April 30, 2003 11:11 A.M.

My Home Town

I just bought a new digital camera. I still haven�t decided how the quality of the pictures compares with my 35mm Minolta, but it is much more fun. Instant gratification!

The camera is tiny, so I can tuck it right into my purse. I have been snapping a few photos around town, and I want to share some of them with you for the next couple of days.

Due to the number of photos I am planning to post, I probably will not leave these entries up indefinitely, but will delete them in a couple of weeks. So please take a look soon.

I live in a small valley northwest of Los Angeles. This little city of just over 100,000, spreads out across the valley floor and is beginning to creep up the hillsides. We haven�t achieved �major shopping mall status� just yet, but one is on the planning boards. We are, however, very close to larger metropolitan areas. We used to be called a �bedroom community�, but businesses are increasingly relocating to this peaceful area.

We have been declared either the most safe or 2nd safest city in the U.S., for a city of our size - several years in a row. This is due to our low crime rate.

Our town just made the state map a few years back. It used to be difficult to locate, and there were no main routes which intersected the valley connecting to other highways. We had a freeway into the valley which dead ended at the opposite side. Several years ago this was �improved� (?) by connecting to Highway 101, and now we are on a main traffic route.

We are about an hour�s drive from forested mountains, and half an hour from the beach. North and west of town are rolling hills covered with oak trees, valleys with orange groves, and other growing communities. A forty-five minute drive to the northeast, and you are in the edge of the high Mojave desert. That particular area skirts the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, and is known for its delicious black cherry harvest in late spring, and summer crops of sweet, mountain valley peaches.

We are a two hour drive from San Diego; four +/- hour drive from Las Vegas; one hour from Disneyland; less, from Hollywood and Beverly Hills; and a little over an hour from Santa Barbara to the northwest.

Our average high temperatures in summer are in the mid 80�s to low 90�s, with many, more temperate days. In the winter it seldom dips below the high 40�s at night, and levels out in daytime 60�s and 70�s.

Gosh, this may not be such a bad place to live, after all!

Enjoy the excursion through my town.

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