails???

Leaving is always bittersweet...and I often think of how beautiful it would be to live here...

Hmmmm....the trees, the animals, the quiet, lot's and lot's of picturesque winter snow...

no central heat, water from the mountain, electricity dependent on the flow of water, no snow plows, mountain closed by the US Forestry Service, no stores...

Hmmmm....maybe going home each year is a good thing!!! Love my comfy bed!!!
And love returning every year to watch the trees grow...

Our Wild Weekend of Fun, Frolic, Friends and Family!!!

The nearest point to Heaven...

One of our furry friends...a yellow bellied marmot...hanging out on the rocks at cocktail hour....

The old mill...

My darlin' hubby took this one!!!






Another perspective of Heaven...




Friends and family plus one...contemplating the distance to the water....

Getting psyched for the jump...






Hanging out with the big Kahuna after those amazing jumps...



Is it time to head back to the Big House for cocktails??? The Name Game???

The first two weeks in Paradise...

The first two weeks of our stay in Paradise were spent in what's known as the Caretaker's cabin...remember that big, gorgeous lodge in the previous posting? These photos are of the cabin where the "Caretakers" of the "big house" stay...the caretaker does odd jobs around the big house, taking care of the switchback road to the house, watching the hydro-electric system, monitoring the cleanup when the guests of the "big house" are leaving, and pretty much keeping an eye on things...

Which would include watching out for bears!!! This beautiful black bear sauntered through the nearby forest and up the hillside in front of the cabin...he wasn't terribly impressed by the humans watching him...he simply stopped and looked, and continued on...

Unfortunately, one of the downsides of the very narrow switchback road to the "big house"
is the very real possibility of losing an oil pan, as our friend who came up to visit mid stay came to realize...the road to the cabin is sooo steep, narrow and with a multitude of switchbacks that the only way to get the car out was to tow it by tractor!!! Once up to the main road, the idea was to meet the tow truck from the nearest town (from the lowlands)...he got into an accident on the way up and was delayed significantly...once he arrived, he was heard mumbling..."I'm never driving up here again"!!!!

Fortunately, most of our time in the "Caretakers" cabin, was spent watching the trees grow, reading about a book a day, and contemplating life's twists and turns...

In next week's posting, we'll visit the "big house", our wrap up weekend with friends, family, and a lot of fun!!!

Paradise in the Mountains...

Our fabulous home away from home!!! We're on our way to two weeks of peaceful days relaxing and watching the trees grow...no tv, no phones, no computers...just us and the trees and, oh yes, the bears!!! (not to forget Kimberly who will join us for the mid weekend!!!) And just when we're beginning to grow tired of the solitude...friends and family show up for a grand party over Labor Day...ever played the "Name Game"??? With granddaughters, kids, and friends... Let the party begin!!!

See you in two weeks!!!

F-O-R-E!!!!

"Golf is a precision club-and-ball sport in which competing players (golfers), using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes." Wikepedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf

Fore..."is another word for "ahead" (think of a ship's fore and aft). Yelling "fore" is simply a shorter way to yell "watch out ahead" (or "watch out before")..." http://golf.about.com/cs/historyofgolf

Why 18 holes? Credited to St. Andrews in Scotland...around 1764, St. Andrews converted from 22 holes to 18, which in 1858 became the standard according to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. It has been said that this was simply because 18 holes are easier to care for than 22...however, I prefer the theory that it is because a bottle of Scotch has 18 shots in it and therefore, if you take 1 shot per hole, you are done after 18!!!

http://golf.about.com/cs/historyofgolf/a/hist_18holes.htm

Where did the word golf come from? Some have suggested that it was an acronym for gentlemen only, ladies forbidden- NOT!!!- It is simply a derivative from the medieval Dutch and old Scots languages from words such as "kolf" or "kolve" (club), "golve", "gowl", "gouf". The word golf actually came to being in the 16th Century.

http://golf.about.com/cs/historyofgolf/a/hist_golfword.htm

And for a more enlightened History of Golf (or should I say lighthearted), check out Robin Williams version of the history of golf...keep in mind that it is definitely rated RRRRRRRRRR!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8qPrR49gsDc

Photos are from the Desert Refuge for Police Officers 9th annual tournament at Brookside in Pasadena, CA and the South Pasadena Rotary Club's annual Golf Game at Shorecliffs, San Clemente, CA, courtesy of Fon Leong, owner.

Balboa Park...a step back in time...

One of the great perks of attending San Diego State University...way back when...was being in close proximity to Balboa Park. While I didn't visit the park regularly when I attended SDSU, I did slip it into my agenda periodically between classes and the beach...

My favorite even then, was the beautiful Botannical Gardens, which I think surpasses even the brand new Botannical Gardens at the Huntington Library. The lattice work is exquisite...in fact, it is one of the largest lath structures in the world. And the plants? Fabulously luxurious!!! Whenever I go there I find myself traveling back in time...to the scene in an old black and white movie...Humphrey Bogart...or Clark Gable...

Then there's the outdoor pipe organ...a magnificent structure. While there last week I was blessed with the opportunity to listen to the organist practice for his upcoming concert in the park. Fabulous!!!

In 1868, a 1400 acre plot of park land was originally set aside by the Board of Trustees of the City of San Diego for the expressed purpose of developing it as "City Park". The cultural center of the park with the museums and pipe organ were all developed in preparation for two world fairs, the Panama-California Exposition of 1915-16 and the California Pacific International Exposition of 1935-36. The renowned San Diego Zoo was extablished in 1916, during the second year of the World Fair Exposition. The Old Globe Theater was added during the 1935 Exposition. Additional development of the area has continued throughout the decades since.

Balboa Park is definitely a destination point. Plan on a few days, plenty of walking, lot's of sunshine and laughter. Have a lovely day!!!

http://www.balboapark.org/info/history.php , http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/balboa