San Diego Reader

Winifred March 25, 2013 @ 2:54 p.m.

OK, got a burn permit two weeks ago from CDF for brush burning- lasts a month.

My buddy calls Julian FD last weekend and gets over-the-phone OK to do deep-pit BBQ on private land - just has to make sure brush is cleared away 30 feet, no overhanging trees, and there is a water source available.

Then another buddy tells me you can get a year's permit for campfires on private land.

What's with all the diff. rules?

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EdwardH March 27, 2013 @ 1:52 p.m.

For me the high point in Julian restaurants was the Hungarian place on Hwy 78 and Wynola Rd. that opened for a short time in 2007. It wasn’t cheap and it was a bad fit for the mountains. But I remember cabbage rolls and some very sweet dessert.

And it was better than the last few years of Tom’s Chicken Shack – same location.

Now all overshadowed by Jeremy’s, which took over that doomed corner in 2008 or so. Chef now serving gourmet burgers for lunch and dinner and for dinner things like pork cordon bleu ($16) and bison meatloaf ($21). Who’da thunk?

But Jeremy’s was preceded across the street in 2001 by Wynola Pizza, whose crispy thin pizza reminds you of Rome ($8.95 for plain cheese, 13.95 for Thai Chicken or Greek). Sumi salad for $8.95, roasted artichoke dip, $9.95. The owners talked a couple of years ago about expanding to larger sit-down restaurant with chef from the defunct Casa de Zorro. Not sure if that happened.

Another Casa de Zorro ex-employee, Charles Scott, started the Candied Apple pastry place in 2003, according to the website. It’s behind Main St., across from the museum. A friend whose family has place at Lake Cuyamaca told me about it. I’m a sucker for their big cookies, esp. the macaroons ($2 for plain coconut, $2.50 with chocolate).

Candied Apple

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EdwardH March 27, 2013 @ 2:20 p.m.

Julian defends its daffodil status against central Calif. upstart

This from early March story in San Luis Obispo Tribune:

It started in 2011, when Atascadero residents Lee Swam and Joe Benson were brainstorming ideas to kick off their city’s 2013 Centennial Celebration. They envisioned an activity that would involve the whole community, be eye-catching and generate enthusiasm. Swam had always enjoyed gardens and daffodils, and said, “How about planting daffodils all over the city?” ….The next question that Swam and Benson asked was, “How many bulbs does it take to change a city?” They came up with 28,310, the population of Atascadero. They figured that it would take a few years to reach the number. As of last month, more than 10,000 daffodil bulbs have been planted, and as they reproduce naturally, the goal could be achieved within a few years. Certain residents got so enthusiastic that they have added hundreds of daffodils to their front yards…. As community participation and interest increased, Swam and others considered the idea of calling Atascadero the City of Daffodils, but after research, they found that the small apple-growing community of Julian, California, had already claimed the title.

Note prominent use of daffodils in Julian website banner

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jholman March 28, 2013 @ 6:34 p.m.

Aargh. Just realized I missed Comedy of Errors at Spencer Valley School. This tiny elementary school has novelist and playwright Don Winslow as neighbor and he directs the gradeschoolers in a Shakespeare play in the spring.

Sign in front of school said the play was March 26 and 27.

School sits on Highway 78 near Wynola Rd.

Student actors - from school website

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EdwardH March 28, 2013 @ 6:41 p.m.

Another Aargh. My neighbor told me there was a cool lecture last night at Julian Hist. Society on mountain men in the Julian area. Guys like Jedediah Smith and Kit Carson here in early to mid-1800s.

He said we think of mountain men as graybeards. But most were 18-24.

I know, I know the photos don't make them look like tough guys.

Smith

Carson

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EdwardH April 18, 2013 @ 8:09 p.m.

Apple growers - the future of Julian On the morning of Saturday, April 13, the Julian Apple Growers Association held a planting and grafting workshop on one of the town's oldest apple groves, behind Wynola Flats Produce on Highway 78.

Dave Lewis , the orchard's owner and host for the day (and the town's most active historian), gave an introductory talk, saying that in the early 19th century, when Julian won the prize at the Jamestown VA tri-centennial, apples occupied more than 600 acres. Today it is 200 plus acres. So the idea of these workshops is to encourage a renaissance of orchards.

