The Joys of Living Here

I’ve shared with you in the past that I sometimes ponder moving away. It’s no secret that I don’t agree with much that California has: high gas prices, high taxes, high number of homeless, etc. The politics of the state also don’t typically align with my values and morals.

Having said that I wonder where would I go. I mean, not only do I own and publish the best (in my opinion) newspaper, but I also am a native Californian. I have fond memories of growing up here. Also I absolutely love where I live. The Crescenta Valley offers everything (again, my opinion) a person could want – the tranquility of living in a small town while being close to cosmopolitan Los Angeles.

The attraction of living here was no more evident than when Steve and I attended a Loggins & Messina concert on Thursday night at the Hollywood Bowl.

Armed with sandwiches, chips and cookies from Subway (and red wine in a thermos for me – allowed at the venue), we made our way to the Hollywood Bowl. The weather was terrific and the concert – well, in a word, magnificent. The duo came out and played some of their hits including “House on Pooh Corner” and “Your Mama Don’t Dance.” An hour into it, they exited the stage. The audience, however, remained seated.

Thirty minutes later, Kenny Loggins came out and played some his biggest hits. These included movie hits like those from “Top Gun” (including “Danger Zone”), “Footloose” and more. The audience was rocking out, having a great time. As 11 o’clock drew near and the last chords played, we exited with thousands of other happy concert-goers.

To further my positive outlook for the area, on Saturday I attended the Montrose Search and Rescue 75^th anniversary event held at Crescenta Valley Park. I know the organizers – Robert Sheedy and Cindy England – and knew of their nervousness about having such a big event. But they needn’t have worried. Tons of folks showed up to learn more about local organizations, including MSAR, scale the rock climbing wall, check out some classic cars and emergency vehicles, indulge in some yummy food, listen to awesome music and play on the inflatables. Dignitaries were also on hand, eager to congratulate the team on serving the community for 75 years. A flyover by helicopter LASD Air Rescue 5 was a super addition to the festivities.

Steve is a member of the Montrose Search and Rescue team and I could see on his face the pride he had in seeing the number of people who showed up to support the team and its efforts.

Following on the heels of the great concert that Steve and I went to on Thursday night, the Montrose Search and Rescue event further solidified why I think there is no better place to live than the Crescenta Valley.