Going to Windermere is fun. Really. You climb out of the tunnel of trees and cars in Woodland Hills, over Calabasas Pass, and the next thing you know you’re accidentally changing lanes in Ventura trying to spot a dolphin in the ocean while passing a FedEx semi. Santa Barbara is nice. The lady in Albertsons buying rye crackers is worth approximately two gazillion times more than the guy checking her out — me.
It’s fun to take people to Windermere who have either never been there or the last time they were there the Channel Islands off the coast were just being formed. Personally, I wasn’t there then. I think. But my wife Mary and I got to take five wonderful ladies from Argentina to the ranch on Monday after Conference. I’ve never been to Argentina. Sounds like a nice place. Three of the ladies spoke English and Spanish and the other two predominantly Spanish. That made it difficult for me to tell wild exaggerated stories about Windermere.
We picked up Alexandra at Prana. Then we picked up Rosemarie, Graciela, Mercedes and Silvia in front of some apartments in Santa Monica and the next thing you knew we were on the 405 North proudly displaying our van with Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens on the side. It was fun watching people drive by and see this middle aged guy driving a peace van down 405 with six women inside. I would just smile and adjust my baseball hat a little.
During the two-hour drive I got to practice my Spanish a bit as I eavesdropped as best I could. I would know one word and then by the time I translated it in my mind they would be four or five sentences down the road. And one lady talked about fifty miles an hour with gusts to eighty. When we got to Santa Barbara one lady insisted we go to a bank. I told her as best I could that the van was a terrible getaway vehicle. Then we went to Albertsons for picnic food. Turns out they brought theirs along leaving me the only one not prepared. I acted important and tour guide-like anyway.
We drove up the hill from Santa Barbara to the ranch and when we got there (it’s about a fifteen minute ride unless you’re a citizen of LA; then it’s about four minutes) we stopped at the entrance to the ranch and Rosemarie called in the Light for us. In Spanish. I love hearing the Light called in in Spanish. The words just kind of dance around with Spirit. Once properly mellowed and peaceful we entered the ranch. I began pointing things out like a kid at Toys R Us. We checked in at the red phone and signed release forms so we’d be official and then I explained to them that we’d be touring the ranch in a mule. Rosemarie told me later that she was not disappointed that the mule was not a four legged beast of burden, but a four wheel drive vehicle used on the ranch to haul hay and nervous visitors.
First stop was the ponds, Near and Far. Near Pond was full of algae. I wanted to tell them that we were growing a protein product to sell through network marketing but I refrained. Then we stopped at the famous tree swing, a small wooden disc tied to a tree branch somewhere up in the fog above. Everyone tried it to varying degrees of delight and height and our laughter began to echo up through the trees and over the hills. Next stop was Oak Glen. It was a warm afternoon so I thought we could stop there and enjoy the shade and the breeze. But no sooner than I’d pointed out what poison ivy looked like, all five ladies headed for the road just above us to see the view of the ocean — in the sun. Sometimes you just have to laugh. The Glen was filled with a sweet smell of Oak and probably something else I’m not able to name.
We went over to Quelin Rocks and sat barefoot on them for a few minutes. I explained that a special energy was supposed to come up from the rocks but as I spoke I got that the special energy was in our eyes as we enjoyed and smiled with each other. Then it was off to Stagecoach Road (try and explain that one in Spanish!) and through the gate to the lower property. Alexandra opened the gate to the applause of all of us too lazy to get out of the mule. I showed them rocks by the side of the road where someone had traded in their spray paint for a carving stone and carved some initials and 1886. A little farther down the road there’s a rock with J-R carved in it. Some say it’s JB but I think they’re just thinking about what they’re going to have to drink once this nickel and dime tour is over.
We turned right at the fork in the road just below the carvings and when we looked up we saw five horses silhouetted on the top of the hill above us. What a sight. We drove up the hill to the watering tank and Summer, a soft yellow palomino whose quality is strength, was getting a drink. Everyone got to say “hi” and we enjoyed the view until the late afternoon sun started to win the battle. We headed on up the hill through another gate. Graciela opened it this time and we all cheered. It’s good to be easily amused.
We stopped at Pharoah Ponds by the bench by the pond — in the shade. Peace reigned and food broke out. It was great. As people finished eating they strolled around the pond, their reflections strolling along with them step for step. George Pace had all the pumps working so the bamboo waterfall and the wheel waterfall were peacefully doing their thing filling the air with a soft spill of water on water. On the lower pond the watercress was blooming with delicate pink petals floating in the water.
Then we all managed to make our way up to the peace pole that is embedded in the rocks high over the ponds. The first part of the hike to the pole is a gentle hike and climb. The last thirty feet is suitable for lizards and well-intentioned seekers of peace. I always feel a little like both. Once on top, the breeze wants to blow your hat off and the view is really unbelievable. You can see most of the 140 acre ranch, a lot of the surrounding neighbors, the national forest, and of course Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands beyond. I mentioned something about how spectacular it was watching the islands form but it was a joke the humor of which stayed within the confines of my lips. We jumped back in the mule and stopped off at