The planting part of the class (about 20 locals showed up) was dispatched quickly. You dig a hole deep and wide enough to allow the roots to spread out, then begin filling. Make sure the graft "bump" is a fist-height above ground.

The grafting demonstration turned out to be better than I thought. Two kinds of grafts were covered. The inserting of scions (new, pencil-thick growth from desired variety) under the bark of a recently cut branch of an old tree.

Lewis showed some of this grafting of Red Delicious scions onto a couple of 100-year-old Macintosh trees on his ancestors' property. One example was a year old and the new branches carried healthy leaves and blossoms.

The grafting of scions onto new rootstock seemed to engage everyone. The association supplied sharp knives. We whittled the lower end of the scion down to a thin wedge. We made a slice in the center of the rootstock tip. Then we inserted the wedge into the slice, covered with glue and tape, and presto, an inexpensive sapling ready to plant.

Informal conversations between talks and afterwards at the informal barbecue covered the inevitable questions of what varieties should we plant (heirlooms like Spitzenburg, good pollenators like Yellow Delicious, apples historic to Julian like Rome Beauty), what to do about squirrels (Ramic Green, Squirrelinators, wire cones), and how best not to lose money growing apples (U-pick-em, Julian farmers market, cider).

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SherryD April 21, 2013 @ 9:07 a.m.

On Sundays in Julian, we have actors who appear in period costumes. Does anyone have an idea where I (a female) could find a similar outfit? Any suggestions are appreciated.

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SherryD April 24, 2013 @ 9:30 a.m.

PEACH PIE AND THE PCT EXPERIENCE

Two things going on in Julian today:

"The trail is training for homelessness," one hiker told me when he stopped for provisions in Julian recently. We are at the 80-mile point on the trail (Pacific Crest Trail) and trekkers are just beginning to appear in our town. A donation/trade box is usually set up in front of Jack's Grocery on Main Street.

Two things which have surprised me most about this year's initial trailees is the number of single females on the trail and how many hikers use food stamp cards to pay for their groceries.

The adventure starts in a stark spot in Campo with a marker indicating where to take the first step on the popular path from Mexico to Canada. Mexico is literally a stone's throw away from the concrete statue that initiates thousands of journeys.

Books and blogs are showing up on my Kindle about the variety of experiences that the hikers are having. One book called "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail," by Cheryl Strayed was written by one of the single hikers I mentioned.

From Julian, hikers often get a lift to Scissors Crossing. One local who goes by "Checkers" (Kevin Love) arranges transport for about $15. He can be reached at (760)215-0386. You can also book him to take you to the city.

The reason I mentioned peach pie is that a) it's one of my favorite things and b) it is available today only at Apple Alley Cafe. I personally confirmed with the owner that today, Wednesday, April 24th, would be Peach Pie Day. Debbie, the owner and chief baker, would not let me call it that but agreed to make the pies. She only makes them twice a year.

For now.

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SherryD May 8, 2013 @ 11:08 a.m.

They're not calling it "Rattlesnake Alley" for nothing! The PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) hikers have tagged the section from Julian to Warner Springs "Rattlesnake Alley." Just beware.

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SherryD May 11, 2013 @ 3:25 p.m.

FYI: If you're going out, make sure you grab your LION-KILLING SPEAR!! Good thing one Julianite did last week as she met face-to-face with the wounded female PUMA that has been rumoured to be on the mountain lately. This big cat has made snacks out of quite a few goats and possibly one German Shephard.

If you've been in Julian more than five minutes, you've seen a little lady buzzing around tending flowers at multiple businesses. The beautiful purple gladiolas are her doing up next to the Water Tower and across from Buffalo Bill's. Her name is Paula and she speaks with an accent from her homeland of Slovenia. She was confronted by the mountain lion and scared it away by shaking the spear and screaming. Wish we had a camera on her head so we could watch it in "Paula-cam."

She attends Calvary Chapel (which moved from the high school to Wynola a few weeks ago) and I usually see her there on Sundays. If she is in church tomorrow, I will get more of the story. Mostly, I want to know where she got her spear.

From 4220 Feet SherryD

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SherryD May 15, 2013 @ 3:44 a.m.

