Big Bear 2008

This past weekend we were able to enjoy some time in Big Bear. We stayed in a little house that is owned by a family in our church. The home is not on the lake, but it is only a 5 minute drive. The best part of being up there is the temperature. It is so nice to actually have to wear a sweatshirt in October. The high during the day was usually 61 to 63 degrees. The low was down into the 30s. It beats sweating in Santa Clarita. Big Bear also has real trees!

One of the kid's favorite things to do at the lake is to throw rocks into the water. I don't know about you, but when I was a kid this was a big "no-no." My grandfather trained me that fisherman were more important than me throwing rocks. We were supposed to respect the sanctity of quietness and stillness that fisherman needed to catch fish. I still respect fisherman and their desire to catch fish. We just go to a place that has no one fishing near it and throw rocks to our hearts content. For some funny reason throwing rocks into a lake is actually quite addicting.

Going on walks is also a favorite past time. Heather took the girls on a walk and took this great picture. One of the reasons for taking this specific walk was so that Isabel can do one of her assignments from school. The assignment focused on things that we see, hear, smell and feel during the fall. Since Santa Clarita, California does not have a "fall" season we thought doing this assignment in Big Bear would help us out.



The Big Bear Zoo is always a treat for the family. This is not your normal zoo. The animals are actually out and about in their cages. At the Los Angeles Zoo the temperatures are too hot for the animals to want to come out and play. But in Big Bear, the temperatures are cool enough for the animals to be out on display. Our kids love seeing the animals and this zoo allows you to get real close to them. Most of the animals are no more than 10 ft. away from you. Whether we were looking at birds, owls (like the Snow Owl that Heather took a picture of), eagles, bears, wolves, cougars, a minx or snakes they were within arms reach of us.