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2011-02-20 tl;dr: Had Ronnie not offered the hospitality of the storage shack, it would have been a cold and wet night. I slept pretty good in that little, musty shack. But long before sunrise I noticed that more light was flowing in through the windows than should be, even with a bright moon. That could only mean one thing. The ground was covered in snow. I walked outside to renew my appreciation for Ronnie's hospitality. Had I been forced to camp, it would not have been an enjoyable experience.There is no cell signal up in this part of the mountains, and my phone managed to forget what time it was without a constant reminder. Ronnie said he'd open up for breakfast at 7 AM, but I didn't know when that was. Eventually, 7 AM must have rolled around, for here came Ronnie as if he were late. I felt bad troubling him, for it was obvious that nobody else was going to stop here for breakfast. But he fired up his grill and served up eggs, hash browns, toast, bacon and coffee. Ronnie is near 80. He had been running this bar for over 20 years. Apparently he just liked doing it, because he made no claims that it was adding to his wealth. He was wearing rough working clothes, but I gathered that if he dug into his closet and visited the fanciest restaurant in LA, he'd not stand out at all, save for being the customer giving the biggest tip. Though the ground was covered in snow, it wasn't too cold. Warm and fed, I was looking forward to biking through it all. Ronnie was having no part of it. He wanted to drive me all the way to Temecula. I talked him into only driving me about a dozen miles. We were back in elevations below the snow when he dropped me off on Highway 79. If you are ever in the area, stop and give Ronnie your business. This is doubly true if you enjoy disparaging signs about President Obama (I chuckled at a few, but couldn't build up the zeal that Ronnie displayed on the subject). Highway 79 was torturously busy and narrow. At one point in a narrow pass I stopped to move a big rock out of the road. I doubt if anybody appreciated it. I entered Temecula earlier than expected and checked into a hotel on the north end of Old Town. I have a whole list of things to accomplish this week beyond what my job demands. |
 it snowed last night   Ronnie's   this road is much more fun with trucks and RVs  Temecula |