Christmas on the Ocean

Jutta Engelhardt on Christmas Day in Goleta, California

This was Jutta’s first-ever American Christmas, and she, too, had a present under the tree.

Woody and Ann Burns on Christmas Day in Goleta, California

With gifts exchanged and breakfast finished, it was time to say bye to everyone who came together to share a Christmas with Tata and Woody who hadn’t had a proper Christmas get-together in years.

Caroline Wise and Jutta Engelhardt walking in the surf on Christmas day in Santa Barbara, California

We are now on our way home back to Phoenix, Arizona. But what would Christmas Day be without a quick walk in the surf? Jutta and Caroline doff their shoes and socks, flittering about in the shallow, cold waters of the Pacific.

Caroline Wise and Jutta Engelhardt walking in the surf on Christmas day in Santa Barbara, California

Like her daughter, Jutta was not about to lament things even if she thought the water was cold, I think she was surprised and delighted to be able to walk on the beach with Caroline in what is winter back home in Frankfurt, Germany.

Jutta Engelhardt and Caroline Wise in the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara, California on Christmas Day

This is the original photo accompanying this post, but it was inexplicably lost to the digital gods protecting bits and bytes. As the only version now remaining, I’ve included it as one can never have too many memories lying around that reflect happy days spent with people we love.

The Rest of the Family

Caroline Wise, Jutta Engelhardt, Jean Kneztic, Daniel, Teresa, Sam, Nancy, and me; John Wise in Santa Barbara, California

We left early this morning for the drive into the mountains to an old stagecoach road. The photo includes my cousin Nancy, her husband Sam, her mom Jean, and kids Teresa and Daniel. Of course, my Aunt Ann and Uncle Woody are with us too, but as is often their routine, they passed on being in the photo and encouraged all of us to get a photo for them.

Cold Spring Tavern in Santa Barbara, California

Our drive took us here to Cold Springs Tavern, where the proprietors have been feeding travelers for 141 years.

Cold Spring Tavern in Santa Barbara, California

A wood fire, great food, and an abundance of atmosphere made for a terrific start to Christmas Eve.

Nancy Knezetic and her son Daniel in Santa Barbara, California

On the drive back down San Marcos Pass (Highway 154), the Channel Islands in the distance were as clear as we have ever seen them.

Holiday in Santa Barbara

Woody Burns, Jutta Engelhardt, Caroline Wise, and Ann Burns in Goleta, California

We are spending Christmas in Santa Barbara with my great Uncle Woody Burns and great Aunt Ann. It is a perfect day, although it started a little on the cold side. After the usual shopping around at Costco, we enjoyed our hot dog lunch with Ted’s Hot Dogs (via Buffalo, NY).

Family at Christmas in Goleta, California

In the afternoon, my cousin Nancy, her husband Sam, and their two kids, Daniel and Teresa, along with my aunt Jean, joined us at the Burns residence. Later on, Nancy and I went on a last-minute hunt for a Christmas tree – no easy feat in Santa Barbara, I can assure you. With 77 degrees (25c) of crisp blue skies overhead, towering mountains behind us, and the ocean before us, Santa Barbara is the perfect place to celebrate Christmas and watch for birds.

Riding into the Sunset

Sunset over the Arizona desert on the road to California

This could well be our 100th drive west to California. We have made the 350 miles (560km) drive so often we are no longer certain just how many trips have been made. This particular journey will take us to Santa Barbara, California, to spend Christmas with family. We left Phoenix in the rain and heard later that fog closed Sky Harbor Airport. California, on the other hand, was all blue skies and warm days. This photo was taken about 80 miles from the California border, traveling west on Interstate 10 from Phoenix, Arizona.

Inside The Northwoods Inn Covina, California

When time allows, I’ll never skip the opportunity to stop in at The Northwoods Inn, and so it was as we lost an hour on our up to Santa Barbara.

In The Sunshine

Jutta Engelhardt and Eleanor Burke after lunch in Phoenix, Arizona

My mother-in-law Jutta and my great-aunt Eleanor a.k.a. Auntie spent lunch together today. Cooking was courtesy of myself; we had planned to go out, but my aunt was enjoying the sun on the upstairs balcony and I had some farm-fresh veggies with me that I had picked up earlier in the day, so I got to work in the kitchen and whipped up something for the ladies. Auntie and Jutta shared some purple carrots with a honey-butter glaze, steamed spinach, and broccoli with a squeeze of lemon. For dessert, they had some of my homemade applesauce I had brought over to replenish Auntie’s now-empty bottle. My mom had made Christmas cookies which Jutta found so tasty, I am certain she must have eaten no less than a dozen.

Barber Shop Quartet

A Barber Shop Quartet performing at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona during the annual Las Noches de Las Luminarias

This Barber Shop Quartet is a regular fixture at the annual Las Noches de Las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona. This year they had a fantastic location next to a fire pit which lent warmth and great lighting to their performance. Around the garden musicians play flute, harp, or fiddle; they sing, tell stories, and a couple of bands are on hand. Walking around with a warm drink under the cold clear sky full of stars listening to the music out here in the desert is the closest some of us will get to feeling the holiday spirit.