Trabucu Canyon… Who knew?

      I ended up going on a few dates last summer with this guy, we’ll just call him The Urban Cowboy, because he lives in Trabuco Canyon, which is like Southern California’s cowboy land. Trabuco Canyon is a place I had never been in my life even though it is literally like fifteen minutes from Irvine Spectrum, an awesome Orange County outdoor mall, and also very close to my local (like an hour away) Whole Foods.
      Yeah, you can see where my priority’s lie.      
      So, my adventure in Trabuco Canyon was pretty awesome, if my date was just blah. Trabuco Canyon is what I imagine Norco and the rest of horse happy California was like in the ’60’s. Its awesome! Its like taking a step back into time! 
     To get to Trabuco Canyon you take El Toro road from the five freeway pretty much forever until you enter the canyon and these crazy winding mountain roads that I love to drive fast! The roads are completely shaded, the oak leaves and tree branches stretch all the way across the road. It feels like you are in horse country Vermont, not Orange County, California.
     The best part about Trabuco Canyon is there are horses every where!
     The last time I had to stop in my car for actual horse crossing (like at a cross walk) was in Newmarket- horse racing capitol of England. I was so happy to stop my car to let the painted sway back horse pass!
     I know I’m easily entertained.
     The guy I was with knew every one on horse back that was walking or trotting down the highway next to us. That just made the expierence feel so small town. Hard to believe me were just ten miles from Disneyland.
      EVERY truck I saw had a cowboy hat in it. Makes me think, Dammit, why is Texas so hot and flat? These are my people!      
     We went to The Modern Cowboy’s place and he literally lives in this amazing architectural tree house built in the seventies. The house was amazing. One of the coolest houses I’ve ever seen. We checked out his huge garden with kiwi’s, plumeria’s, pomegranate’s and figs. Yeah, he gave me some fresh strawberries and blackberries from his garden to enjoy, how cool is that?
     I spent some time playing with his Doberman; sounds like a good time right? I just wish I liked him as much as I liked his dog and the whole Trabuco Canyon experience! I can’t believe I have lived in Cali fornia for ever and never been to this amazing oasis.      
       It’s so sad I’m not into this guy. We have a lot in common. Weird things in common, like his dog and my cat have the same name.     
      So he goes to drive me back to my car, and there is a gorgeous bay stallion grazing in this field right next to his truck, and I was like    
      “Um, there is a stallion roaming free by your truck?” And he said,
      “Oh that’s just my neighbor’s horse, my neighbor must be around some where, that horse always grazes there” Wow, I mean, no halter on this horse, nothing, just chilling in a field near a parking lot. Isn’t that crazy? Life in Trabuco Canyon!