We have just spent the past two days with our friends Anne Marie and Ken. The last time we visited them they were living in Palm Desert and had just purchased a home in Idylwild. Idylwild is located in the mountains east of LA and above Palm Springs, the elevation is 6,000 feet, which takes some adjusting to. It’s a funky kind of town, with lots of carved wooden bears statues and stores that carry a lot of things you really don’t need, and squirrels everywhere! The town is really wonderful and it feels like summer camp. In fact, there are actually a lot or camps for youth in the town including the Idylwild School of the Arts.

Anne Marie and Ken have done a lot of renovation to the house in the last two years since they moved here and have just finished putting in a guest Yurt that we will try next time we come to stay. They have put in a beautiful garden that they share with the wildlife. No wonder, Anne Marie also feeds all the wildlife, pasture mix for the deer that come within twelve feet of her back door and peanuts for the squirrels that she calls “Charlie”. I’ve never seen squirrels come so close to humans, but Anne Marie is more than a regular human, she has a special way with people and animals.

We shared several great meals together and reminisced about spiritual experiences that we had shared or had done on our own and had a lot of laughter and smiles during our time together.

Ken did a great job of driving us around Idylwild yesterday and pointed out various points of interest, even Dolly Parton has a house around the corner from them! Anne Marie and Ken sent us off with a harmonica serenade and giant pine cone from their property. Glenn is the recipient of a gift of a new singing bowl that he loves playing.

We are on the highway this morning taking Hwy 395 through Hemet, Bishop, Reno, and Shasta, instead of Hwy 5 home. We do not want to deal with LA traffic again. It will take us three days, but will be much more scenic and stress free. We are sad that our California Pilgrimage is coming to a close, but looking forward to being back in Oregon and home soon. Glenn says that he will never complain about Portland traffic again!

Aloha California!