The Joys of California Living

We have been Californians for almost 6 months now, and we are finding many things that are really wonderful about where we live. 

One that has us laughing fairly often is the difference of weather between where we live in the mountains compared to the valley.  The other Sunday we were getting ready to go to church and outside it was maybe going to be 45 degrees out for the day.  Then we realized we had better check and see what the temperature down in the valley was going to be, a whooping 75 degrees!!!  We are realizing we have to check the weather in Visalia if we are heading down the hill.  A few times we have been caught wearing too warm of clothes once we get to town.  For the month of February and the beginning of March we had snow on the ground and it would be pleasantly warm in the valley.  It also gets me that we only live an hour and a half away from palm trees and cactus. 

Another joy is the fresh produce of the area.  I have discovered the local farmers market.  Who knew what was available in the winter when you live in the biggest AG state in the US(I had no idea before we moved here how much agriculture there is everywhere in California).  So much fresh fruit and vegetables.  And the citrus is ripe in the winter!!  We have been eating fresh oranges for the past few months.  Plus we have gotten to expand our palates by some the local produce available to us.

The other week we tried Nopales, or the pads from prickly pear cactus.  We grilled them with chicken and avocado and it was a unanimous decision, they are not our cup of tea!  They have a very strong flavor and a little slimy at the same time.  Maybe if they were chopped up very small and added to a salad dish it might be a different story, but I think we will pass next time.

Some goodies from the farmers market; heirloom carrots, cilantro, oranges, blood oranges, local honey and a buddha's hand.  A buddha's hand, also known as a fingered citron, it contains no pulp or juice and is used for zesting in various dishes.  We used it on our fish tacos and enjoyed it.  Zane loves the carrots and would eat them all if I let him.

In just the past few weeks the wild flowers have started blooming, especially the California Poppies.  They are most evident in the hills on the way down to Visalia. 

The pictures don't do it justice.  It is such a vibrant orange yellow color.  Other areas are a blanket of white or purple depending on the flowers that are blooming. 

One more amazing thing about living here are the trees.  We were hiking just a few miles from the house the other day and came around the corner and this amazing tree was on the edge of the trail.  They still amaze me every time I see one.

                                  This is the base of the tree in the above photo!!


We are really enjoying our new home and the area around us.  Here are some more pictures of some hikes we have done around the house in the past few weeks.

                                          Hiking along Eshom Creek

                                            Sunset Trail, watch out for those pine cones!!

                                      The cross on the hill behind the dining hall at Hartland.

                                             Enjoying the woods

Zane and I are starting our next Hike it Baby challenge on April 1.  The challenge is 30 miles in 30 days or 30 minutes outside three times a week.  We have easily hit both of those goals in the last challenges so we will see what we get this month. 

Well we are off on our next adventure this weekend with a camping trip to Joshua Tree National Park.  Pictures to come in the next post.  God Bless!!