Steve and I took a road trip for the Easter holiday to visit Steve's brother and his wife who moved to Cool, California last fall.
We also got to see both of Steve's sisters and their families along with our nephew, his wife and darling little boy.
After a drive along a narrow winding road we arrived to this view of the back yard.
Next time I will be prepared to take a dip in the pool or be loaded with Skin So Soft so I can sit and read on the bench without being eaten alive by the No See Ums.
The incessant buzzing of the bees in this patch of purple could be heard from the deck.
Oddly enough, in this small town, we actually have friends who live in the same gated community so we walked over for a visit.
I love the variety of trees dotting the landscape
and of course there must be a few palm trees.
We passed gardens carefully planted by the homeowners
and fields of poppies planted by the wind.
Homes are distributed sparsely across the land
and many have stables for horses.
Our friends Joel and Suzette have created a beautiful garden surrounding their house.
But, Steve's brother has planted nothing in the time they have lived in Cool.
Geoff and Joanne have counted on Mother Nature to create a welcoming spot for viewing or relaxing.
We are back at home, behind in gardening, cleaning and blogging, but the short weekend escape to the country was wonderful.
