Never thought I’d say this, but I want to move to California. Property taxes, real-estate premiums, traffic, crowds, and materialism aside… I’m smitten. And I miss it.

We were hosted by remarkably hospitable friends who built their beautiful home on a lemon orchard. Squeee! Taking care to situate their house around the trees versus mow them down to build, most are now older than my grandparents. Replacing those inevitably lost over the years with additional varieties of fruit, their property is now a veritable produce market boasting orange, kumquat, pomegranate, pomelo, grapefruit, avocado, peach, apple, plum, and tangerine varieties. I walked their property constantly, ogling like a kid in a candy store.

In addition to an obvious gift for hospitality, they have a pair of friendly tortoises that roam freely about the property sunning themselves. Clearly, these are my people.

Throw in some chickens and I think I could be a homesteading homeschooler in Los Angeles County… who knew??

Because of their gracious hospitality we flew instead of road-tripping (out of Billings, vs. Bozeman, for half the price!). They also spared us the cost of a car rental by loaning us a vehicle for the week. Their radical generosity has left a marked impression, and we are so grateful.