YESTERDAY WE SHOPPED IN REDLANDS AND DROVE THROUGH CITRUS GROVE AREAS...front porch

  It was a beautiful day and this is a house I had never seen before.  I thought it was beautiful. 

Today we have strong winds, temps when  figuring in wind chill are in the 20's but sunny and clear.  I think I'll pass up a walk today because over  at the lake it would be even colder.  I need to get inspired to sketch something again so I'm happy to be indoors. 

There isn't much of a front porch and I will imagine anyway that out the back door there is a deck or porch to enjoy the beautiful view of Big Bear that you can faintly see in the first photo toward the right hand middle of the photo

The sky was amazing yesterday and the view of the mountains were clear.  Temps remained in about the 50's and it all came rushing back to me how beautiful Southern California can be in the winter. 

Oh and it smelled so fresh - the cirtrus groves were bulging with fruit, oranges, lemons, grapefruit groves and fruit was dropping all along the ground near the roads.  I am trying to figure out why we didn't stop and scoop them up.  I think another trip is in order in a few days to get some of that produce.  More pics to come of this area tomorrow.

ANOTHER FRONT PORCH POST IN MONROVIA , CA.

When I worked in Arcadia, Ca in the 90's I would often drive through the neighborhoods in Monrovia, especially the ones with the older houses.  When I actually stop and think how long I've been retired it amazes me.  I did medical transcription for about 30 years, mostly in the field of orthopedics and the last three or four years during that time I did mostly emergency room transcripts. 

I haven't worked in about 12 years and if i were to go back to work i would never do transcription again.  I came to really dislike my line of work and felt chained to a desk.  I do not have the temperament for that anymore.

THIS FRONT PORCH - REMINDS ME THAT

 I love having plants all around.  The only place I put plants is on my deck but I have to bring them in every winter and some have died and I'm reticent to plant anything more.  I keep thinking some day when I move off the mountain I will move to a place where I can have lots of plants.  I've been looking at some of my photos from my old house and it has really inspired me to grow things again other than my body (smirk).

I think I have a tablecloth or rather, I had a tablecloth exactly like the one I see on the table under the window there.  I may still have it but I'm not into the idea of searching through boxes I still have of things I haven't unpacked.

I really need to get out and walk today so I will be doing that soon.  It was so cloudy yesterday I couldn't get motivated but today even though it's chilly the sun is out so here I go.............

NOT ONLY DO I LIKE THIS PORCH, I LIKE THE YARD - IN THE BACK

 I like everything about this old house.  It just feels like I could sit on that porch and read or do some sketching and just enjoy the day.

I like the upstairs - and would love to take a tour inside this home.  I wonder if that is the master bedroom up on the second floor.

I can't express how much I would love this yard from what I can see in the back.  Ever since I moved to the mountains the only yard work I do is rake and I miss planting new plants and watching them grow and creating new spaces.  I really miss it!

FRONT PORCH - SAN LUIS OBISPO

Not much of a front porch but i like the look of the house beyond the fence. 

I love walking through SLO slow.  There is  a good mix of historical houses and what I consider to be small town houses - which to me means most of them have a front porch. 

Today is a good day for a walk before the storm sets in tonight and off and on for the next four days which should bring some snow. 

A YEAR AGO TODAY - REDLANDS IN 110 DEGREE WEATHER

Right now Redlands shows a temp of 82.  A year ago to the day we were down there and it was 110 degrees.  Here are some photos from that day.  It was beautiful but so hot!  I actually labeled the folder 110 degrees redlands.

Also a front porch post.  The tan house appears to have a small porch and I can't tell if this was just a side view of the house or the front.  I believe it is a side view.

I may have posted that house below before but it wasn't on this blog.

Also the bottom three photos are a view of the banner from farther away.  We were sitting at an outside restaurant in Lake Arrowhead and I used my zoom to go across the lake and photograph these houses.

A YEAR AGO TODAY I PHOTOGRAPHED THIS BEAUTIFUL HOUSE

I would see this particular neighborhood off the freeway every time I would go to Walmart in Highland near the 330 mountain exit.  Finally on this day last year I asked Mike to get off the freeway and locate the street. 

We found the street and I took photos of the houses on this one street.  It is the only street in the area that had some older more interesting looking houses.