This week saw me traveling from here....to here. Yes, that is snow in the second picture, but it's way up on the top of a mountain. The valley was quite comfortable and sunny.
And then I arrived home to another nearly foot of snow, but the real point was that I got some welcome sun and warmth while I was gone. Every once in awhile, my job presents a trip somewhere interesting food- or drink-related. This trip was to lemon and grapefruit groves an hour north of San Diego. Along the way, I learned how to cook with citrus, make my own beauty products, mix zesty drinks, and eat lots of citrus-inspired dishes. I was introduced to lesser-known varieties of the fruits, like variegated and pink lemons, and I had the opportunity to smell the incredibly fragrant Buddha's hand. These spooky-looking citrons are dry and pithy inside with appendages covered in ample zest. I was tempted to hide a couple in my suitcase, along with the three Meyer lemons that managed to make the trip back. There was also a discussion about hollowing them out and making them into Halloween lanterns. Imagine walking up a path of glowing hands on October 31st!
There were beautiful sunsets every night. I'm a sucker for a good sunset. That is one thing we lack on clear nights at our little chalet–since we are entirely surrounded by trees, it's hard to get a panoramic view. So, I get my sunset kicks elsewhere.
A brief summary since I've been home: Our road has remained unplowed since we received a foot of snow. I made the walk Wednesday night at midnight, and Matt has made the round-trip several times since my car is the accessible one–the other car has not left the driveway in a couple of days. The power went out on Wednesday when I was away, then again last night until mid-morning. We woke up to the sound of the cat throwing up after eating bits of beef fat from the trash can which he managed to knock over sometime during the night. Welcome back!