The burning Yule log is symbolic of the light that will return after the dark days of early winter, and gives us an excuse to gather with family and friends before a roaring fire.

The tradition is an old one, going back to the Druid custom of choosing a large log from an oak tree, lighting it afire, and praying that it would burn forever. In England, the log was selected months before Christmas. Because it was believed that all who brought it in from the woods would be protected against harm for the ensuing year, everyone lent a hand, making the event itself a festive time.

 Custom also decreed that a piece from the previous year's log be saved to light the new log. As the Yule log burned, everyone danced and cavorted in its heat and warmth, safe in the knowledge that the evil spirits would stay away for another year.

OLD PEG LEG

A plaque is dedicated to Thomas L. Smith, better known as Peg Leg Smith, 1801-1866, he was a mountain man, prospector, and spinner of tall tales. Legends regarding his lost gold mine have grown through the years, and countless people have searched the desert for its fabulous wealth even my own father-in-law would spin yarns about old Peg Leg to his family. Vacations and holidays were spent searching throughout Imperial County and surrounding areas for the infamous mine.   Who knows the mine could be within a few miles of the monument, right under it or it could even be around someone’s house in the Salton City area. Only Peg Leg knows.

The Plaque of Inscription is Located just inside San Diego County on Henderson Canyon Rd, 1,000 ft N of Pegleg Rd, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

GPS Coordinates for site: 33˚17.44N – 116˚17.49W

   Nearly ALL cultures believe that a Ladybug is lucky. 

   Killing one is said to bring sadness and misfortune. 

    In France, if a Ladybug landed on you, whatever ailment

    you had would fly away with the Ladybug.

    If a Ladybug is held in the hand while making a wish, 

    the direction that it flies away to shows where

    your luck will come from. 

    If the spots on the wings of a Ladybug are more than seven,

    it's a sign of coming famine.  If less than seven, it means 

    you will have a good harvest. 

    In Belgium, people believed that if a Ladybug crawled

    across a young girl's hand, she would be married within a

    year. 

    People in Switzerland told their young children 

    that they were brought to them, as babies, by Ladybugs.

    (...and we thought Storks did that)!

    In some Asian cultures, it is believed that the Ladybug

    understands human language, and has been blessed by

    God, Himself.

    In Brussels, the black spots on the back of a Ladybug

    indicate to the person holding it how many children he/she

    will have.

    According to a Norse legend, the Ladybug came to earth 

    riding on a bolt of lightning.

    The Victorians in Britain believed that if a Ladybug alighted

    on your hand, you would be receiving new gloves.....if it

    landed on your head, a new hat would be in your future,

    and so on. I think it was just an excuse to go shopping!

    In the 1800's, some doctors used Ladybugs to treat

    measles! They also believed that if you mashed ladybugs

    (ewww!) and put them into a cavity, the insects would stop

    a toothache!

    During the Pioneer days, if a family found a Ladybug in

    their log cabin during the winter, it was considered a

    "Good Omen".

    In the Spring, if numerous Ladybugs are seen flying around,

    British farmers say it forecasts many bountiful crops.

    Many old timer farmers believe that the arrival of Ladybugs

    will bring fair weather.

    Folklore suggests if you catch a Ladybug in your home,

    count the number of spots and that's how many dollars

    you'll soon find.

    In Norway, if a man and a woman spot a Ladybug at the

    same time, there will be a romance between them.

You maybe familiar with this well-known children's rhyme, "Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home....your house is on fire, and your children will burn.  Except little Nan, who sits in a pan, weaving gold laces as fast as she can!" but do you know how it originated?

It's a Medieval England bard's tale, about how farmers would set fire to old Hop vines to clear the fields for the next planting season. The poem was a warning to the Ladybugs, still crawling on the vines in search of food.  The Ladybugs' children (larvae) could get away from the flames, but the immobile pupae (Nan) remained fastened to the plants (laces) and couldn't escape.  morbid, huh?