North County

Winter Solstice on the winter solstice, late night burritos, strip malls and icicle Christmas lights, Christmas in Southern California, ornaments hanging in cactus gardens, singing songs in dog parks in Encinitas, the best brightest coffee, warm houses, no bedtime no wake-up time, two shows and a Friends meeting, Yellow Deli Irish jam masters, hammer dulcimers and cupfuls of papaya maté and free loaves of jalepeño bread, the kindest people around.