Sunday, April 25, 2010

Poppies! Poppies!

There were a lot of festivals to choose from in these parts this weekend.

1.) The Upland Lemon Festival which, ironically, is severely lacking in lemon desserts. Last year we looked high and low for any kind of lemony treat and came up empty handed. I then came home and wrote a letter complaining about it to which I am still awaiting a reply. Look for me next year Uplanders, I plan on doing something about that.

2.) The LA Times Festival of Books. Lindsay and I went to this years ago and had the most horrifying bus trip. No, seriously. There was groping. We were stuffed shoulder to shoulder into a bus that transported us from the parking lot to the UCLA campus and it took us up this winding hill and we were surrounded on all sides by nothing but sweaty hair men and women in clothes covered in cat hair and on more than one occasion on that trip up the hill as we swayed and tilted dangerously close to the edge did I think, "So this is how I'm going to die."

3.) The Grilled Cheese Invitational. I learned about this one too late, otherwise I would have been there. I applaud excellence in grilled cheese sandwich making.

We skipped them all and opted for the California Poppy Festival in Lancaster (Far Far Away Land), primarily for the frolicking potential. Hundreds of acres of rolling hills covered in orange poppies demand an excess of frolicking. Camille, Liz and I went to the festival first and did the usual festival type stuff and then we headed out towards the poppy preserve.

We didn't actually make it there though. We got stuck behind a person driving 35 miles per hour in a 55 zone for about 10 miles and we just couldn't take it anymore so we pulled off the road. There were more than enough poppy covered hills for us to frolic in.

I don't know what the fine is for picking the state flower but I went ahead and risked it.

6 comments:

The Katzbox said...

Loverly.

I must look for the festivals, if only for the off-chance of running into you and your friends.

The poppies look stunning...how many Wizard of Oz references did you make as you frolicked? I would have probably gone with Turkey references, but then, I'm a convert....

That final photo is gorgeous. That's it!!! I'm getting a new camera!

Great Post.

rachelsaysso said...

Deb, that last picture was taken with a plain jane camera. Nothing fancy. It's all about the macro setting.

We did say "Surrender Dorothy!" a few times.

Andrea said...

Next March I think you should plan on coming out to Chandler for the Ostrich festival. I'm willing to bet you'd enjoy the ostrich races.

Rach said...

You've inspired me to look for good festivals in these parts. I've always wanted to go to the llama festival down in Spanish Fork, but have never made it (why did we never go as roomies?). I bet there's a lot of delish Indian food and who doesn't love a good llama?

Poppies are the best. I might plant some this year, just for the Wizard of Oz references I can make when people notice them.

Liz the Poet said...

Not to be a jerk, and mention an inside joke, but I must:

"Hey,is that an ice cream truck over there..."

Still laughing about that!

yellowfish said...

Hi.... so, I'm a lurker, I have no idea how I found your blog, but you're hilarious (is that creepy? hopefully thats not creepy).

Anyways, I have to unlurk myself to tell you that I DID go to the Grilled Cheese Invitational, and I am not even going to tell you how many sandwiches I ate, but you should definitely go next year. I skipped the festival of books this year though, since its usually kind of hot and overwhelming, and I can only imagine groping would make it even worse.

At any rate, while I'm here I feel the need to admit that I am an etsy seller, and am seriously considering buying the Mr. T bookmark, which is awesome. :)