Idy in springtime

Spent an immensely satisfying week with John at the cabin. Happy to share some pix for our 3 or 4 friends who read this blog.

Pondering spring growth on our favorite trail (Ernie Maxwell)

Manzanita blooms in front of blue sky

Budding evergreen 

Silver lupines

Strawberry Creek

Sunny wildflowers

Memorial Day in Idy also means yard sales on every street -- literally hundreds of them. We found some real treasures to add to the cabin.

Lithograph by Maurice Jacques from the Barbizon School in France.

Can't see the new travel posters, but we created a wall featuring a variety of Western-themed art, including a pastel from Steffi (top right), travel posters, a Remington print and and two ink drawings of Idyllwild by Dave Schenbaum's mom. Dave gave them to John for his birthday last year.

A yard sale mirror, some green paint and a new rug transformed this old bathroom into a pretty place to pee. 

Plus we enjoyed afternoon tea and strawberry-rhubarb crisp at Shala Tea Company. Nice addition to downtown.

Not East, but fun anyway

So much of this blog is about our travels, but we also have fun at home, too! Since returning from New Mexico, we've been busy hosting dinners for friends and family, celebrating Dave Shenbaum's retirement, making art, and walking on the beach. On May 11, we celebrated Mother's Day at Alta Laguna Park with the Osmani family and some friends of theirs from Afghanistan.

John and Taha both look rather serious about making soap bubbles.

The boys are really growing up! Yusuf is 9, and Sina is 6.

Playground smiles.

Celebrating mothers and grandmothers with Sayed and Steffi.

Sina and Avina are the cutest!

Wait, who's that big kid?

Happy Mothers' Day with lots of mothers!

Seriously adorable.

The newest Osmanis: At two months old, Subhan and Iman.

May 20th: Dinner with Bill Koenig at Newport Harbor.

May 22: Bare Bones at SusiQ senior center.

Ben Farrow and Ava Burton in Bakersfield Mist. 👏

After-show dinner with Ava, Ben, Marrie, Jeff, Jason and Susan.

Good friends = good life.

R and R

Spent our last few days of vacation enjoying each other’s company in our beautiful rental and at Ojo Caliente mineral springs. We will miss it here, but oh, the memories we made all together! I will savor them forever.