i didn’t find out until monday that friday was an unassigned day throughout the district.
let me translate that for you: no school on friday.
i wasted no time in finding a last minute rental on my favorite part of the coast, a couple hours north of LA.
a ramshackle little carriage house tucked away behind tall hedges on a private lane in the mission canyon area of santa barbara.
i drove up right after school was out.
i took the old santa paula hwy and skirted by a tangle of LA rush hour traffic. made it here in record time!
the hills and fields that were drenched in rain all winter are now carpeted with flowers.
mustard, poppies, lupines, daisies, wild primrose. a crush of yellow purple blue lavender white blooms.
what’s more, the orange trees are covered in waxy white flowers and the air is heavy with perfume. i rode with the windows down so i could breathe in the orange blossom air. divine.
the lady who showed me around the property and gave me the key told me that these are old santa barbara style window knobs. you rotate them to open the windows, then twist the knob to keep the window locked in place. cool.
there’s an extra bed in the living room for naps or another guest.
i dropped off my bag then headed to the beach for a walk. there’s a strong wind blowing and the ocean was frothy and wild.
this is a little library down the lane from my place.
it is night now. i just went for a walk down the dark lane. my shoes crunching on the gravel. head back looking up through the nest of trees. starshine overhead in the velvety sky. the scent of wisteria and lavender in the air. white roses glowing in the dark. the quiet and the darkness. mmmmmm.
looking forward to my first sunrise on the beach in the morning. it’s been 4 months since i was here last. i’ve missed it.
hope you’re well. off on your own somewhere. enjoying some solitude or companionship. resting. reading. thinking.
speaking of solitude:
deeply fascinated by this: a story of a modern-day hermit.
Oh – I have missed your posts like this. Reading about your travels is the best thing when I am unable to get away for my own! Thanks for sharing.
Whatever is your resource for finding these gems? You consistently find great getaways.
Love these pictures and I hope it is ok that I saved the lilacs. They instantly reminded me of the lilac bushes I used to have in my front yard, years ago. Also, I would love to play with a very fanciful and quick painting if that is ok with you. Love your posts, btw. I don’t always comment, but I always appreciate them.
So happy for you to have an wonderful weekend. You do such a good job of taking us along.
Thank you for your many talents & also for the long read link, it was fascinating.
That looks perfect! I’m glad we are both adventuring this weekend. I’m in Edinburgh, Scotland- listening to the sound of seagulls and garden birds singing out the window of a terrace on Victorian stone houses with pretty iron railings and daffodils blooming in the gardens. Out to sketch in a few minutes-going to the castle and the botanical gardens today!
I, too, have been intrigued by Christopher Knight’s adventures as a hermit; his mother lives next door to my aunt in rural Maine and they are a very quiet, private family. No one even knew if he was living or dead until he was caught years later. On a different note . . . OMG, the wisteria is so beautiful. I have had one growing like crazy in my garden for several years now, but it has not blossomed once. I am determined to figure out what makes it tick. I am enjoying your beautiful flowers while we are having freezing rain here in the northeast. I can almost smell their sweetness. Enjoy your beautiful retreat, Mary Ann!
i love that personal connection you have to christopher knight! i want to read the book now…
Here is an interesting link that I first read when he was arrested a few years ago: http://www.gq.com/story/the-last-true-hermit. Some day maybe you would like to visit the Moosehead Lake area. It is very beautiful and very quiet, the complete antithesis of the suburbs. The moose and stars there are especially amazing. Two more journal-like books that you may find interesting about living in the remote northern Maine wilderness are Helen Hamlin’s Nine Mile Bridge (she was a school teacher living in the lumber camps in the ’40s) and Annette Jackson’s My Life in the Maine Woods (she was married to a game warden). I loved them both. I can definitely understand the appeal of living there for Christopher Knight.
I love little ramshackle little cottages, and that one is a beauty. Can’t wait to see pics of the beach. Enjoy!
– little. Too many…haha!
Sounds like a terrific find! We were seeing sunrise from both sides of the water this morning… looking forward to smelling orange blossoms when I get home, for now it’s plumeria scented salt air… hugs!
women’s warm water adventures. enjoy it!
see you soon!
I hope you enjoy your weekend here in sunny Santa Barbara. I hope it’s not too windy today for you!! And it’s supposed to be in the low 70’s the whole weekend. Just perfect.
oh diana i just love it here. so so so much
Maybe you could move to Ventura (much cheaper) or even Thousand Oaks and then you would be close enough to come up every time you wanted to. Any of the elementary schools in those areas would be lucky to get a teacher like you!!
Enjoy your beautiful day today!!
Love the spontaneity of your weekend plans! It’s a beautiful day to start the weekend in Georgia! The birds are singing their songs and things are blossoming! I just started the “Hermit” book a few days ago. Immediately drawn in to the pages and how he lived. Enjoy your beach walks and musings! Thanks for taking us along!
did you see the comment left by kristi? you’ll like it!
I can smell it now! You’re a great writer! Ehat a setting! Just gorgeous!
Looks like heaven, especially from the still-cold mid Atlantic region! Umm, maybe a place you’re pining for after 4 mos. bears consideration as a retirement locale?
Mary Ann,
Enjoy your quiet weekend. There just aren’t enough of them when you have to work … It looks really gorgeous there. Here in Texas the blue bonnets and other wildflowers are in full bloom!
sounds lovely
Sigh. I envy your life. And flowers. It’s raining in Connecticut and 35 degrees.
i wouldn’t mind some more rain and cooler temps. not one bit!
Oh! Do you read the Guardian? That’s my daily newspaper.
Such beautiful descriptions from you of the place you’re staying.
My first comment on your blog, all those years ago, I said thanks for showing me that LA isn’t just ‘a great big freeway’ – and you’re still doing that.
It’s easy for we outsiders to get the wrong idea of the USA and of Americans.
MAM the ambassador!
chrissy! always thrilled when i see your name attached to a comment. remember when we went to lunch in paris and i wore a bib? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I do remember. And chez Angelina – that unforgettable chocolat chaud! And you removing bits of posters from lamp posts…