2015 Easter

We start our trip to Texas with a visit to SoCal. It's a few days before Easter when we leave home. The hills and fields are green with new growth.

Newly planted fields spring to life

The hills are supporting lush green grasses

We take Hwy 154 inland off of Hwy 101 into Los Padres National Forest toward Paradise campground.

Hills are drier as we move inland

Here's our camp for the night

Nice camp with large oak trees

I love looking up through

the big branches to the sky

We are up early the next morning to sneak through Los Angeles during the mid morning traffic lull. We get lucky and have a relatively easy drive through the LA gauntlet. Soon we are passing San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant which is in the process of decommissioning itself.  Since this plant's useful lifetime was much shorter than planned, we wonder what the average cost of a kilowatt hour it generated and how that cost compares to other energy sources. Although the state's energy czars aren't talking, this type of cost analysis must not compare well as California decision makers are no longer discussing building any more.

Ahh - the LA Diamond Lane is wide open

San Onofre Power Plant

We arrive to find Patti struggling with her new Yosemite OS

Peter helps Patti iron out some of the wrinkles in her new OS. Later we walk to downtown Encinitas to check out Holly's favorite local burner store - Flashbacks Recycled Fashion.

Lots of brightly colored wigs etc

OOoooo - Go-go boots! Do they glow in the dark?

Hey Peter - here's one for you

As we wander back we enjoy the fine spring weather, blooming plants, and Easter decorations. Later, we visit our friends Jamie & Suzy.

This family is eggs-tastic for Easter

Beautiful tree

Simons' garden is looking really good

Suzy prepares an Easter feast, while the rest of us hang out in the back yard. Collin shows us his latest fish surf board that he made and plays his new Dobro guitar.

Easter brunch table

Collin's fish board

It sounds nice

Back at Patti's, we cut some of her lovely roses for the table and enjoy Easter dinner together.

Easter or the Spring Equinox that both occur about the same time of year marks a time of new beginnings for Mother Nature. I have often wondered why New Year's Day is celebrated around the Winter Solstice when life is at a general standstill (in the northern hemisphere at least) rather than the Spring Equinox when life is renewing for another annual cycle.

Garden gate open to Easter and Spring