SANTA BARBARA
WINTER ISSUE 2013
once a week from peak to peak
W W W. S A N TA B A R B A R A S E N T I N E L .CO M
WINTER WANDERLUST
by Matt Mazza
RECLAIMING THE SEASON
I
t’s the same damned thing every December. We invariably have this gorgeous autumn here in town, replete with brilliant sunrises that give way to pale grey-blue skies that pop beautifully against the mountains, crystal clear views of the Channel Islands and majestic coast in either direction, brisk(ish) mornings and evenings with warm sunny days, lots of terrific community gatherings, celebratory dinners with friends and family. Yep. Fall is arguably the single best time to be in and around Santa Barbara, hands down. I sincerely doubt that you’ll find much impassioned argument to the contrary. And yet, even with all of that said, for me, it’s the same damned thing. Every December. I get antsy, I guess, a bit nostalgic, if you will, for my own version of winter. You know, cold, real cold, snow blanketing the ground and frosting the pines. Icicles reaching down from a rain gutter outside a steamy window. A bit of hot cocoa topped with a marshmallow and quiet conversation by a crackling fire in some cabin up far in the mountains, Christmas music playing softy in the background. A fun-filled family game of Uno or Monopoly, maybe watching Frosty the Snowman or A Charlie Brown ...continued p.4