Palomar Mountain News

I love our flag and all it stands for here in America. It started flying at Bailey’s Resort decades ago, as that was one of our post offices on Palomar.

Click for a fun video of some of the last Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys of the Greatest Generation. (Wish I could have been there to join in on that swing dancin’!)

Another favorite is Ronald Reagan’s We are Americans speech.

Many thanks and respect to all who have served and supported our Military!

Bonnie Phelps

It is very important to educate yourself on this very challenging situation that impacts the health of our oak trees.

Click for a website.  Meanwhile, please be extra careful about bringing any oak firewood up as the cause of GSOB has spread from other areas with tremendous tree loss through firewood delivery.

We do have several locals that are glad to deliver local firewood that is a safer option.  See ‘Firewood’ on the Mountain Yellow Pages.

Very sorry to say that we’ve already lost oaks.  The trees that I’ve seen the past couple years are on larger properties where they have never had firewood brought in.  They have only used wood from their own property so those bugs really get around.

After a long, dry spell, yesterday, we got confirmation that most of Palomar has the newly required documentation for loans.

This means that if you would like to buy a home or cabin, or refinance and pull out some equity, you should be able to do that!

Just over a year ago, lender guidelines changed in the United States.  I’ll never forget the call from Bobby Askari Fall of 2014, when we were just about to close two escrows. He told me that Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac had new rulings requiring “deeded, plotted easement for all roads that are not County maintained”.

All these years, any property that did not front on Crestline, showed up on title reports as landlocked with physical access only.  Even though the roads were there and property owners had driven to their cabin for nearly 100 years, the documentation had not been uncovered for title companies to draw out the little dirt roads that connect Crestline and Birch Hill.

More details to come on how this has worked out, meanwhile, we can do it!  If you own a home or cabin on Crestline or Birch Hill, and would like to refinance, you should be able to do that now.

If you would like to buy on Crestline or Birch Hill and need a loan, there are other guidelines, of course, but we should be able to get you rolling, funded and confirmed.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to lender, Bobby Askari who got the ball rolling for plotted roads.  He found title rep Jeff Knapp and we worked with so many others that contributed to this progress for Palomar!

Here is Bobby’s contact info:

Bay Equity Home Loans

Bobby Askari, Sr. Mortgage Loan Officer

619-889-9024 Direct   866-596-6195 e fax

NMLS#223072

Together we are making progress for Palomar!

Bonnie Phelps

Could you use this?  Just let me know and I’ll connect you with Jim.

From: jim billups

Free!  Lots of small cardboard boxes. Cannot use them but they are good little shipping boxes, Also have a 20inch Hitachi CRT type monitor, hi res; but a CRT, not flat. Up for grabs.

Over a decade ago Peter and Kathy bought a cabin on Palomar.  A few years later, they sold it.  However, Peter is a librarian at UCSD and continues to gift us with his fabulous collection of research pertaining to our favorite mountain.

He and Kathy had their Palomar Mountain History table at the Apple Festival.  They had albums of old photos on display and shared history on that very chilly day-in-the-clouds. 

South Graders, Burt Hulbert and Bobby Graziano got to visit a bit with Peter and Kathy.  They were shown photos and told some of the history of the “Highway to the Stars”  (We should work to get that name back, don’t you think?)

Then, Marcia Beishline gave Peter some interesting local history of her family that has had a love affair with Palomar for over 100 years. You can also see Barbara Waite (Marcia’s sister-in-law), to the left of Peter’s table, selling her newest book of her grandmother’s journal – Elise’s Mountain Years.  A fun day… 

Peter has also been responsible for having Robert Asher’s book published, and several out of print books re-published and available now through his website and the Palomar General Store.

You’re invited to visit Peter Bruggeman’s Palomar Historical Archives

More mountain history is stored on our Palomar Historical Link – quite a few contributions by several mountain families, including a link to Peter’s treasure trove.

Thank you so much Peter and all who value and contribute to what our Mountain is today!

So what do I have in common with Julie Andrews?  We both know all the words to the Sound of Music!  And we both lost our voice with similar questions unanswered.

