LET ME EXPLAIN ....

I haven't been into a home decorating type shop in ages - years probably.  When I sold my house almost 10 years ago i downsized and got rid of so much - including a lot of decorative items I felt I didn't need any more.  Since then I have bought possibly one or two things from a dollar store - a cute little trinket here and there and that's about it.  Right now I have three little Halloween items to set out on a shelf.

So, I find myself in a Pier 1 a few months back.  I was looking for a particular fragrance - Nag Champa - ...and I thought well I'll stop in and see if they have something similar in a room spray.   They didn't.

But I was over the top after seeing these plates with the birds on them.  I never go anywhere without my little camera and I pulled it out of my pocket and started taking photos.  A sales lady came over and asked if she could help me and I said oh ..I'm just trying to decide what to get the bride who is getting married in a few weeks.   My friend and I are going to go in together and buy the gifts but she couldn't come today so I told her I'd get some pics of things I think the bride would like. 

The lady said - oh..how sweet - well have fun - and I said oh you bet I will.

So that's how I came to photographing so many items in Pier 1 without feeling like a fool or a thief.

And I didn't spend anything to be able to enjoy them - and pics don't take up any physical space.   But ...these birds....be still my heart.

Of course then I got carried away and could have if I let myself take a photo of every thing in the store.  But I didn't.  What fun to go into a Pier 1 or a World Market, another store I haven't been to in a long time.

A SIGN IN OUR LITTLE TOWN -

There is a certain area by Lake Gregory in our little town called San Moritz and it was built to be like a little Switzerland - houses on the hills surrounding the lake.  There is a sign before you enter the area that is similar to this and then as you are leaving the lake area going through town is this sign.  I saw this green car in front of the sign and it looked picture perfect - kind of blended in so well with the sign.

Wow a lot of fog yesterday and rain today - beautiful smells coming through my window of moist damp earth and someone actually had a fire going in their fireplace with the most fragrant wood (which sometimes whatever wood someone is burning is awful and I have to shut my window)....

Yesterday was a great shorter walk through what I call the resort area of Lake Arrowhead - a trail that runs along the lake - it was a gorgeous day and my camera got a work out.  I love days like this.

Now I need to find a photo I have taken before of the sign coming into the area.  I'm sure I have one.  If not.. that is on my to do list today.  Which is actually the only thing on it, lol. (I love retirement).

EVEN THOUGH I'VE TRAVELED THIS HWY 18 FOR SEVEN YEARS NOW I STILL LOVE THE DIFFERENT SEASONS

This is our 7th Fall and just ahead winter season for us.  Every season brings beautiful scenery traveling up and down the hwy to go down to do our monthly shopping at the bigger Box stores than we have here and and then coming back up to our house.

Yesterday we had to go down the mountain and even though at the bottom of the mountain it is dry and dusty looking on the foothills, ...at about 3000 ft altitude it starts looking really more seasonal - lots of rust and greens and various shades of brown which looked so pretty yesterday. 

This is the progression of the ride up the mountain to come home.  That cabin in the last photo isn't ours - just one we pass coming up the road to our place.

WHAT STARTED OUT TO BE A SHORT HIKE UP IN KELLER PEAK

Turned out to be a long absolutely gorgeous hike up to just about the top of the ski lift area from the back side of the mountain - not the side with the ski trails.   Here are just a few photos showing the scenery which is how it looked through the whole hike.

At some point you leave the water area and it's all forest.

ONE OF THE FIRST AREAS I HEAD TO WHEN I ENTER THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

I go directly to the crafts and quilts etc., and then seek out the Kids Art displays.  Some of these kids amaze me with their talent.  Here are a few examples of what was hanging around this year at the fair.

This first is actually from the Crafts section - a needlepoint I assume, not in the kids art section.