New Year's Surprise and Scenery

The face you make when you find water streaming into your new room after popping a bubble of paint...

We had Eloise over New Year's Eve, during a rainstorm, and had pulled down the Murphy bed for her to possibly sleep in. Cora and Violet called us in to check out a weird horizontal line where the drywall tape connecting the panels was clearly visible. Then, we looked up, and saw the bubbling.  

We cleaned up the water, and went directly to the other side in Violet's room, and saw dark discoloration in her ceiling. 

Listening closely, we heard dripping overhead in the corner near her closet.

It was after 11 p.m. and raining, but Stace went up on the roof and found the problem, and thankfully had a workable solution. He sealed up the vent pipe, and the dripping sound ceased.

In the morning, we spoke to our contractor, who told us to drill holes into the ceiling and wall to allow air in, to dry the insides. He said that because it's new drywall, and we have vents in the roof, it'll dry fine.

He'll be by in the next week or so to do the repairs. 

So, it was a very unusual New Year's Eve!

It was fun to have Ellie with us overnight, though. 

Later on New Year's Day, after Melanie and Nick picked up Ellie, we went on a nature walk through an open space past the Placerita Waterfall Trail, across from Golden Valley Ranch. 

More beauty, right here in our valley!

I lightened this one up a ton so you can spot Violet, wearing a black top, inside the blackened trunk of a tree clearly harmed by a past wildfire.

This is the creek we usually can cross at the start of the Waterfall Trail. We weren't wearing wellies so we didn't attempt it.

New Year

 Happy New Year!

Stace is showing off his winter beard in this New Year's Eve 2024 photo.

We went to a "New York New Year's" party, a popular thing to do here on the West Coast. You celebrate the new year three hours early, as the year changes over on the East Coast. Then, you go to bed on time. Ha! 

Christina and Eric hosted, and Colleen and Rigo picked us up. 

Rigo, Stace and Eric above, and Colleen, me and Christina here.

On New Year's Day, Stace and I went out to visit JT and Jim in their new home; Jim's parents were over so it was great to catch up with them, too. We took a nature walk after lunch at a canyon near them.

Photo opp with the graffiti heart!

We heard this gorgeous huge great horned owl hooting. Fantastic photo by JT!

New Year's Day 2024

 Our New Year's Eve was pretty low-key. My parents came over for nibbles, and we all got tired and the girls went off and did their own things, so Mom and Dad left before the actual New Year was struck. 

Stace and I didn't even officially stay up all the way - I happened to be awake, but in bed, reading. But, that meant we were in better spirits to take a New Year hike. We went to a new-to-us spot, the Golden Valley Ranch Open Space, which is a little further east from Placerita Nature Center.

It was a gorgeous, gorgeous setting and day.

Later on New Year's Day, the family all came over to celebrate Ellie's 4th birthday! She was so cute, entering the house in her 4-year-old glory, in a princess dress and birthday hat.

Cora brought Seb out, as he still generally hides with others here, so she could gently pet him.

Melanie brought over a homemade lasagna, and it was delicious. She also brought birthday balloons, and included me. 

After Mel, Nick and Ellie went home, we played a card game with my Mom and Dad.

New Year's Day

After our New Year's Eve celebrations, we woke up late and after some time, Dean, Jenny, Euan and Livi came over for a lovely roast lunch that Mum had spent the morning preparing. 

In the late afternoon, we headed over to Kingsbury Village Hall and took part in the first ever Lantern Walk around the village. A couple of local girls had made large lanterns out of withies and paper and were selling them for  5 pounds each. 

We bought one each for Livi and Violet, and we then set off in the drizzle for a walk around the village, through the churchyard, and back to the Hall.

Back inside to dry, we enjoyed a hot mulled cider and apple juices from Burrow Hill Cider Farm.

Meanwhile, in SClarita, Lis and Cora did not do a lot, but Lis did entice Cora to take a New Year's walk to Starbucks, through the canyon.