Whether you’re into wildflowers, fascinating geologic history or quaint mountain villages, the early spring is the perfect time to head for the Anza-Borrego desert area and the interesting attractions nearby.
   Wildflower season is expected to be better than usual this year because of the heavy Southern California rains. Anza-Borrego desert is known for a colorful wildflower display that usually gets under way in late February, and there are many nearby points of interest.
   How about an inland “sea” that was once promoted as a major water recreational area only to fall into near oblivion because of the water’s increased salinity and a major die-off of fish and birds? The Salton Sea is just one of the interesting sights in this area, and worth going an extra 30 miles east of Borrego Springs to see what remains.

 The annual Julian Daffodil Show has outgrown its previous home and moved to Julian Town Hall for what is expected to be the biggest show ever.
   Set for March 20 and 21, the show will display hundreds of blooms cut from Julian gardens, said Sally Snipes of Julian. The show celebrates the annual display of Julian’s first flower of spring. Thousands of these have been planted in the hillsides surrounding town in the last decade or so.
   This year’s show, which accepts entries from the Julian area and all of San Diego County, will be judged by Jay Pengra, former president of the Southern California Daffodil Society. The show will feature a display of daffodil-themed artwork by members of the Julian Arts Guild and students at the Julian Elementary School.

Music from 1950s rock to jazz, country to reggae, and mellow rock plus old-time band music will be offered on two stages under the trees in Dos Picos County Park in Ramona on Saturday, March 20, when the third annual Ramona Music Fest is held from 2 to 6 p.m. 
   There also will be a reverse drawing with a 50-inch flat-panel plasma HDTV as the prize (last ticket drawn wins), an opportunity drawing for a new drum set, kids’ play area, beer and wine gardens, barbecued goodies and an auction featuring a variety of goods and services from a ride in a 1948 Stearman biplane to a $350 car care package from Main Street Auto Care. 
   The joint fundraiser for community projects and scholarships is sponsored by the Ramona Rotary and Ramona Kiwanis clubs. Dos Picos Park is at 17953 Dos Picos Park Road.

   Since 1997, the “Coach Earl” Holsapple Benefit Basketball Games have raised $44,000 in scholarship money for 89 teens. The 14th annual games, named after a Ramona firefighter and Calfire captain who died while teaching training classes at age 45, are scheduled in the Ramona High School Gymnasium for Friday, March 26.
Starting with Boys and Girls Club games at 6 p.m. and working to the Ramona High Alumni “Even” (Year) Grads versus “Odd” Grads at 8 p.m., the benefit is interlaced with opportunity drawings and introductions of former players, scholarship winners and visiting celebrities.
   In other competition planned that night, CalFire firefighters will match their basketball playing skills against the Ramona Unified School District faculty at 7:40 p.m., San Diego  County coaches will pit themselves against the Ramona High Alumni Allstars at 7 p.m., and seventh-grade and eighth-grade boys and girls will play, respectively, 6:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

   “Be friends,” Jackie Feederle, married for more than half a century, said with certainty. “You need to be friends and always talk things over.”
   Jackie and Ron Feederle of Ramona have been married for 55 years, but, for both, it seems like only yesterday. They agree communication and friendship are key. “That and you don’t bring your work home with you,”  said Ron.
   When asked how they met, Jackie giggled. 
   “We met in the fourth grade at St. Rose of Lima Parish School in Maywood,” said Ron. “You have a group that you associate with throughout school. We were friends for many years.  When we graduated the eighth grade, I went to the boys school and she went to the girls school, but we still saw each other every day on the way to school, in church and so on. We kept in touch.”

   Every winter, football fans come together for the viewing party of the season. This year, as you prepare to host a hungry crowd for the big game, intercept unhealthy appetizers and lighten up your favorite game-watching dishes by infusing vegetables. Jodie Shield, mom and childhood nutrition expert, knows first-hand the challenge of making dishes that not only taste good, but are good for you.
   “People don’t traditionally think veggies when they think about game-day entertaining, but incorporating vegetables into your favorite recipes is an easy way to feel good about the food you are serving while still scoring points for home team health,” says Shield. “Veggies are full of nutrients and flavor, are a great way to add flavor, texture and color to your recipes, and can even be used as edible serving pieces.”

   Ramona High School and its NJROTC (Navy Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps) program played host on Saturday for the Area 11 Qualifier Meet, a big step for all local NJROTC programs hoping to stake their claim for the state championships slated for the end of February. 
   The meet took place on and around the football field at Ramona High beginning at 7:30 a.m., with various events, inspections and competitions throughout the day, and an awards ceremony wrapping things up in the afternoon.

 The spring season of the APA (American Poolplayers Association) is under way. In its first year in Ramona, the league, known as “Casino Royale,” has just over 60 players on eight teams.
   Team sponsors are three Ramona bars: Molly Malone’s at 1270 Main St., the Par Lounge at 24157 San Vicente Road and the Turkey Inn at 716 Main St. Games are played on Monday nights at 7.
   While new to Ramona, the APA has been around for a long time. It was founded in 1979 and has over 250,000 members nationwide. There are 475 teams in San Diego County alone. 
   Henry Preciado got the league started in Ramona and is excited about the turnout so far.

 Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH) will present “Dine with the Docs: Focus on Heart Health” on Thursday, Feb. 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.
   This unique learning opportunity is the first in a three-part series providing men and women with an open forum to discuss some of today’s most pressing health issues with board-certified physicians. Former 10 News anchor and PPH health champion Carol LeBeau will emcee the series.