Friday, December 27, 2013

Vibrant December / Pink Christmas

Southern California blows my mind in December. It's a shame that I've lived here since 1987 and have only managed to spend a handful of Decembers in my transplanted home state.

Since we start to get a bit more rain, the clouds make for spectacular sunsets.

And the trees! December seems to be our "fall color" month and the trees seem to decorate themselves. I think it's one of the reasons I'm so unenthusiastic about decorating a Christmas tree... I would rather be outside, taking it all in.


Even a trip to the grocery store reveals trees in vibrant orange that go unnoticed the rest of the year:
These mulberry branches are so thick that Mabel and I hid out under them when we were caught in a sudden summer rain. We only left when we realized the stream was getting too wide to leap over. But in December, they are so bare, they wouldn't protect us from a sprinkle:
But they don't strip before putting on a show:
The crisp cool air makes the moon feel magical coming over the mountains:
It feels lovely to be hiking the North / South trail in the creek with the moon coming up on one side and sun setting on the other:

 Mabel is fascinated by the leaves, especially those floating on the water:

I love this shot because you cannot tell where land ends and the creek begins!


I thought I would tack a personal bit on about the holiday as my mother's Facebook minions that share everything little thing I post with her, will have gotten bored by now if they bothered to click over.

Mom somehow convinced herself that I was going Louisiana for Christmas. This freaked several in the family out! I think she truly didn't believe that I would leave her all alone the first Christmas after my sister died, even though I had begged her to come here for months. We had a very sad phone call on Christmas Eve when I had her check her caller and i.d. and "do the math" to realize... I simply couldn't make it to Baton Rouge for Christmas.

In the end, I think it's good for her to be alone with her grief a maybe start to realize her only family is in California.

Me??? I found myself having a pink Christmas! I eschewed my usual olive or forest greens with the occasional pop of red for...PINK. I think it was so I could wear this:

It was my sister's and I found myself wearing it everywhere. It made me feel like I was taking her out to see the sights of Christmas and to every party I attended. I think it might be my new Christmas color!

11 comments:

rottrover said...

SoCal is the new New England! Beautiful bead :-)

Millie and Walter said...

Your Christmas scenery is very different than ours. Very beautiful.

Cindy

Snowbrush said...

I'm so sad for your mother, and I know you miss her too.

I haven't seen a mulberry tree in many a year, but are you double-dog sure that's not a sumac or, perhaps, an elderberry?

CreekHiker / HollysFolly said...

Snow, yes, mulberries... they grow like weeds around here!

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

Beautiful photos - makes Mom want to go to visit her son in CA for Christmas one of these years.

Woos - Phantom, Ciara, and Lightning

Dexter said...

It would be odd to be in Southern CA during the holidays. I didn't even realize the leaves fell (but I suppose they must).

Mango Momma

The Adventures of the LLB Gang said...

So pretty!!

Kari in Alaska said...

I am so happy to finally have a white Christmas again

Stop on by for a visit
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/

Mollie said...

Have a super happy New Year.. Pop by our Firewek'z.

Load'z of Hug'z

Mollie and Alfie

The Daily Pip said...

I am sure this Christmas was especially hard without your sister. What a lovely gift to find that bead!

Happy New Year! Wishing you much joy and healing in 2014.

Linda@VS said...

Pretty, pretty! Love the pics of Mabel with the floating leaves.