High School sweethearts, Matthew and Amanda Rau were married August 9th and just got their new PO box on the Mountain.  Matthew grew up in a military family living in many different places but loves the trees and forest he remembers from Washington State.  The newlyweds are renting a home for a year or so on the mountain to be away from the base with a dark sky only lit by stars.  They were looking for a place where you don't hear your neighbors and found it on the north side of Crestline.  Matthew serves with the United State Marines as a motor transport maintenance officer and Amanda is looking for work in her major in paleontology--study of fossils and really old stuff!   Thank you Matt for serving our country and we welcome you both to the Mountain! 

Earl Johnson is living his dream.  When he saw this 23 acres, it was perfect.  He wanted a place in the woods for  a project that he had in mind.  His two sons, a daughter, and their families include 5 grandkids that he wanted to  let them experience a setting very different then they have in the city.  Tall trees, the beauty of nature, even learning about staying away from poison oak and of course, helping Grandpa with his projects!  Earl saw an ad in the Pennysaver one day for this cabin kit.  What a bargain and such a fun place to have for his family.  When they have their  mountain adventure days, my bet is they'll remember forever these special times as some of the best days of their lives!

Fred and Patty Bearden's family situation developed in a direction that meant they couldn't move away from Southern California. So, as they neared retirement, they decided they would make the best of the area- that meant Palomar Mountain for it's clear skies (Fred's astronomy hobby), clean air  and the "low key, laid back" little community. They plan to build a cabin with very low upkeep and almost completely self sufficient, so it can be off the grid if necessary.  According to Fred, he is a "Resident Curmudgeon". Actually, he appraises aircraft, but that takes a half hour of explanation.  What does Patty do? She teaches Kindergarten.  In a few years they hope to sell their house in Laguna Niguel and buy a small condo down the coast a bit, closer to Palomar. Then they'll divide their time between the beach and the mountain.

Greg and Kelly have always wanted a 'little, rustic, cabin away from the stress of the city".   When they saw the Little O'Chalet, it was love at first sight!  Living in Spring Valley, they both work for Kaiser Permanente.  Kelly heads up the Optical Optometry Departments county wide.  Greg works the construction side of the hospitals.  It has been very handy for him to have those skills since the employees at Home Depot now know them by their first names.   Each time they come up their truck is packed full of building supplies.  Since they've had the cabin it seems as though all they do is work on projects!  However, on their way up next time, they are picking up a new sofa so they might have an opportunity to relax a bit and enjoy the peaceful lifestyle and nice neighbors they said they've already met on the Mountain.   They look forward to spending more time here and giving back to the community.

John Thess the new owner of Welcome Home!  You just may run into him at the Summit since he has had some long-time friends here. More info real soon!!! Stay tuned!

Brain Wagner and Yvonne Vaucher are on the New Neighbor's page a second time!  They purchased 18 acres of beautiful view land a few years ago.  When a cabin that borders their land came on the market, they just had to have it!  Brian is a computer software engineer and Yvonne is a favorite physician in the Neonatal ward at UCSD.  What a fun surprise to see Yvonne's smiling face as attending physician in our brand new grandson's preemie nursery. He was born a month early but very big compared to the majority of the patients she sees.  Husband Brian tells us that "Yvonne is very good with people under two pounds!"  It was so nice being included with their city friends at a barbecue at their cabin where they are both very good at putting our a great spread for hearty mountain appetites!

Big brother Braxton and big sister Brianna recently welcomed our newest and youngest neighbor to the Mountain!  Bryson James was born to their mom and dad, Greg and Alicia Schultz on December 27, 2007.  When Braxton first saw his brother he called him 'Mini Me' because he thought he looked just like himself--which he does!  Bryson likes to move around, kick his feet, and eats all the time.  Braxton is looking forward to showing him how to use a BB gun and fish. When Brianna saw her baby brother for the first time she thought he was a cutie pie and loves to give him kisses.  He is a good little guy and it will be fun to watch him growing up 'round the mountain.   

Tom Devitt is a graduate student in the Department of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley working towards his Ph.D. He is on Palomar Mountain studying two species of salamanders (a type of amphibian), the Large-blotched Ensatina salamander and the Monterey Ensatina salamander. These secretive animals live under logs and rocks in forested areas and are active mainly at night, especially during the wetter months of the year. Tom has heard from many people they've lived on Palomar for years, but have never seen these creatures due to their secretive nature. Very interesting work! He looks forward to meeting other mountain neighbors as he will be out and about on the mountain through the month of May. Click to see some of his photos.

