Pine Mountain Club: A Visual Love Story

I admit it. Mountain life isn't always easy. In fact, in can kick my butt pretty good at times. I've lived in the desert, at the beach and in the city, and mountain life is just about as rugged and rewarding as any place can be. Here is a visual love story about living in Pine Mountain Club, Ca.

The Challenges

Can you say "pine needles"? We are not talking just a few scattered here and there, we are talking measuring them by the ton. Yes, pine needles, as innocent as they may seem, require a lot of maintenance each year to ensure they aren't a fire danger, and that is definitely a challenge.

Bears. Yep, bears. For the most part, these gentle giants don't bother us much, unless we humans start the trouble. But occasionally, they do end up on your deck, breaking into your house so they can raid your kitchen.

Snow. Now I see this as both a positive and negative. It is, in one word, beautiful. It can also be heavy, slippery and dangerous. The chilly winters and snowstorms can also result in the dreaded frozen pipe debacle. If you haven't experienced blow drying your pipes all day in bone chilling winds and freezing temps under your house, well, you are either very capable and made sure your pipes were well insulated in the first place, or you just don't live on top of a mountain.

Frozen Feet. Yes, those are wool socks on top of that wood stove and very beat up work boots sitting down front.

And on that note, if you aren't familiar with how absolutely persnickety snow blowers are, then you probably aren't a mountain dweller.

The Rewards

Oh but the rainbows!

And the sunsets!

And living within the clouds!

And the people!

And the animals!

And the trees!

And the clouds!

And so it is...mountain life. A little rough at times. Rugged and challenging for sure. But with fiery sunsets, double rainbows, deer and bear, bunnies and fluffy-tailed squirrels, forest giants dressed up in their dress whites, vivid lilacs, baby quails, little chipmunks, personable blue jays and neighbors that actually love and care about you.

I'd say a pretty good deal all around.

Elisa Christensen is an American author, poet and public speaker who writes and speaks on addiction and parenting. Elisa shares her knowledge through speaking engagements on how to transform from victim to warrior, overcome our addictions, and raise addiction-resistant kids.

She lives with her two sons in Pine Mountain Club, CA.