Palomar Mountain News

Well, I just happen to have the keys to this newest Palomar listing and can slip you in a little early to Moose Lodge. Cleaning gals will finish up tomorrow. We had some tree work done with a little more to do. But I just couldn’t keep this one to myself a minute longer!

This oh-so-charming cabin will be celebrating 70 happy years of memories with folks enjoying their time at Moose Lodge. A very welcoming great room has original paned windows, a cozy wood stove, surrounded by knotty pine walls and flooring.

It is open to the cherry kitchen where a side door leads to the original stone stove/barbecue that only a few cabins still have from days gone by. I’m told you’ll never have better pancakes then the ones made outside in front of the fire. Yum, that pan of hot maple syrup is simmering along side the kettle of hot chocolate.

When the stars come out, it’s also a great place for s’mores. After the story-telling has wound down, and your pillow is calling, stairs take you up to two sleeping rooms. When morning comes, you’ll enjoy sitting in the rocking chair in front of the wood stove with your steaming cup of coffee. Guessing you won’t be sitting too long as there are some things you might want to do to restore and preserve this fixer cabin for years to come. Meanwhile, you have water, power, phone and internet is available. Septic will be certified next week. It’s a delightful cabin to come spend the night while you decide on updates and your decorating touches.

A screened in porch for those lazy summer afternoons is also waiting for you. A shed milled from wood on the land can store these sleds when we’re a winter wonderland. 1173 sf including 30×10 enclosed porch on .78 acre. Front on public road with great access and parking on your land.

Click for lots of photos and MLS info.

Click also to see some amazing tree work done last week.

Who wants to be the next owner of Moose Lodge?

Is it YOU? Come up for a tour!

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor with the Keys to make your Dreams come true!

The much-loved Spotted Owl closed escrow and I thought some might enjoy this post by the now-prior owner, Teresa. Just so you know, Jim and Teresa aren’t moving. They are keeping their ‘Grey Fox’ cabin but couldn’t resist another near family out of state. Fun times ahead for all!

She and Jim have so many fun memories and family came up to help get it ready for the new owners:

From: Teresa McCarthy

“We sold the Spotted Owl and today was move out day. Seems like yesterday that I decided to drive up while Jim was at work and take a peek at some real estate. I brought my girlfriend with me to navigate up the windy mountain road. Bonnie Phelps drove me here and there looking at at least a half dozen cabins within the budget Jim had set for me. They all intrigued me. In one cabin, Bonnie picked up a little dead mousy and tossed it into the toilet…

At the end of the tour of cabin listings, Bonnie said…. “Well, there is one more that isn’t listed yet but it’s over your budget.” I said, “show it to me”. Oh man it was love at first sight. It was August and the meadow was waist high with Bracken fern. I stood there on the deck and watched a couple of woodpeckers swoop down from the tall cedar tree. I needed this cabin and when she told me the price I wasn’t sure it would fly with Jim. I told Bonnie, let me go home and pick up Jim and we will be back in a few hours. I told her, “please show him the cabins in the same order and end with that dilapidated Happy Holler cabin just before you show him the A-Frame. The next day we made an offer and closed escrow on our magical 20th wedding anniversary. It was October 9th, 2013 and we even had snow. Well here we are almost 9 years later and we have so many wonderful memories in the Spotted Owl. We are sad that this place won’t be ours anymore, but so happy for the new owners. We decided to take one last snapshot today.”

Would you like to see an amazing ‘Tree Monkey’ in action? One of my listings coming up had huge branches over the roof of the cabin with lots of missing bark and right at the chimney. Wish I could have shown up sooner on Saturday to watch Israel and Crew. Amazing! Look way up in the top of the trees and you see this very brave and talented guy. This oak had many dead branches but is a living tree so they only trimmed it back from the cabin.

They will be there again today if you’d like to park on the road and watch the action. 33637 Bailey Meadow Road, down on the right. Two totally dead trees will come down. Huge fir and oak. Here are the before pix:

Great times ahead and much more firesafe and less risk of cars or the cabin becoming a pancake! Do you need tree work? Connect with Israel

Ah, good times!

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor having fun ’round the mountain!

Way back in 2009 I met a nice guy by the name of Gene Powers. We sold his cabin, he moved to Iowa and kept in touch ever since.

A couple times a big package has arrived in the mail. Ice Scrapers from Gene for the people of Palomar. He said he could never find them in So Cal but there is a big bin at the door of most stores during the winter in Iowa. Some of you might remember me posting about these free scrapers over the years. I’ve also had fun stopping ’round the mountain to add one to snow-covered windshields. Like one? Just let me know! Click to see the past three ice scraper messages. What a kick! One time he bought the store out!

Gene’s cabin of 32 years, is now named The Spotted Owl. It is changing owners for the third time since he took off for Iowa. Jim and Teresa McCarthy will be handing the keys over to new owners very soon. There with be a few ice scrapers waiting there for them from their friend in Iowa.

I had to giggle when I saw this message from Gene today so thought I’d share with you:

From: Gene Powers <comtek39@gmail.com>
Last week the wind was very strong one day. I have a couple of trees that when the wind is that strong will break off some dead branches & toss them in the yard. They think it’s funny. I can hear them laffing & giggling when I’m picking up the dead branches. All I have to do is call out CHAIN SAW & that shuts them up.

