Photo by Stephanie Roberts, http://ObsessiveHobbyist.com

I love the Urban Country movement, where planned communities are oases of greenbelts, man-made lakes, and planned “wilderness.” I live in such a community in Southern California, and this is my morning walk. If you didn’t know it was just miles from the metropolis of Los Angeles, you’d think this is a country lane. When I first moved here 13 years ago there was a white fence along the sides of the road and I used to pretend that I was on my ranch, driving up to the majestic ranch house (ala South Fork), or stopping by the bunkhouse (but that’s another story).