It happens every spring.  The hills come alive – not just with the sound of music, but with fresh new foliage and colorful blossoms.  And this spring, in Southern California, blessed with such abundant rains that talk of drought has subsided for the time being, the Lord has turned the hills green and golden.  So Dave and Jan have enjoyed some recent hikes not far from home in some of their favorite places – like Chino Hills State Park, for example.

It hasn’t been only this year that the hills in Chino Park have come alive with fresh green and gold because in 2017 the park looked like this.

At another nearby location, Powder Canyon, park authorities have spent a great deal of time and effort and money (to be sure) replacing colorful mustard plants with plants which were native to the area before the mustard plants moved in – though there are still some higher and rougher elevations where the mustard plants are abundant and colorful.

Wooded areas at lower elevations are displaying lots of green grasses.

And hillsides where the mustard plants have been replaced with native grasses are showing both some beautiful greens and some nice stands of lupine.

With all the talk we have been hearing recently about a Green New Deal we are far more grateful for God’s Green New Deal which comes each year with the spring season.  And Dave and Jan are grateful, as well, that there are numerous “islands” of open space in the middle of congested Southern California to be enjoyed after only a short drive (or even a bike ride).