Wednesday, June 11, 2008


Monday morning I headed up the mountain with my co-workers for a much needed retreat. We had held two fundraising events within 2 1/2 weeks of each other and everyone was on edge and in need of some R&R.

My boss has a retreat center in the mountains where we always stay but, it was ravaged. Only two of the building remained. We stopped by to take a look at the damage and it was a bit overwhelming. Where once stood darling cabins now stood piles of rubble and forlorn foundations. It was such a strange sight to see.

At the retreat center are donkeys, Llamas, and Emu's that all had to be evacuated during the fires but the Emu's refused to budge. During the fire coverage I remember sitting on the couch watching the news and seeing a clip of some "angry Ostriches" and how the Animal Control personnel were unable to load them up and take them to safety. As I sat there I thought, "hey! those are my boss's Emu's."

After the fires died down and they let people back up the mountain my boss's husband went up to check on everything. The Emu's had made it through the fires.

This is a picture of where one of the cabins had stood.

Here's one of the Emu's. THEY'RE MEAN!

This is a huge clock outside of one of my favorite stores in Cedar Glen.


This is a view looking over the retreat property to the valley below.

We played games, watched movies, and praised God for His wonderful mercy towards us. Our ultrasound techs girls came with us and they performed skits and kept us all in stitches for hours. It was a very relaxing and refreshing time but by the end I was ready to come home.


I'll be back to work tomorrow.


3 comments:

ellen b. said...

I'm glad you were refreshed. those emus do look mean :0)
I think I spent time up that way when I was in junior high.
Blessings...

ellen b. said...

I walked up one day and saw that B&B for sale. I unfortunately do not know of any B&B's etc. in Ventura. Haven't researched that. We do have a breakfast spot we really like called Allison's Country Restaurant on Telegraph. WE like the food. It's friendly not elegant :0)
Downtown Main street has a lot of nice looking restaurants.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Cori!
Sorry to hear about the fires in the mountains, and the damage they did, but glad the Emu's made it through OK ---- even if they aren't friendly.