My son, Nathan and I also have something in common with Larry Page, one of the co-founders of Google!  We have been trolling on line, searching what we can find out about this difficulty in breathing and froggy voice that Mr. Page has now experienced, twice.  He set up a foundation and has invested millions of dollars.  Quite a few names you’d recognize are a part of his board, including ‘Maria’. Lots of great information. Very helpful and shorted our learning curve tremendously.

After being told a few weeks ago I had a ‘paralyzed vocal cord’, I heard about risky surgery options, passed the blood tests, and my CT scan found only ‘tiny’ nodules on my lungs.  It has been interesting to visit my five different doctors so far, in a quest to learn what caused this and how to get my voice back.

The biggest challenge has been breathing.  Since that is something I do quite often, I finally goggled ‘Naturopath’ and found one who also specializes as an Allergist.  My first visit was pretty remarkable.  After not ever thinking I had allergies, apparently some have surfaced.

Dr. Gaila discovered in a few minutes that I show a sensitivity to some foods.  Not surprising.  But, then trees and pollen (that would be the mountain and most anywhere), a virus, horses (Buddy and Dollar!) and some other little critters that I’m often lovin’ on.  However, what is so fascinating is, she has a program where you can be “cleared” of your allergies.

The program is easy. My treatment will take another couple weeks to complete.  Of course we aren’t sure that my voice will be back totally, but this has made such a difference.  Still ‘choosing my words carefully’ but the good news is; now I don’t sound as much like an old toad, but more like a little frog. 🙂 I’m not sick, not contagious and with this treatment, feel so healthy – better than ever!

Perhaps some of you readers have health issues that could benefit with this same treatment?  I really encourage you to see what she could do for you. My voice situation could be tied in with something else, but if you can benefit by connecting with Dr. Gaila, it would make it all worth it.

Sincere thanks for all your prayers. The prayers and kindness shown my way are much appreciated!

Bonnie

The Apple Festival was such old fashioned fun!  Rick Barclay with Friends of Palomar State Park have many wonderful photos and some great videos waiting for you!

Click to scroll through several albums  and be sure to watch the video of the juggler dad showing off for his son! Oh, and the great musicians who play for us every year.  Don’t you just love the sound of that old car!  Then you might want to see the apple pressing in action… oh, just watch them all!

We got there too late for the Square Dancing.  Next year we’ll get there EARLY!

Thanks to all who volunteered to make it such a fun event for all.  And, thanks to Rick, for doing such a great job on the photos!

Traditionally, we use Labor Day Weekend as a reminder to winterize.  It’s been so warm and I realize many of us have enjoyed this ‘summer’ weather.  However, I believe we are all looking forward to cooler temperatures and I finally put away my white sandals and jeans.  (After all, it is November!!!)

The weatherman is promising maybe a peek at a dusting of snow this week.  You won’t need chains yet, hopefully very soon!

So, double check the fill on your propane tank, make sure your firewood is ready, your pipes are winterized and you have a good supply of hot chocolate!

Are you in the Flatlands?  Would you like to see the Fall Colors?  We have a very short window to enjoy this beauty!  Just think, we have one extra hour to enjoy these colors tonight!

So, fall back, update your smoke detectors, and let’s go on a hike!

Way back in August of 2005, the need for establishing deeded access became very apparent when most of the homes and little cabins on Palomar would show up as ‘landlocked’.  Thanks to quite a few folks, we are finally closing our second escrow with plotted, deeded ‘public roads, privately maintained’. That means, we can also get loans for most of Palomar.  Pretty exciting!

Yesterday, I met up with my title rep, Jeff Knapp,  who has stuck with me through this project even moving to a different title company.  His team has provided a wonderful notebook of Palomar with all our little roads.  We have County letters and recorded old maps to back it up. Your property is in that book and I’m glad to get your questions answered.

We still have work to do in some areas, but we are very close.  Lots to be thankful for and I’ll keep you posted!

Bonnie-on-the-way-up-the-Mountain!