Lots of shutting up these days ’round these here parts!

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor and Ice Scraper Elf

Custom home with amazingly private, peaceful views. Escape the cities and come away now with a very nice price reduction. Click for MLS and lots of photos. This just might be the one for YOU! Like a tour? Let’s do it!

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor

That ice and wind storm a couple weeks ago really brought down a lot of trees and branches. The snow has melted now and from what I can see most driveways are opened up. So, that leaves a lot of branches and slash to deal with. San Diego County Fire Safe Chipping Program to the rescue!

Do you have slash to go away? Simply click for their guidelines, sign up and prepare your piles: https://firesafesdcounty.org/no-cost-chipping/

Guessing we might have a more branches on the ground now after that wonderful heavy rain we were just treated to. Thanks to Cecelia Borland for passing on this helpful link.

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor since the beginning of the Century

Oh, by the way… Do you subscribe to Palomar Mountain News? Click to scroll and browse the archives. You might subscribe at the top right of the page. Here are some direct links you might especially appreciate.

Nate Harrison has his own Website

Interested in Real Estate? $100,000 Price Reduction for 77 Acres

Fun Find in Mountain Home For Sale

Fixer Cabin-in-the-Woods For Sale

Today a memory popped up with our youngest grandson welcoming Spring a few years ago. It was snowy that day and this milk-mustached-smile-guy was here for breakfast. He said his boots let the snow in so he had freezing feet. Yes, for those wondering, he is one of the reasons we’re joining his family eventually in Missouri.

Meanwhile, Spring is always so beautiful on the mountain. I love to listen and watch our family of turkeys, often just from my desk where this flock was spotted. They enjoy walking right through our parking area, across the patio and hang out in our orchard for sometimes hours a day.

The spring flowers catch your eye all over Palomar. Several of these were taken on properties of new listings-on-the-way. Then of course the daffodils at the Summit!

Enjoy!

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor for all Seasons!

Are you one of the folks dreaming of your own big stone fireplace in a cabin on Palomar? Little Cabin in the Big Woods is back on the market and sure checks a lot of boxes.

Just posted about a vintage Guest Book found in neighboring cabin. May 30, 1953 a guest shared about another wonderful stay at a friend’s cabin. Some of what she longed for and enjoyed so much is so very true today and fits so well for Cabin in the Big Woods, built in 1925.

Palomar “… is truly a haven of serenity and calmness; it embraces all visitors with welcome arms. Here is an offer to drop the heavy troubles that threaten to drown us in a sea of chaos; here is an offer to relax and enjoy ourselves. I always think of this wonderful cabin as an opportunity to get my perspective on things … The few hours I’m able to spend here, fly by as the hours of enjoyment always do. The simplicity of this ‘resort’ acts as a strong magnet to people from all walks of life to enjoy themselves…” on this beautiful mountain.

Yes, this cabin has been a much-loved escape for 97 years. But, it could also be lived in full time, like some of the surrounding neighbors are doing. Click for lots of photos. What would your plans include? Let’s see if we can help you make your dreams come true.

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor, enjoying our big fireplace tonight on enchanting Palomar Mountain

It was so fun to have the owner of this cabin pull out this enchanting Guest Book that belonged to Hutch and Winnie Hutchinson 70 years ago. According to the assessor records, the cabin was 5 years old. I see the front porch was already enclosed. Now the cabin has more than doubled in size and is looking for a new owner with an empty guest book to fill!

Palomar got electric lights about that time and one entry mentioned the great food and how much their guest enjoyed wiring the cabin in December 1954. They were friends with many old timers names I’ve seen on deeds and read about in Palomar history books; Brownells, Morrisons and Thelma Samsioe. Hal Bowden stopped by and signed several times, once on official business with the Water Company. His son inherited his two cabins a few years ago. Those kids, Linda Dunbar and her brother Robert visited, and she wrote “This is the place the clouds and sun come together.” They still have a family cabin on the Mountain. (Big Jim, where were YOU that day?)

I envy the beautiful handwriting and many folks left poems.

“There are some who spend a life-time seeking Shangrila. I am among the fortunate – I have found it on Palomar. I have seen the stars, like the eyes of night reach down to earth. I have seen the orb of day sink down into a sea of fleecy clouds; and felt the peace and serenity that must have been when the earth was new. All this and Hutch and Winnie, too!”

At another time, the same author penned:

Even though I may be far

From this beauty spot on Palomar

My inmost thoughts will still be near

And in my dreams I shall be here.”

Has it been a dream of yours to own a beautiful piece of Palomar? Now is your chance. The first time I sold this charming cabin it was owned by folks who purchased it from Hutch and Winnie. We’re now looking for the 5th new owner since my shift, to carry on the tradition creating such happy memories with fine food and wonderful friends enjoying the amazing views. Here is a view the present owner captured this week:

Like to make it YOUR view? Quick, come up and see for yourself.

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor enjoying the Good Old Days but the BEST is yet to come for you on Palomar!