Julie Andrews is (and long will be) remembered for her beautiful renditions of much of the music from the movie The Sound of Music. The movie begins with the message that “the hills are alive with the sound of music, a song they have sung for a thousand years.” The music of the hills, including the sound of breezes rustling in the trees and the songs of various birds and the sound of running water, has been enjoyable this year in southern California. As a result of recent rains, the hills are also alive this season with plenty of plant and animal life to be enjoyed by those who have ventured into the hills. Jan and Caroleen, for example, recently enjoyed venturing into nearby Chino Hills State Park.

The park is often pretty dry, but this year’s rains have created a beautiful carpet of green on the hillsides.

The view from some of Chino Hills State Park’s hilltops offers a nice panorama of the urban sprawl toward the coast not too many miles away.

A recent visit to Black Star Canyon led Dave and Caroleen up the creek bed in search of the “falls.” Jan’s sensitive back probably wouldn’t have taken too kindly to the boulder-strewn path, so she returned to the car, but the musical sound of running water always adds to the pleasure of any trip into the hills.

The only thing which prevented a view of an impressive water fall at the end of the trail was the minuscule amount of water coming over the rock ledge towering well above the canyon floor.

Dave has been enjoying bicycle trips into a growing list of Southern California open spaces suitable for trail bike exploration. His most recent ride led to the “discovery” of Weir Canyon Wilderness Park where some wildflowers dotted the grassy hillsides.

At the Weir Canyon Park he got a nice view of some of the animal life which occupies the hills when a coyote stepped out of the underbrush on the trail ahead.

The roads and paths of Weir Canyon Park and many others invite further exploration as we continue to enjoy the many life-forms in the hills and valleys of Southern California.

We celebrate the fact that “the hills are alive” with the author of the 104th Psalm, verses 10-13 (NASB):
10 He sends forth springs in the valleys; They flow between the mountains;
11 They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; They lift up their voices among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.