Sweet Sienna

Summer Is Here

2010-07-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I made the trip up to Big Bear where the mountains seem to be leaving the lush color of green behind for a canvas painted in orange, purple, red, yellow and white. Flowers and their brilliance accompanied by a sweet scent fill the air. Just beautiful. I spent the entire weekend hiking the trails around the cabin. With the morning temperature hovering somewhere around 55 degrees and the daytime maxing out in the 80's, it was the perfect climate for exploring the mountain trails. As an ....oops

NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH

WE JUST HAD AN EARTHQUAKE.....5.9 I'm out of here....

It's Winter At Sweet Sienna

2010-02-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

Four feet of snow, roads full of ice with nights and mornings down in the teens. This is winter in Big Bear!

Winter 2010 - Historic Snow Fall

2010-01-26T17:04:00.000-08:00

The truth is, I haven't even been able to go up to the mountains since I last returned. I remember before I was leaving, I could see some very dark ominous clouds starting to form and I knew it was going to be snowing. I just had no idea how much!! Check out some screen shots from the news after announcing the closed the mountain!

A New Addition To The Interior of Sweet Sienna

2010-01-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

I have been looking (for about a year) for a small writing desk for Sweet Sienna. I finally found one. It's solid maple, and I bought it from an old lady that used it for school homework when she was six years old. She is the only owner of the desk.

I went up to the mountain this weekend and unpacked the desk, moved it upstairs and placed it where I thought it looked best. Then I hung my cello on the wall and readjusted the painting on the wall. It makes me so happy to see the desk next to the hutch I bought last year. Very warm!!

Christmas In Big Bear

2009-12-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

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

2009-09-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Improving My Soul's Estate

2009-08-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-10T10:25:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-23T11:20:00.001-07:00

A Day At The Beach In The Mountains

2009-07-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

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!

The Two Faces of a Heavy Snowfall

2008-12-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, it all looked good from the start....

But then there was the reality of it all... the cold, the wind, and of course the chore of installing tire chains to say nothing about the shoveling of the driveway!!!!

But let's face it, there are a lot of fun things do in the snow as well.

Snow Is Here....BIG TIME

2008-12-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

Wow. I guess sometimes you get what you wish for. Last weekend, Mari and I were hit with a blizzard. The largest snow storm in like 10 years. The skies dumped more than 2 feet of fresh snow. We were snowed in for a full day while we tried to dig our car out. Still, we had a great time. Mari built a couple of real snow men! We sipped hot buttered rum while we watched the roaring fire and the snow fall and fall and fall!

Check out the time lapsed photos below of the picnic table in front of the cabin. This was in a period of 6 hours.

Luis Menendez Visits United States and Big Bear for the First Time

2008-12-10T17:11:00.001-08:00

Luise is

Christmas Lights Are Hung For Our First Big Bear Christmas

2008-12-10T15:08:00.001-08:00

The truth is that I am not a very traditional person. This is especially true when it comes to holidays. I mean if you want a pumpkin, fine get a pumpkin; you want to give me a Valentine, that's cool; you want a Christmas tree and lights, whatever! But Mari is really emotional about these things. So true to form, she went out and bought some lights for the house and while I sat and read a book, she was up on a ladder hanging the twinkling blue, white and red Christmas lights. When she was done, you know what? I was really happy and impressed! Check it out!

Still Waiting For The Snow To Fall

2008-11-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

It's already almost December and the snow hasn't come...yet. We went up the day after Thanksgiving expecting to see snow, but all we saw were the mountain tops sprinkled with a very think layer of the white stuff. Mari immediately snapped a couple of photos of the mountains outside our windows and threw open the curtains as if it would help usher in a new blizzard. Alas, the snow didn't cooperate, but we did have a lovely Thanksgiving leftover feast courtesy of mom. Mari warmed the gravy, tossed the salad, and carved the turkey while I openened the wine and set the table. Together we toasted the afternoon, and thank mom for the food. THANKS MOM.

The Weather Is Getting Colder, But The Fish Are Still Biting

2008-11-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

Mari's brother, Luis, recently visited Sweet Sienna. The Fall weather was crisp, and the lake water cold, but that didn't stop us from dropping a line and trying our luck at catching trout, bass or catfish. We had heard the day before that the trout were biting in the shallow parts of the lake. So we headed over to the Fawnskin side of the lake, just south of the dam where Mari and I had spent some fun summer afternoons. But the wind was near hurricane strength and the cold was biting, so I offered up a new strategy: to head over toward Boulder Bay, back in the coves and protected areas. When we arrived, the wind was calm, and water green, and the day absolutely beautiful. Did we catch anything? No, but it was still fun!!

