We are camped, overlooking the valley, at Steve's brother & sister-in-law's.

These are the views that greeted us this morning!

And these cuties were along the road into town. It isn't often one sees longhorn cattle in Wine Country.

Oh my gosh... I loved Environmental Land Management's goats. Described as "San Diego's own brush control experts since 1999. Serving all of Southern California! Expert brush control, fire breaks and land clearing. A simple and convenient way to clear brush and implement preventative measures to control fire outbreaks."

So what can be a more natural alternative than placing a large herd of hungry animals in a field and letting them graze on the brush and weeds straight down to the earth? No toxic chemicals, no pollution to the environment, no loud noise only the soft bleating of a herd of goats in the distance.

We played tourist in our old home town with a visit to Boot Hill, a fake cemetery with clever tombstones that still crack us up. What's cool is these humorous epitaphs can be found elsewhere in the world. "Here lies the body Of Margaret Bent. She kicked up her heels And away she went" is also making people laugh in Dorsetshire, England.
In Temecula's first park is the famous “They Passed This Way" monument, designed by Sam Hicks (of whom the park is named). Inscribed are the names of 56 pioneers, carved by hand into the granite. Temecula had been a crossroads for the settling of the West. However, by the late 1960s, the Old West here was giving way to new development. Hicks, and historian Tom Hudson, conceived of a monument to honor those who had come through Temecula – some who stayed and others who passed through – as a reminder of the small but important role the community once played. It is always good to revisit this rock, and to continue to learn from it.
And lunch was a bit of history, too. Diana, Terry, Suzanne and I have been friends for years and years. It had been quite a long time since the four of us gathered. How appropriate that our reunion was at 1909 Temecula, a cool place that is a tribute to the historic Machado building in which it is housed. This structure has been home to a trading post, livery, auto shop and most notably a bar.  In its day, the Longbranch Saloon was known as the roughest place in town to get a drink. Today, it was a tame and delightful location to catch up with old friends.