REDLANDS DURING THE SECOND WEEK IN AUGUST

I won't be writing much on my posts - I think I'm going to go back to my front porch posts soon - and will start with some today.  I use to be more motivated to blog here when I had a "theme". 

During the hot summer days even here in the mountains, we would get in the car and go driving and usually end up in some of my favorite neighborhoods.  It would be too hot to walk much but we did get out for a bit. 

Redlands is one of those places that have businesses in the older homes as you can see from the photos near the bottom.

I rarely have anybody say anything when I'm out with my camera.  It has only happened two times in all these years someone asked me why I was taking a photo of their house. 

Yesterday we went to Big Bear and I was taking a photo of Pedal Path along the hwy in Fawnskin (very scenic drive) when this jogger looked up and gave me the finger when we drove by in the car, lol.  She had no idea that I could care less if I got her picture or that she gave me the finger, it was funny and it kind of makes it all worth while when I get a "reaction" ....!

GREEN VALLEY LAKE, CA

MORE BALBOA ISLAND PICS

It's about time to post some more photos from our trip last month to Balboa Island and other beach towns.  We keep planning on going again and were going to go last week but got busy with grandkids who are visiting.  Then we were going to go this week but got busy again with another grandkid.  So maybe next week or so we will take the trip back to the area - about an hour and a half away from where we live.

Hope your summer is free from fires and smoke and heat and floods.

It's been quite nice here over the last few days. 

These are all from the same area - Balboa Island which is in Newport Beach area and up the coast from Laguna Beach and going towards the more northern beaches in LA County.

I think the requirement to live around here is that you have multimillions of dollars to afford it. Some of these places park their yachts right outside their front doors.  In fact, this big yacht sits right in front of the house I talk about below.  So whoever bought that house probably owns this yacht.

A long time ago.... really in the way distant past, a woman I worked for, then was a partner of in a business, and then I decided to raise a family and unpartner myself  way before the business got really successful, ......owned this house right below, but evidently she has moved somewhere else on the island. 

I will probably be putting photos of the whole outside of the house up in the next post - really probably only interesting to myself but i want them on the blog.

As I walked on the walkway to take the photo above this lady was ahead of me and is in most of my pics as I take my walk so I'm leaving a lot of photos out.  I'm sure she wouldn't like to think she was being followed and photographed.

The other part of Balboa is across the bay.

Another view of the old friend of mine, ..house.  I saw pics inside when I looked it up on google and well - amazing.  I myself never went there because we lost touch years ago.  I happened to google her name and that's how I found this place.

WHEN WE WALK AT THE LAKE

We wait until just about the time the sun is setting lower before it disappears over the mountain.  It makes the hills look so pretty.

We are warming up again this coming week so again, we will wait until after 6:00 to go walk. 

We will see the Bend grandkids again tomorrow so I'm looking forward to that.

SOME LAGUNA BEACH PICS FROM A FEW WEEKS BACK

In the 90's Mike and I would go at least once a month to Laguna Beach and I think we ate at every Italian Restaurant through the area up to Newport Beach.  It was a very magical place and I remember that's where I first met the "zebra" (which I don't mean to sound mysterious but it's too long of a story for a blog post).  Anyway we only get to this area maybe once every two or three years because it's pretty far from the mountains and So Cal freeway traffic is something you have to plan around and avoid rush hour which is almost all day long any more.  We will be going back in a few weeks.  I'll see more of the area next time.

We are driving along Pacific Coast Hwy - the hwy that follows the coastline and this is the particular area just through Laguna Beach.  We actually didn't park and get out because we wanted to make it up to Balboa Island and we had spent too much time in Dana Point (these names mean nothing probably to anybody except those who live in California.  Laura you will see the old pottery shack area in some of the photos below.

I couldn't believe that my favorite Laguna Nursery is no longer there - After probably twenty years the owner of the business didn't sign a new lease - I read an article where he said that because of the drought in California and especially because of his "artsy" area where he had art imported from other countries that it became more of a tourist stop to just look around (like we did) and less of a garden shop to buy plants.  It wasn't  producing a profit.

We discovered this restaurant in the 90's when it farther away from town between Laguna and Dana Point - ...and use to eat there once in awhile - Best Italian food around.  I'm glad to see it's still there.  Some day we may try it again.

Laura - the old pottery shack is now The new Pottery Place with many little shops however, too much traffic to find parking and go through it.