Spring has arrived in the mountains, and green shoots are poking up through the pine needle cover. Just beneath the soil, those flower bulbs are such teases! 

Soon, maybe in another month or two, they'll be popping up their flowers, full of bloom and vigor, and  we'll be delighting in yellow daffodils, hyacinths, deep blue grape hyacinths, and bright tulips, quickly followed by lilacs, snowballs, and wisteria.

Yes!  

We spent most of the afternoon puttering in the garden and front yard.  We raked up and bagged pine needles, cleaned out the flower beds, and imagined the profusion of colors to come.  

Nothing is quite so welcome as these spring flowers to come. I can't wait to take their pictures.

Looking down at my hands, I am reminded that I really must remember to take the moment to grab my garden gloves and put them on.  But there is something very wholesome -- for lack of an appropriate word -- about putting my bare hands to work and getting dirt under my nails.

~~~

Claudia and Jeff picked us up and we drove out to Steve's and Sue's Snuggery on Inspiration Point for sunset and drinks.  

What a view of the lake, the dam, and the sunset!

Sue and Steve have found their perfect mountain-and-lake home and we shared in their joy.  Radiating happiness, they are charmingly newlywed, sweet and lovely to see.  Very inspirational...

We toasted their new home and their marriage and thought of Bob and Linda, who brought us all together, but unfortunately were not up for the weekend. 

When it comes to sunsets, Big Bear Lake will not be outdone, and we enjoyed it from the choicest spot possible, Inspiration Point, from Sue's and Steve's living room to the music of Keali`i Reichel.  At our first meeting at Bob and Linda's (now Claudia's and Jeff's house),  we introduced Keali`i's music to them and now both couples are K fans, owning many of his CDs.  

We let them know that Keali`i and the Brothers Cazimero will be performing at the Hollywood Bowl on June 30 (tickets go on sale on May 4).  Last time K was at the Bowl, Bob and Linda and Sue and Steve were there, too, enjoying K's music live and loving it as much as we do.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, its waning light ricocheted off the evening clouds  and was reflected on the glassy, still lake. The mountains on each side of the dam glowed in pinks and light purples, and the pine trees and rocks on the ridges are backlit jet black against the glowing sky.

Stunning!

As we learned, we were lucky to have Steve in our midst to watch a sunset together.  The week before, as he was driving on the freeway, he was clipped by a speeding, black Mustang, spinning Steve and his car wildly around and around. Thank goodness that he was driving a car with heft which lessened the impact.

Most of all, thank goodness for a good Samaritan -- or was it an angel? --  just behind Steve, who witnessed the whole scene -- a hit-and-run.  He had the presence of mind to pull his car across two lanes in order to protect Steve from oncoming cars.  

Whew!  

If that wasn't bad, Sue took a 15 foot-plus fall from the deck of their previous home and was basically unscathed.  Another whew!

And then we heard about their two new dogs, Sugar and Bear, two beautiful and lovable Samoyeds, who took off on an escapade in the snow when on a walk with Steve and Sue.  Just when Steve and Sue were ready to give up on them returning, the two rascals came bounding out of the woods. 

Whew!  Whew! Whew!

I didn't know it when I wrote it, but I think this was meant for Sugar and Bear:  

>>  Hiking with Your Dog in the Wilderness 

We made for a convivial group, and the evening flew by with many shared stories and lovely bottles of wine, especially Sue's and Steve's Beaujolais from France and hor d'oeuvres of chicken, fresh fruit, crackers, nuts and fine cheeses.  

~~~

Up here in Big Bear, we have met some of the nicest, like-minded people -- Claudia & Jeff, Steve & Sue and Linda & Bob, among them -- who take the time to deeply inhale the fresh air, smell the pine...and watch sunsets.  Driving two hours up to our island in the sky, none of  us take its pristine beauty for granted, and we are openly appreciative of it.

Copacetic, inspired Big Bear lovers, that's what we all are.  

past    the present    future

who | what | archives | comments | photos