My plan is to write step-by-step log-in directions to this Holler site and hand them to Paula so she can tell the story of her encounter LAST WEEK in Julian with a female PUMA. The cat confronted Paula during her walk and faced off with her! The cat did not run off! She squared off! That little grey-haired woman is made of steel. My legs would have given out.

I was in Africa on safari a few years ago and just the sight of "Simba" made all of us duck into the vehicle. Once while a mother lion was nursing, we poked our heads up in the van and looked out of the open roof. Me, being a once-and-future clown, said "Here Kitty! Here Kitty Kitty!" She looked up and right into my eyes at a distance of about 15 feet. We locked eyes and she held it. Everyone literally dropped into the van but me. A Polish woman pulled me down by one of the loops of my painter's pants (and continued to use it as my "leash" the rest of the trip.) The hairs on my arms and neck were straight up for hours like I had touched one of those electric balls. I felt like an animal with my hackles up.

Hopefully Paula has time to share her story soon.

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SheriBaby June 1, 2013 @ 11:12 p.m.

I love living in Julian! I have b een living here for about 2 1/2 years. So beautiful! Check out my first snow man!

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/01/46658

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SherryD June 3, 2013 @ 9:17 a.m.

VEE LUMPKINS, Julian's town saint, will be celebrating her 88th birthday this month on the 24th. We are planning an open house of sorts in the kitchen of the town hall on Sunday, June 23th. It's the day of the full moon.

If you don't know her, she's the lady who has been feeding many of us and most of the town cats for decades. The stories are endless! If you have a good one, post it here or write it down and I'll make a basket for them all to be gathered in and put them together somehow.

Questions? Ask Kathi at Mountain Emporium on the corner of Main and C Street. For Now, SD

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Mercy Baron June 11, 2013 @ 3:49 p.m.

Have you guys checked out the cool pig farm in Julian yet? Mike and Krystina Cook own www.cookpigs.com and they do farm tours. Their pigs are free pasture, raised on the finest diet and they say happy pigs are tastier pigs! And I happen to know that Gurney Productions, the company that produces Duck Dynasty among many other reality shows, filmed a pilot about the Cooks and their farm. So if it gets picked up, their gonna be famous! Here is their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Cookpigsranch?fref=ts

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EdwardH July 12, 2013 @ 2:26 p.m.

Now my neighbor tells me that Julian Hardware (2111 Main) is closing Aug. 1. Owned by descendants of Julian's pioneer Farmer family, but a family illness makes it too hard to keep going. The hardware store owners will rent out that part of Main street.

This on top of the closing of Julian Feed (2902 Washington). A good spot for bales of hay and squirrel traps. Apparently the building is being sold. A June 17 posting on Facebook includes sardonic comment from owner on locals who shopped elsewhere.

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SherryD July 16, 2013 @ 8:51 a.m.

Angel's Landing was another recent loss. That venue will be missed as well. I hope someone takes it over as I heard the retreats and weddings there were wonderful.

So many have business ideas but no funds. It would be so beneficial if someone could connect business concepts to capital and get some new places off the ground. We need new shops but we also need to avoid vacant spaces.

Julian is a tough town for businesses. It's feast or famine as far as the tourist dollars go and if locals knew how much their ongoing support of the individual shops meant, maybe they would keep their dollars on the mountain. Not to mention how valued the added jobs are to our weak employment market.

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SherryD July 20, 2013 @ 5:43 a.m.

The new paper is The Julian Miner seems to be gaining steam. It is great to finally see coverage of the mountain done with integrity. I wish them all the best and have enjoyed the first four issues immensely.

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Andy Boyd Oct. 11, 2013 @ 10:48 a.m.

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SherryD Nov. 14, 2013 @ 8:50 a.m.

I love Julian, from the small town feel to coffee with Vee Lumpkins twice a week at the town hall where all the business of this small mountain community is really conducted. We don't leave anyone out. Dennis, a Vietnam war veteran, lost his home and slept on the benches in front of the town hall until a local discovered him and took him into her home and made sure he felt safe. He was so grateful that he gave up drinking-a bottle of Vodka and two six-packs a day. These kind of changes are huge. As I said, I love Julian.

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