Monterey On Ice
Monday morning started with an 8-mile trail run through Garland Ranch (my sanctuary). I began in the dark, and stayed on fire roads for the first couple of miles, climbing to a high meadow area.
Reaching the meadow, the sky was becoming gray, but the horned owls hadn't gone into seclusion yet, for I heard their constant hooting as I floated through the vanishing early morning darkness.
We had a major (by California standards) storm the day before, making the trails muddy, the fallen leaves thick underfoot, and the stream crossings a bit more treacherous due to high water. Most of the usual critters hadn't ventured out to their normal stomping areas, and I was struck by the unusual quietude of the surroundings.
When I finally emerged from the woods, it was like stepping out of some Narnia-like setting and back into the real world. The kids were just waking up as I arrived home, still wearing their pajamas and reveling in the first day of winter vacation.
In the afternoon our family went to Monterey On Ice, a small outdoor skating rink set up for the holiday season, and laced our kids up in skates for the first time ever.
We inched our way along the outer walls of the rink for almost two hours as our kids gradually got the hang of things. Glancing around the ice, it looked as close to a winter wonderland as we'll probably ever get in Monterey County.
Kids learning to skate. Couples wearing winter coats and holding gloved hands. Spectators drinking hot chocolate at the side of the rink. Christmas trees and decorations around the perimeter, with carols playing over the loudspeaker all the while.
Sure, I know it's not Rockefeller Center, but here's the thing: in how many towns can you go on a secluded trail run in the morning, take the family ice skating outdoors in the afternoon, and comfortably walk around without a jacket for the rest of the day? Sometimes I can't believe how grateful I am to live here.
Plus, I like my winter in very small doses. Our family left the ice behind and walked back through the grass under the tall oak trees of the Monterey Fairgrounds, soaking in the sunlight of another 60-degree afternoon.
Just another day of Christmas season in California. Ho Ho Ho.
4 comments:
Sounds like a great time. No ice skating rinks around here.
What a lot of fun!
Wow, sounds gorgeous. Brings back many memories - growing up, my family spent many a day exploring Garland Ranch. I'm trying to figure out how to save enough money to do the Pacific Trail (I think that's the club? "runs that aren't races in beautiful places" people) race that they have there each year.
I'm glad I'm in CO around my family but CA calls to me- it's just a great place to LIVE. It's too bad CO comes with all the snow this time of year. Last year we were living in HI and I had to pretend it wasn't December. Christmas carols sound goofy at the beach and palm trees look silly with lights. CA is a good middle ground.
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