Now that the rainy, cold days of winter have been replaced by the mild temperatures of spring, I am reminded why living in California is so desirable. Vibrant green grass and patches of poppies cloak the hillsides. Our wide open beaches are remain too cold for water sport seeking tourists and belong to the locals. In the distance stand our snow capped mountains that reflect the peachy-pink sunsets and velvet blue night skies. It really is beautiful countryside.
My husband, kids and I have begun spending much of our weekends outside since all this splendor is just outside our door.. We have delighted in spontaneous picnics in meadows beside Ortega Highway and quick trips to the San Bernardino mountains to partake in snowball fights. We have spent evenings at the beach roasting marshmallows after fatiguing days spent peddling our beach cruisers back and forth on the boardwalk between the Huntington, Newport and Balboa Piers, Yes, life is good.
For each of these little journeys we pack an collection of stuff; Frisbees, a playing cards, blankets, beach towels, sun tan lotion, lip balm, munchies, drinks, cold water and so on.
Of all these little provisions, my most beloved is the Ice Mule. While shopping at a hunting/fishing shop, my husband picked up our Mule ( which is funny because he would never hurt a fly). He thought it might come in handy someday. He was right.
We rarely leave home without it, our snacks and drinks stay cold for hours and hours.. Recently I realized that the Ice Mule had been left in our SUV overnight. Then I remembered that we had packed deviled eggs for our trip the day before. I expected to be consumed with nasty fumes as I removed the eggs from their Tupperware tomb. astonishingly when I opened the bag to discover that everything inside was still very cold! Twenty four hours later the Ice Mule was still working hard.
The Ice Mule now accompanies me on trips to the grocery store. My Mule gets filled with all of the perishable items and I can proceed with my errands before returning home. Quite simply, I love this thing!
It won’t be long now till the beaches become teeming, noisy meccas for the tourist traffic and the lush green countryside will turn a drab shade of brown. . Traffic on PCH will be reduced to a slow crawl due to tourists looking for the closest parking spot to the beach (hint, these don’t exist in the summer).
When we do feel brave enough fight the crowds, you can bet that our Mule will be with us to keep our drinks, snacks, sunscreen and temperaments cool. On the ultra hot 90 degree days, which we always see toward the end of summer, it will be time to sit by the pool with our soda pop, ice tea and lemonade. To minimize effort during the lazy days of summer, I intend to use my Ice Mule poolside, even though the kitchen will only be a few steps away. In fact, once I settle into that lounge chair I might just stay there all summer long..
Written by Windy Reigns Mom, Author and Creative Consultant World’s Best Cooler Bag Get Your College Degree from Home
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