A Picture Perfect Day

Today’s perfection actually started last night with the BBQ at Rick and Paulette’s.  I gotta tell ya, Rick has not been exaggerating about Paulette’s talent in the kitchen.  We has roasted potatoes, grilled mushrooms and onions, bean salad, green salad with all kinds of goodies in it, garlic bread, and it was all just wonderful.  And then Rick grilled up some picture perfect steaks.  Oh my…so good.

  I didn’t get a picture of the steaks as we were in the fiver already getting ready to chow down.  We did hear Rick coming with the platter though.  As he came up the steps with his plate full of steaks we heard him give a yell.  I thought he had dropped the plate at first.  But it seems his little muttzo, Rylie, was waiting for Rick at the top of the stairs.  As he held out the plate to climb aboard, Rylie assumed he was offering her a perfectly done steak and so she graciously accepted.  She selected the one she wanted and quick as scat she had it off the plate.  Thanks, Dad!  She didn’t get far with it though as Paulette was right there to snatch it back – and feed it to Rick.  Oh well, we all know the 10 second rule!  I did manage to save a few bites for Molly and Rylie so they weren’t completely denied.  We also met fellow bloggers Kim and Don and another BC couple Ken and Karen (they don’t blog, but they did provide some wonderful pie for dessert).  What a wonderful time we had.  By the time we left there was absolutely NO “W” and it stayed that way all day today.

Today dawned bright and beautiful, clear blue skies, not a hint of a breeze.  It was cold and crisp but as the sun rose, the air warmed to the mid 60s.  We took a drive up Hwy. 74, the Palms to Pines Hwy.  We did not go too far as we got a late start and still had some errands to complete today.  This is a map that is at the visitors center at the bottom of the hill.


Click to enlarge.  We only went as far as the first major cutoff you see there, Hwy 371 to Anza and San Diego.  We saw this sign at the visitor’s center so we kept Poppy on a short leash and didn’t wander too far from the parking lot.

 

There are lots of trails here but many are restricted to NO DOGS.  The ranger told me it was to protect the mountain sheep.  Poppy got tired quickly anyway and so I sat in the car with her while Russ took a few photos.







The road starts out pretty narrow and windy until it gets to the first overlook.  It’s a little hard to see here as some of the road is gray and some is a newly paved black.  Click on picture to enlarge.



The views from the overlook are marvelous but pictures cannot really do it justice.
This is a picture from farther along on our drive as we began to enter the San Bernardino National Forest.  For my siblings…that snow capped peak in the distance is the backside of Big Bear.  Remember that place??

The day continued to exude perfection and the sunset was another humdinger.  As I was walking out to get a shot of the setting sun, I spied this little critter in the lot next door.



And finally, the end to a picture perfect day.  Good Night All.


P.S.  See why there was no “W” today?  No one turned on the big fans!