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Looks like it's summer for the rest of February here in So Cal. Or at least late spring. Global Warming FTW!
Right after the coffee is made, I generally take the dogs down the hill to see a man about a horse. You know, to use the facilities. There's a fair sized flat spot that I had a guy with a D8 Cat carve out of solid granite fifteen years ago. It's where most of the citrus and what's left of the other fruit trees live. I pruned the apricot tree ten days ago and I'd noticed that it was about to leaf out. This morning? Voila! There's about 30-40 open blossoms. Come actual summer, the birds will likely beat us to the fruit, but the flowers are pretty enough to enjoy now.
Many of us are familiar with Aloe Vera and we often enjoy the fruits of its existence. In our potions and lotions, and especially in the magic elixir that makes sunburn pain subside. But the flowers? It's been nigh on summer here at the Casa and the Aloe Vera is in the very early stage of bloom. Looks like this.....
The holidays have brought us some chilly weather this year, including several days of cold, dry, howling Santa Ana winds. TWC doesn't mind, though, because it's just not Christmas without a fire. Not that kind of fire!
One of our family holiday traditions is a Christmas morning fire that is perked up with last year's tree. After Christmas, we strip the tree, mulch the branches, and then cut the trunk into fireplace size pieces, which season over the hot dry summer.
TWC's semi-offical weather widget is linked to a private weather station just a few miles away at almost the same elevation, so there is a good chance the reported temp is pretty accurate.
The advisory is for frost in the valleys. When oranges were king, the smudge posts would have been fired up about midnight last night. One of the unintended benefits of the grandiose view is that the casa is sited on a rather steep hillside. That means the cold air readily slides down-slope allowing the warmer air to rise. Warmer being a relative term. This mostly protects our citrus and other frost sensitive shrubs and flowers from damage or death.
We get just enough nippy winter weather to appreciate that the seasons have moved on while avoiding the brutal, frigid, monotonous cold of a prairie winter. That's fine by me and preferable to the boring weather of coastal Orange County, where I spent some of my vagrant yoot. I doubt it ever got colder than 50 or warmer than 85. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly OK with that weather if I'm plunked on a beach in always-sunny Hawaii.
The Meyer Lemons are maturing nicely and I've got me a jones for a from-scratch lemon pie to finish off the Thanksgiving feast.
Meyer lemons are sweeter than Eurekas, which are the most common market lemon you will run across. Meyers make an awesome lemon drop martooni as well as a flavorful pie.
In another life, TWC lived a blond chick who was a crazy good baker. She was decent with a frying pan, but when she was elbow deep in flour and sugar, rolling out dough, and chopping walnuts, she was at her best. And she got it done using an antique, match-light oven that looked something like this (except it was in better condition)......
I don't eat a lot of sweets, but I do love me some lemon pie. Meringue or cream. Preferably from scratch. Thankee. In a pinch, maybe Marie Callender or Coco's. Hell, I've even been known to snaffle one of those Hostess lemon pies. Not in the last thirty years, though......cuz God only knows WTH is in them, though the package claims that there's real fruit filling somewhere inside.
Back when disco was fading into punk we were at my dad's place in Sonora and in the midst of Thanksgiving kitchen chaos, this girl puts together a marvelous lemon meringue pie. Later on, I'm working on my second helping and I've subbed out my wine (temporarily) for a cup of joe to go (rhymes) with the pie. Now, keep in mind that Pop isn't terribly demonstrative, so I'm coaxing him a little.
TWC: Oh, man, dad, isn't this pie great?
Pop: Mumbles inaudibly
TWC: This pie is amazing. Isn't it dad?
Pop: Mmmph
A few minutes later.....
TWC: Dad! Don't you think this pie is just the best?
Pop: Yes. Tastes just like Jello pudding and pie filling(!)
Long way around the barn, I guess. I don't know if Mrs TWC is going to do the honors or I am, but I am surely looking forward to a Thanksgiving lemon pie.
Many people believe that Southern Californians miss out on the gorgeous autumn color displays that our friends back east enjoy. That's not entirely true.
Both pics are of Mexican Sage (purple) and what TWC believes is a fall blooming variety of acacia, which cover a slope directly below the main deck here at the casa.
Noticed the smoke about 10:30 this morning. The fire looks to be between Black Star Canyon and Main Divide Road. I imagine the afternoon sea breeze will push it over the ridge toward South Corona. No sign of air tanker support as of yet.
I doubt this was an arson burn, there's nothing much in that area except the occasional off-roader. Couple 100 degree heat with bone dry, late summer chaparral, then throw in some ongoing drought condition, and you've got a recipe for a flash fire.
The yella squish died. The zookini is lookin' pathetic. The canteloupe is stunted but flowering. The Roma tomato is precisely the same height it was six weeks ago with the same three lonely, pint sized, green tomatoes.
All is not bleak, though, the avocado tree and the citrus trees are thriving. Not to mention the bees & the Texas Rangers, both of whom are happy as a clam.
TWC owns a green thumb, but it remains a tough row to hoe to get anything to grow on this godforsaken chunk of granite. One exception is a young Meyer Lemon tree which is in full bloom at the moment.
After a short, cold winter that ended just before Christmas, the days have been mild, warm, and windy. This served to confuse the trees, many of which weren't quite finished with the autumn leaf shedding ritual yet were already seeing spring bud break. Yesterday, there was only the plump, roundish bud below the flower. This morning? Voila!
One of the perks of dragging my sorry self outta bed is being blessed with a pink sunrise.
That's the narrow, southern end of Lake Mathews where Cajalco Creek empties into the lake. The inflow from the Colorado River Aqueduct, which transports water across 200 miles of desert and mountains from Lake Havasu, is off camera to the right.
