Fall is in the Air.

Fall is definitely in the air. The acorns are dropping like crazy, and the squirrels are gnawing on pine cones & acorns, making messes EVERYWHERE! In addition, they are NOT watching out for oncoming cars in their haste to store away their Winter meals. So now is the time to drive carefully & give a little honk to help the squirrels make up their minds and possibly save their lives.

Even though we got down to 42 degrees last week (just one morning), the warm weather is still here, and soon we will be getting those pesky Santa Ana winds that make us all nervous about fires. Early September is a great time to catch a 1-nighter at your favorite Lodge or Inn. There is a natural "lull" right after Labor Day when people tend to get back to school, back to work, back to whatever it is they've spent the summer NOT doing. So it is extra quiet up here in Idyllwild the first few weeks following Labor Day.

If you haven't made plans for Thanksgiving, now is the time to secure your cabin in the mountains, if that is what your family likes to do. www.IdyLodging.com has Thanksgiving listed including all Inns, Lodges, B&B's & Property Mgmt Co.'s that have availability for the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.

Looking for fire starters? The Forest Service Fire Roads are full of pine cones big and small that make GREAT winter fire starters. Bring up an empty trash can and collect the small dry "Prickley" Ponderosa pine cones or the "Gentle" Jeffrey pine cones. For real impact, you can find those awesome "Killer" Coulter pine cones. They ARE the biggest pine cones in the world, and they are usually covered in sap that makes for great fire starters. If you want to bake one in your oven (don't forget to line your cookie sheet with foil first) you can make your home smell like a pine forest. Those fold-able canvas trash containers they sell at Home Depot make great light-weight collection containers for your winter pine cone cache.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at Silver Pines Lodge or Creekstone Inn. We will be happy to help you in whatever Fall endeavor you're attempting. We're here to help you have a good time in Idyllwild.

Silver Pines Lodge 951-659-4335
Creekstone Inn 951-659-3342

'tis the season....for squirrels to prepare for fall!

Have you noticed that August barely gets started and the squirrels start to drop acorn casings and pine cone cores all over your yard? Before you know it, they'll be running across the street, wondering which way to go to avoid your vehicle, many being flattened in the process. Share any interesting Squirrel Facts that you know.

Welcome to 'tis the season...in Idyllwild

This is my first attempt at a blog. It was inspired by my natural curiosity & my knowledge that ALL OF US ARE SMARTER THAN SOME OF US. I often have questions about things that pertain to the season, such as why are the frogs in my pond croaking like crazy for only a few weeks a year? I'm also surprised, after living in Idyllwild for 16 years, I'm always learning of new ways to make my life on the hill easier or more interesting. So I thought I would start this blog so everyone could share their ideas, knowledge, & tips with each other. Know-It-Alls are NOT welcome. We encourage you to be open-minded, humble, & have a spirit of sharing, your knowledge. And we also encourage patience and kindness in responding to other bloggers. If you disagree or know something is inaccurate, please try your hardest to make that known in the gentlest way possible.

If you have questions you would like input on, or are experiencing some difficulty with something, please feel free to post it and get ready for some varied suggestions.