Meandering the Country

January 2 – 16, 2022 Our transition back to just the two of us was a bit tough after having our family together for Christmas.  We managed this conversion while camped at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, located in Bonita, California. Bonita translates as “pretty” in Spanish and I have to say, it truly was!   We stayed at site 129, which was at the end of the campground, overlooking the trails below and to the sides of the camping area.  This entire region is quite the equestrian area.  You came across horses on the trails more frequently than you did dogs!  It was fun hiking behind a large group of men out for a Sunday ride on their steeds.  They had music playing and would occasionally have their well-trained horses do a little dance!  This campground is located fourteen miles southeast of San Diego.   Interesting sights in the campground included my very first encounter with a scorpion!  I was letting Frankie out before bedtime a...

December 23, 2021 - January 2, 2022 Christmas has always had an excitement and bit of a magical element to it for me.  My childhood Christmas memories are filled with visits on Christmas Eve by Grandma Sigrid, Grandpa Carl, and Grandma Marguerite where we would all enjoy a lefse and meatball dinner, a huge plate of Christmas cookies and then go for a drive around Eldridge, Iowa to enjoy the light displays put up by residents.  Somehow, Santa would always make a visit to our home while we were gone.  The excitement of arriving home, along with the hope that we would possibly be able to see Santa was almost more than I could take!  Soon after arriving home began the frenzy of opening gifts followed by midnight Mass at St. Anne’s Catholic Church outside of Long Grove, Iowa.  This candlelit celebration of Jesus’ birth was magical in itself.  The joyous carols sung by the choir, the beautifully decorated church and, of course, the thrill of being able to stay up...