A Snowy Cabin Getaway

 Back in September when our anniversary trip to Lake Arrowhead was cut short because of a nearby fire, the cabin's owner offered to let us come back again, paying only the cleaning fee. At the time, I thought a winter snow getaway sounded fun. Plus, Violet last year had talked about wanting to take a similar trip.

I scheduled the weekend, and it worked out that it meant we were gone two weekends in a row. Cora again didn't want to come, and in the end, Violet wanted to stay home too. 

Stace and I were a little sad - we'll miss the days of every trip being a family trip - but we made the best of it. 

We were blessed with the most perfect timing, weather wise. A late winter storm hit, dumping snow and actually delaying our trip by a day, as it was still snowing heavily Friday evening. We instead drove up Saturday morning, and stayed through Monday - ideal! Missed the Friday evening traffic, and got to have more of a full vacation day to start the trip rather than the tailend of a late evening.

This was the gorgeous scene that greeted us when we got to the cabin! Even the trees were coated in white!

Plus, it wasn't really cold - in the upper 40s, low 50s, so we didn't have to bundle up much.

We went back to Lake Arrowhead Village, with Stace representing Dean's company.

We looked in the shops, got a coffee, enjoyed the Saturday.

The cabin owner recommended Lou and Eddie's pizza, and wow, definitely worth it! Really tasty fancy pizza and beer.

We'd forgotten tea and coffee, so stopped at the grocery store - you can see how much snow had fallen based on the plowed piles in the parking lot! (See the Jeep on the left side?)

We got back to the cabin and took an early evening walk in the very quiet neighborhood, soaking up the wintry views.

Then we enjoyed a couple of movies - the cabin has a large collection of DVDs.

On Sunday, after a nice breakfast at the cabin, we went into Big Bear. We took a nature walk and found clean snow to play in.

The nature center had this grizzly bear pelt/head! Apparently it was one of the last in the area (they've been extinct from California for decades) and was kept by a local family and then gifted to the nature center.

We saw a bit of living nature too - see the coyote?

We'd worked up an appetite, so we went back to the busy part of town and found a late lunch.

Stace wanted to head back to the ski resort we went to a few years ago with the girls, on their big skiing day. We walked around, and then went back to town to get a coffee before heading home.

Yep, it was warm enough to have our treat outside, despite the snow on the ground! The drive back to the cabin took a while, due to all the people heading down the mountain on a Sunday evening, but it was so pretty, we didn't mind. 

Another DVD in the cabin topped off our lovely weekend away. 

Camping in Paradise

 We went camping at one of Violet's favorite spots, Paradise in Santa Barbara County, over the weekend. This time, joining us and the Rosaleses were two other families, including Eric and Christina, who Stace helps when he has worked on the tiny house.

We were so blessed to stay in Colleen and Rigo's new vintage tent trailer! It is so roomy inside, and in such great shape. 

You can see the setup with the kitchen outside, and we had two large beds.

The men above, and the ladies here.

Rigo promised cold hard cash if Violet would bring back stones that he could take home to his garden. Vi was game.

Violet has said she'd like a dog like Koa someday.

Stace was nervous about backing up while towing the trailer, but all went very well.

We have a new way to camp!

Tidbits

Stace worked this weekend on installing the solar tubes - more on that in a future house update! He also replaced the drywall he had to cut out from the flooding, so the guys can mud it when the mud the rest of the new drywall in her room.

Also, the girls rode their bikes to Teacision and Jersey Mike's, but no photos were taken.

On Sunday afternoon, Stace, Vi and I took a walk at Rivendell, near Towsley Canyon.

On our way back, it started raining, producing a beautiful double rainbow.

On Monday, Stace went to Ohio on a very rare business trip. He spent Tuesday morning at a tank factory, since his work supplies turret controls. 

Around the work, he and his coworkers had a fun time together, with many stories to tell after. We can leave it at: Don't challenge Stace in pub games.

Meanwhile, Violet had a required state PE fitness test that all high school freshman must take. It was very easy - she had to walk a timed mile, and then do sit-ups. It's hard to see her, but she's on the ground in white with dark pants, doing her sit-ups.

On Thursday night, I went to watch Ellie so Mel and Nick could have a date. I bonded with Poppy, the kitten.

And Ellie made me this fabulous picture! I promised to put it on the fridge. 
 

Room Addition: Insulation, Plywood, New Roof

A last look at Violet's room, with original windows...

The insulation is in, and the ceiling supports.

But the windows are coming out!

A new window hole, and drywall in where windows used to be.

Meanwhile, Stace figured out where to put in the solar tubes he'll install in the bathrooms and kitchen.

The men removed the rest of the metal roof...

...to uncover the original wood shake shingle roof underneath! It looks quaint, like a fairy tale cottage, after all these years. 

This never should have happened, and though we didn't go into this project wanting a new roof, it's a good thing we found out and are able to afford the extra work.

Down to plywood, ready for the new roof shingles.

New roof going up - it's loud, but they do work fast.

Plywood up, covering the insulation!

Insulation up in the ceiling as well.

Theatre Festival!

 Cora participated in her final Hart District Theatre Festival on Friday, and delivered a masterful performance as Hamlet. She was awarded Best Actor in the Shakespeare category!

You can see it by clicking this link:https://youtu.be/LmJ0Xg-URsU?si=10V9DWqzSKpiveud

West Ranch hosted the event, so I got to attend and volunteer all day. So happy I got to watch all the amazing scenes live! And thankful for another mom, an amazing photographer, who took all of these shots.

 

Hamlet is raging at his mother in this scene because he thinks she killed his  father (the king) before marrying his uncle.

Here, he is comparing his uncle to his late father, using two photos he accessed by smashing their frame into a side table.

But here comes Hamlet's father, as a ghost! But only Cora/Hamlet can see him. His mother thinks he is bonkers.

Hamlet killed an advisor, thinking he was his uncle. He had to drag the body offstage.

Winner winner! In her first HDTF, she won best supporting actor in a large group Shakespeare - full circle? She also played Rosencrantz as a freshman, in a play based off Hamlet. Full circle.

And a final full circle moment - we all went out for ice cream together, and the kids were running around playing tag. I was flashing back to Cora's elementary theatre experiences with the GATE Musicals, when the families would gather at the same Stevenson Ranch amphitheater for ice cream. 

I'm grateful Jarod suggested ice cream - it was a great finish to a long and memorable day.