A Day On the Mountain

We took the HolyCoast clan up the big hill Thursday to spend the day in Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs. For many years our routine was to spend several days after Christmas up there, but since the house we rented (very cheaply) all those years was sold in 2005, we haven't had the chance to keep up the tradition. Now we're lucky if we can find a day to get away up there and eat pizza at our favorite place.

When we arrive in the Village it was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing about 20 mph, giving a wind chill of something around 18 or 20 degrees. Gee whiz, it was cold! We're not used to that kind of icy wind around here.

The air and lake were both a vivid blue with bright sun. It made for some nice photos:

The kids were not so enthused about the cold. I took a photo of them standing by a fountain that had partially iced over:

Before we headed back down the hill we ran over to Running Springs to check on the house we had rented for so many years. For awhile there I was concerned it had burned in the October fires. Thankfully (for the new owners and for our memories) it was still there:

It was close, though. If you kept heading down that street to the end and went south one block you'd find several burned out concrete pads where homes used to be. It got very, very close this time.

It was a good day.