Here in California

Here in California,
Fruit hangs heavy on the vine,
There’s no gold, I thought I’d warn ya,
And the hills turn brown in the summertime.
' --Kate Wolf

The foothills of the Sacramento Valley actually turn a lovely golden color in the summer, which lasts until the winter rains start. When the first settlers started arriving and sent word home of the “golden hills of California” they were referring to the beautiful hills, not the real gold, which hadn’t been discovered yet.

The Solemates are a very active walking club in the Sacramento area. On Saturday they did a 6 mile hike through the 4100 acre conservatory, Deer Creek Hills, led by the knowledgeable and friendly docents, Roger, Joanne, Tom and Dave. My mother invited us to join them. Over the years, these walkers have become some of her best friends and now they are our friends too. The weather was perfect, right about 65 degrees, lovely cool breeze. Every mile or so we’d stop for a water break and a little pleasant conversation; then march on again, soaking in the scenery.

Everywhere on the hills, rocks thrust out of the ground in parallel lines that look like tombstones. The majestic valley oaks are impressive. In the springtime the creeks run full, the grass greens up, and the hills are covered with wildflowers. I’d love to re-visit then.

We walked a long loop around the property, over windswept rises, through heavily treed dells, and along a pretty lake. I felt like I’d had a good workout. All in all, a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Do you have a walking group in your area that you could join?