Palomar is really going to miss the Ackerman family--they gave so much of themselves to our little community.  Julian is very lucky to have them as New Neighbors!  They loved Palomar dearly but with two sons and a daughter at Julian High School, now living 5 minutes away is absolutely wonderful, says Jay and Shana.  Their sons are really enjoying sports, their daughter is active with the Explorer program and Shana has opened a fun gift shop:  "Nick Knacks" 760 765-0057  (named after son, Nick, of course!).  Look for the shop in the OK Corral center with gifts galore, from local crafters.  You'll just may even find some of the hand carved bears made from Palomar Mountain cedar.       

"This is how I stay healthy, it is what is keeping me alive.  Coming to Palomar gets rid of all the city-stress with exercise and fresh air."  Mike Stevens is a spokesperson and co-chair for the California Lung Cancer Alliance.  (No, he never smoked!)  Mike and Sue were thrilled when they found their "piece of heaven" on nine acres with a barn they are converting to their home.  Their daughter Hallie, son Trent, and dog Maile love it too.  With Mike's goal of making the forest the absolute healthiest condition possible, there are plenty of opportunities for exercise in this environment that is so good for him--and everyone!  They love to entertain and keep their friends busy with their latest project with the promise of venison or elk on the grill.  Also an avid hunter, Mike just got his trophy elk to hang above the fireplace.  He is retired from their digital photo lab and copy shop business but is available for anyone with photography needs mstevens@lungcanceralliance.org.   

With their 25th Anniversary coming up, the Arrowhead cabin was the perfect gift for Reinhold to give his wife Judy.  It reminds him of his homeland in Germany and Judy is a 6th grade teacher looking forward to the fresh air, peace, and solitude the Mountain has to offer.  They have shopped in other areas but some communities are so commercialized so Palomar is just perfect.  As a retired engineer, Rein also needed a project. He has renovated and built as a hobby so is looking forward to remodeling the cabin.  He is an engineer technical writer for industrial robotics and aircraft and you can bet the cabin will have pretty fancy blueprints for the deck above a garage and circular stairway that he has planned.  A garage? Of course! He needs a place for his toys including the 1931 Chevy--and maybe a snowplow blade for a 4- wheel drive.  After Judy gets the cabin decorated, she will be watching all this from behind a great book or maybe plucking the strings of her cello. The Stickel's will be a nice addition to the Mountain.

Lots of people had their eyes on the Mesa Grande Ranchette, but Kim got his offer in first!  Kim and Kathy Gordon have always loved the area, and, the fact that this place comes with 'free pets'.  The wild life in the area makes it very intriguing. Kim is a stone mason and has great plans for adding his artistic touch to the property, and he's occasionally available to take on other jobs 760 782-9275.  He specializes in stacked and mortared stone and has worked on local ranches for months at a time, leaving his 'signature in stone'.  Kathy is a vet technician and has a pet sitting business for domestic animals, cats & dogs, exotics, and livestock.  She loves to garden, play with photography and they both have great plans for enjoying the big veranda across the back looking out over their land!

Tom and Terri Kubow have often talked about having a 'cabin in the woods'.  They even have a picture hanging on the wall of their home of a cabin with the smoke coming out the chimney!  They are so excited to now have their dream come true and love the two fireplaces in 'Honey, Stop the Car'.  They 'rescued' their pups, Maui and Ozzie and their weekend retreat is 'rescuing' Tom and Terri from stressful city jobs. Terri is a senior project manager at Qualcomm and Tom gives of himself to physically and mentally disabled, elementary children addressing their health and medical needs at school.  Their first weekend at the cabin was spent celebrating a birthday with family and they are looking forward to making many more wonderful memories to cherish on Palomar.

New neighbors are moving in the Birch Hill Kincade but we are sorry to loose the Ackerman Family who moved to Julian!  Glenn and Cecilia Borland saw how perfect their property would be for his amateur radio operation and Cecilia knew instantly that her sweet little dairy goats would love climbing on the rocks. You are all invited to hold new babies in the spring and they will have fresh eggs and lots of cheese 'by the bucket-full' available for mountain neighbors! Two sons are serving in the military and the youngest is at Charter High studying to be an engineer like dad, who, according to Cecilia, is the brightest man alive!  "He can re-roof a house, over-hall the transmission, a camera, wrist watch or the TV" so is ready to take on the projects including a kitchen remodel for those batches of homemade bread that is just part of their very special, everyday life.   

