Christmas In Big Bear

I felt kind of guilty (in a hedonistic way) for having one of the best Christmas' ever. The guilty part of the memory is that I spent it apart from my family, and most importantly my mom. However, I was able to overcome this guilty angst a bit because she and I spent the most amazing time together the week before, reading poetry and enjoying each other's company. I arrived two days before Christmas and found Sweet Sienna sprinkled with a good six inches of fresh snow. I gathered a good pile of firewood and stacked it inside next to the fireplace. I unpacked my bags and turned on some Christmas music, and settled in for the Christmas holiday. The next day, I hit the ski slopes, and was totally amazed at how beautiful and full of Christmas spirit the mountain was. The trees were dusted with snow, the skies were crystal blue with bright white clouds rose above the horizon like giant waves crashing on the beach. I even tried skiing at night one time. BEAUTIFUL.

Sweet Sienna In Marina's Sweet Memory

Improving My Soul's Estate

The essayist, poet, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau wrote "He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul's estate." To me, this means that true relaxation does not necessarily mean a trip to a Hawaiian 5-star hotel or a weekend sipping umbrella-laced cocktails by the pool. No, instead true leisure is the fruit of regular and practiced acts of discipline that when demonstrated over a period of time become the source of strength, sanity, happiness, and tranquility. In short, everything for which leisure stands. I often think of playing my cello as leisure because through the work and discipline of learning to play the blasted thing, I am transported into another place.

I thought of Mr. Thoreau this weekend while working up in Big Bear. The cabin is such a place of refuge for me, and at the same time there is always something to do, something to repair, something to improve.

For example, I had long wanted to design and construct a small pathway down the eastern side of Sweet Sienna. The path as I envisioned, would have a series of stepping stones set in a lane of fresh bark. I thought the brick colored stones could tie in nicely with the rust colored trim of the house, and would also do a find job of protecting my white stocking feet from the dirt, pine needles, and coyote droppings that are inherent risks when gathering firewood in the evening.

The job itself was not complicated per se, but it did require a certain amount of engineering and of course supplies. The most expensive ingredient was bark. But I know a logging operation over in Lake Arrowhead where I can get all the bark I need for $10. I spent most of Saturday filling up the Jeep with big bags of bark. I then purchased bender board to define the path, landscape cloth when keeps the weeds from growing up between the bark, and stepping stones. All-in-all, I think I spend under $70 for the while affair.

Sunday was blistering hot as I began to dig and level the raw dirt outside the cabin. The air was filled with fire smoke from the Southern California wild fires. But I persevered and cut the path, then shaped it, lined it with cloth and finally hauled up the bark and brick steps.
In the end, I’m not really sure it looks as good as I had hoped and probably won’t add much value, but still I couldn’t help but feel the positive effects of true leisure brought about by the small improvement I had made to my soul’s estate.

"He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul's estate."

Playing Cello in the Mountains

I went up to visit Sweet Sienna this weekend spent most of the weekend playing cello. I played so much that my fingers started to bleed. This is one of the most beautiful pains that exists in the world. At one point I was playing outside while gazing at the forest and mountains in front of me. I couldn't help but notice how many birds started to congregate in front of me. As I was playing I was constantly reminded how lucky I am to have this little sanctuary and oasis. When I left on Sunday afternoon I left with the promise to practice, practice, practice.

Listen To The Audio
Included in this clip entry are two audio postings that show demonstrate what I was working on while in the mountains. The first audio is an operatic version of the song "Tre Gironi Son Che Nina". The opera describes a man who is losing his love to illness. And he is standing over her sick body and tells her how much he loves her. The second audio is of me playing the same piece. See what you think.

Thinking About Big Bear

I have been thinking about Big Bear a lot this past week. I miss the smell of the pine trees and the chill in the evening air. I miss the quiet as much as I miss the sound of screaming Blue Jays and howling coyotes. I found these entries from a Big Bear blog I follow....I thought I would record them so that you could listen to the beauty.

Marina's Big Bear Video

A Day At The Beach In The Mountains

Marina and I spent our honeymoon in the mountains laying on the beach, sipping beers while we watched the water skiers dance over the lake. The breeze was blowing gently, and the air was crisp and warm. We were so happy to be alive and in the mountains.

A Letter To Mom Describing A Beautiful Start To Summer

Hi Mom:

Thanks for asking about our weekend. It was really one of those nearly perfect weekends that will be recalled for years.
First, the weather was exactly as you described it: bright blue sky and sunlight. The sky was so blue in fact that we at one point we found ourselves just standing there smelling the air while we lifted your faces to the warmth of the sun. We spent most of the time working. Mary was very aggressive with a tree saw and machete, attacking a large, thorn infested bush in the backyard like a native Indian. I chopped all the brush up and pushed it into 10 huge industrial-sized bags. After spending nearly six hours in the mountain heat cutting brush, we rewarded ourselves by wondering down to a lakeside watering hole that Cavin helped us find ( say what you will about that boy, but he does have a knack for sniffing LOCAL drinking spots.) Anyway, we sat on the shore and let the small lake waves massage our tired toes. We sipped our ice cold Corona's as we stared out at the pine forests and water skiers. The sun was so warm and the weather so beautiful that we could have stayed there for days. But we went back to work...

Later that night, Marina cooked some amazing kabobs with fish, chicken and steak and garnished the skewers with red peppers, sweet onions and pineapple. Wow!! We barbecued the feast on our deck as listened to the wind rushing through the trees. True, our hands and fingers were both tired and bleeding, but it is also true that the setting sun over the forest and the sound of jolly, laughing golfers seemed to anesthetize our pain. Mary picked up a new little trick. She would wave at each foursome on the golf course, and invariably, the golfers would return the wave. It kind of reminded me of me in the far back seat of our Plymouth Station Wagon as we drove across country. Jimmy and I would wave at a cars and were so thrilled when the courtesy was returned. Funny how things like that are universal.

I think the thing that made our trip so memorable was not the good deal of work we accomplished, nor was it the spectacular weather we encountered. Instead it was the site of a new flower which had obviously been in our yard for decades, but for us it was brand new: two gorgeous Lilac trees. I have never seen such large, hardy and sweet smelling plants in all my life. For me, it was the first time I had encountered the May blooms of the Lilac, but I will remember it forever! We cut two big bouquets of the flowers and put them in water. Do you know that throughout the entire long-weekend they never once lost a petal or wilted into a slunk. Strong, beautiful and full of more aroma than a pot of freshly brewed coffee is the way I'll remember those flowers. Alas, we found out that they only bloom for one month - May. So we don't expect to see them again ...this year.

We pulled out at 5 a.m. this morning into a beautiful mountain dawn. The lake was like a mirror; the surrounding forests were shaded from front-to-back with black, navy blue and purple; the crystal blue sky filled with the smell of open space and pine; every once in awhile we could catch a whiff of fireplace smoke. We drove down the mountain happy and energized, and as we submerged back into a thick, cloudy gloom, we both wished you had been with us. As the last patch of blue disappeared into the cotton blah, we promised ourselves we have to get you up to the mountains again soon!