A trip up to Julian this month- it was lovely, like a Spring Day transported to the middle of winter. The weather was so fine, warm sunshine and cool air. It is quite dry these days- we are in the midst of another drought, no rain in sight, but we make the most of our situations don’t we? So we packed up the car with water and jackets and ran away to the mountains for the day! It was such a marvelous time, getting away from the city for a while- no television, phone calls, emails or noise - just wide open blue skies, bird calls, the wind in the trees, and some yummy food. We love a little café called Soup and Such up in the mountain community of Julian- it’s also a tiny wee flower shop! I tried their house made Veggie Burger with the Potato Salad, but spent the whole time drooling over his Beef Burger and Kettle Chips. He took pity on me and took us down the street to the Julian Pie Company so that I could get an Apple Dumpling. Yum!
No snow this year- but lots of flowers, bright green winter grasses, bare trees and white pickets fences are everywhere in this little mountain town:
I have a little story of woe to tell, but which ends on a happy note: I love a certain shop up there in Julian, it’s where I’ve picked out my Anniversary, Birthday and whatever other Special Day presents we happen to be celebrating for a long time now, but this time it was closed down- a little sign on the white picket fence says “Private Property- no entrance”. (Insert quiet sobs here). Take a deep breathe, continue on our way and try to enjoy the day. (It’s hard- there’s not that much else to do up there but walk around and look at the quaint shops) We had already eaten lunch and our dessert, so we just amble down Main Street and look in the other shops, making our walk slowly back to the car. Passing by the General Store, we remark that it’s nice that someone has rescued it (again- it’s already changed hands a few times in the last couple of years) while I wander to the door to look inside briefly, drawn by a lovely smell wafting outside. It’s a clean, flowery scent, almost like the soaps that so-and-so used to sell…! And inside there are all the wonderful vignettes, old chairs, interesting books, and lampshades all mingled together with the soaps, potpourri, and funky little dishes another little store used to sell. It turns out they were both owned by the same person, who combined them and moved them into the old General Store location, which is a much larger, more central location in the middle of Main Street- it wasn’t closed down after all! Hurray!
(But I still miss the old location- it’s a beautiful little old cottage on a slight hill at the edge of town, all white trim and picket fences, gardens and waterfalls outside, wood floors/creaky small hallways/sunlight filled kitchens/sweet little book and jelly jar glasses filled back porches inside. So beautiful! I will miss it terribly- I hope they turn it into a Tea Room…)
It is always so pretty up there, but this time it really felt like the Faeries were out in force as well, throwing moonbeams and faery dust everywhere they went…