Steve George sold his cabin in Big Bear several years ago always with the intent to buy again. He kept his cabin furniture in storage for his some day return. However, last February found him at the Bailey House for a weekend photography seminar. He not only fell in love with the mountain, but discovered why he had never returned to Big Bear. The 3 hour drive was tolerable when his then 14 year old son wanted to snowboard. His son is now 21 and for some reason would rather go snowboarding with his girlfriend. So those three hours don't seem so inviting. Steve comments that a friend of his put it best. "Where else can you be so far away from San Diego with a one hour drive?"  Steve finds that his escape to the deck, watching the rest of San Diego go a 100 mph, is very relaxing!

"Palomar is like going back 50 years in time with it's one-room school house and a wide spot in the road for downtown" said Nena Falkenstein. She moved from San Juan Capistrano where she lived for 20 years and didn't know her neighbors. "I'm very grateful to have found a community that knows and helps one another. The neighbors are fantastic! This 'feeling of community' is a disappearing aspect of American life. And, waking up each morning is like having my own little piece of heaven with this view".  When you see Nena you might notice that she often carries a large purse. Well, not too big. . . looking inside is her five pound poodle, Cootie. Cootie thinks he is a rottwhiler in charge of anything he sees so Nina keeps an eye out for hawks and owls around her 'heaven on earth'.

It was a very happy day for all when Larry and Elizabeth turned over the keys to brothers, Paul and Troy, the new owners of Oak Knoll Campground.  When I asked Troy what brought them to Oak Knoll, he said  "this is God's Country and it's time to relax!". They own four other campgrounds and they are all operated by family and good friends.  They plan to bring their experience to Oak Knoll and add park models and camping cabins with occasional festivals and music events depending on demand. In addition to their camping, month to month rentals, and the store, they now offer RV storage at 742-3437.

Chris and Rhonda Polley have dreamed of owning a large acreage where they could escape the noise and congestion of South OC. They live in a beautiful area in Laguna Niguel but tell us that it is a "postage stamp lot".  When Diana helped them find their large, private, oak tree covered property they knew it was EXACTLY what they wanted. At 3,500 feet with panoramic views overlooking Lake Henshaw and beyond--it was perfect. Chris said,  "It's a place where our boys can be boys and maybe build a fort, hike around, or ride their mini bikes. We plan to build a vacation home perched on the mesa where we can relax and sip a cool glass of chardonnay while we watch the clouds drift by." 

The caboose captured the hearts of Dale and Rosalie Huntley. It is a big toss up though of who gets to spend the night there. Daughter Kayla has big plans with her friends when they come to visit. Of course her grandparents who also love the mountain will have first dibs there too. "Relaxing" to Dale is having a project and he has lots of ideas for their new property. He was looking for 'peace and quiet' and a garage for his classic cars. They live in Carlsbad, both work in the lending world but promise to drive one of their cars in our next parade. Mom and daughter love theatre and musicals and plan their very own ever-changing dramas as new neighbors on the Mountain top.

Buzz and Mary Uber have always loved the mountains. They are the recent proud owners of a cabin in the Crestline area. Buzz specializes in Pest Management and Research, while Mary volunteers at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido. Buzz and Mary have 3 children, ages 21, 19, and 15. They look forward to visiting Palomar mountain often to spend time with family and friends for rest and relaxation.

What a pleasure to meet Renu Tripathi. As a new employee at the Observatory she moved here from Boston but originally hails from India. Renu is an engineer working on finalizing building the laser to give the astronomers an even more effective tool to search the sky. Renu is very interesting to talk to and enjoys research, reading, walking and yoga.

We now have a Deputy Sheriff living full time on the Mountain! A big welcome to Russ Ryan! He promises to keep an eye out as he is driving up and down the grade commuting to the Valley Center office. You can bet he'll pay extra attention to this mountain community, being a part of it. He has law enforcement in his blood since starting off at 16 years old as an Explorer. He also enjoys hiking and fishing and would like to get in some hunting. Russ is a first time buyer and since Palomar is the last frontier for affordable housing and he prefers the rural lifestyle, 'Observatory Views' is now 'Home Sweet Home'.  Glad Russ can join us to keep the peace on the Mountain top!

Escaping the harsh winters of Ohio, James and Barbara came west to Palomar.  James has family in San Diego. His sister and brother-in-law live there and raved about how wonderful life can be on Palomar. They are settled in a cozy cabin behind the lodge and available for work. James is a 'Jack of all trades' and can do most any handyman jobs. His tools are still in Ohio, but if you have the tools, he could probably do the work. Barbara has clerical experience in proof reading, research, typing filing. She has done pet sitting, house sitting, and they both have worked together in yard work and landscaping. They would appreciate a call and prefer work on Palomar but are glad to commute  You can reach James and Barbara at 742-1225.