Bluff Lake Hike Early One November Morning

2008-11-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

There is a secret lake back in the forest above Bear Mountain that Mari and I discovered recently. The road to get there is long and twisty but covered with but beautiful scenery. Actually, it was a guy from the water company that turned us on to this place. Awesome tip! The lake is a small patch of blue mountain water that is surrounded by pine trees. Just off the path is a series of old cabins that were once the original stops for stage coaches coming up the mountain with supplies for the miners and mountain families. Anyway, Mari, Luis and I made a picnic breakfast and explored the beautiful oasis called Bluff Lake.

Thunder and Lighting on Labor Day 2008

2008-09-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

This Labor Day weekend, Mari and I went to the mountains to relax. On late Sunday we had an afternoon thunder storm. We watched the golfers run off the course for fear of getting stuck by lighting. However, an hour later, the skies cleared as did the golf course. So Mari and I walked out to the golf course and played four holes under the dramatic sky. Huge white, grey and black clouds crept over the ski slopes and every once in a while the crackle of thunder would echo through the fairway. We played until the sun had settled behind the mountains, leaving only a pink, orange, and red glow on the horizon. The air was crisp, announcing that indeed Fall had arrived. When we made it back down the back side of the golf course toward Sweet Sienna, we could see the twinkling lights from our deck. There was a wisp of smoke coming from out of the chimney, and everything about that home whispered love, warmth and peace. Here are some recent photos.

Goin' Fishing

2008-07-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Mary and I hauled our kayak out to the lake and tried our hand at fishing. The weather was warm and sunny, with clear blue skies and crystal clear lake water. It was a perfect environment to try the adventure of fishing. We first launched from a small beach on the north side of the lake. From here, we paddled to a deserted cove where we tried our luck. As we sat on the shore throwing our line in the water, I was reminded of this quote..."The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of that which is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope” Indeed, we had the hope of catching our dinner for the night, but this vision was an illusion that was replaced instead by the reality of catching only very small fish that had to be thrown back. But we had a great time. We felt alone and at peace. Later on we paddled in the middle of the lake and dropped our line straight down into the black water, but we kept drifting, and so it was hard to keep our line were we wanted. So we decided to move onto a outcropping of big boulders. It was an amazing view from here. There were some old cabins that were boarded up but that looked amazingly like a scene from Tom Sawyer.

An Amazing Weekend

2008-06-23T13:13:00.001-07:00

There have been very few places in my life where I have felt freedom. I think the first place I discovered this sense of liberty was the beach. Whether San Diego and San Luis Obispo, whenever I was able to walk along the sand or bob up and down in the rolling waves in the ocean, I felt at peace. The second place I remember discovering this sense of tranquility was when I moved to Morro Bay. This was connected to the ocean but more than that it was my first experience on my own. Still, I remember a huge pull for me to move to Morro Bay involved getting out of the city. Again, it was an expression of freedom. Now at the age of 45, I think I have discovered another example of freedom, and that is in the mountains.

When the weekend arrived, Mary and I escaped to Big Bear where we attended a jazz festival. The music was good, and actually this one guitarist was smoking hot. His name is Jay Santo and he had all the moves of Elvis but with the jazz guitar savvy of Joe Pass. Really good. But the highlight of the whole concert was the setting: an intimate amphitheater nestled among the pine trees.

Mary loved the experience and had to get her photo taken with Jay Santo. Here are a couple of photos of her with Jay and his drummer.

Exploring The Mountain

The next day, we explored the top of the ski slopes via the chairlifts. This was an amazing experience. The lifts elevate up nearly 1,000 feet and to see the tops of the forest through the bottom of your feet is quite breathtaking.

On the top of the mountain, the air is so fresh and so clean. It is filled with the sweet smell of pine and lake water.

I remember reading “For Whom The Bell Tolls” by Hemingway, and being totally aware of the surroundings he described while living in the mountains above Spain. While at the top of Big Bear, I felt the same sensations as when reading this novel. What was amazing about the mountain, was when we walked on one side, you could see the breathtaking vistas that overlook the lake. It was as beautiful as anything I had ever seen. However, when you walk to the back side of the mountain, you could see the well known San Gregorio Mountain, which reaches into the heavens at 11,000 feet. The old man that lives next door to me often describes the day he and four friends climbed San Gregorio. It took them 6 hours. Amazing. Of course we grabbed a quick bite to eat, a couple of beers, and then we headed down the mountain again.

Playing a Couple of Holes

Once in the valley, we decided to play a little golf. Mary has been practicing and was more than game to hit a few balls into the alpine air. So we shot a few shots, played a couple of practice holes, and then headed back to Los Angeles.

Recent Photos

2008-06-12T16:10:00.001-07:00

It's Getting Closer

2008-05-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here is the update of the cabin. The following has been completed:
New Electrical
New Plumbing
New Paint
New Kitchen
New Roof
New Carpet
New Stone Stairway
New Tile Floors

Big Bear Cabin

2008-04-24T16:26:00.001-07:00

Some Early Photos

2008-04-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some early photos of the cabin. As you can see, it needs some work, but it has some great possibilities.