• Three Events, One Day

Saturday morning saw Natalie's Rascals celebrate their first year in business. 

They had free doggie treats, a prize wheel (we won a mud bath for our dog - I'm guessing they'll be washing the mud off before returning him to us). They also were holding a raffle with many terrific prizes (winners to be drawn at the end of the day).

Natalie (middle holding poodle type dog), along with some happy customers.

There were also $10 microchips being offered to pet owners.

Nicely decorated treats on display. Inset shows the microchip promotion.

A couple of hours later, Discount Tire Centers had their grand opening.

A look at the front of Discount Tire Centers.

It was a fun time, and weather was great too. 

There was a Grilled Cheese Truck that had many tasty options, all courtesy of Discount Tires, plus several vendor booths.

Abby Benoit gets her arm painted.

KOLA radio was doing a remote broadcast, and they had a couple of games/contests during the time I was there.

Winners of the kissing contest were the Gary & Carrie Brown and Jaimie & Ben Benoit.

☺
At 1:00pm there was a ribbon cutting for welcoming Discount Tires to Wildomar.

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In the evening, Marna O'Brien Park was the site for Astronomy Night 2017.

Kids lining up for tickets to win a telescope.

About 80 tickets were given out to kids hoping to win one of twelve telescopes; thanks to the sponsorship of PVM and Interwest.

An estimate of 120 to 150 people attended.

Boy Scout troop 332 was selling popcorn.

Crew 332 was selling My Buddies Pizza, and they were able to put all the proceeds towards their projects. Thanks to My Buddies Pizza, and their generosity, for giving a big discount on the pizza and George Cambero for picking up the rest of the tab.

Also in attendance were the Temecula Valley Astronomers, the regional agency called WRCOG, SoCal Edison, Wildomar's Mayor Bridgette Moore, Mayor Pro-Tem Tim Walker, Councilmember Ben Benoit and District 2 city council candidate Dustin Nigg. 

During the presentation.

Since My Buddies Pizza showed some community spirit tonight, I'd like to let people know that they have a 25th anniversary party coming up soon. Check the flyer for details.

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‘It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’
— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle/Sherlock Holmes, 

Wildomar Rap [remember to insert humorous anecdote here].

• New Turn Arrows For Hidden Springs/Clinton Keith Intersection

Christmas comes early for Windsong Valley.

Anyone that has had to deal with the light at Hidden Springs and Clinton Keith know how frustrating it can be turn left headed for the freeway. Or should I say... used to be. 

There are now dedicated signals for turning left. Both heading south and heading north at this intersection.

This improvement had been on the drawing board for awhile, but now the new turn arrow is in, and the guessing game of will a car heading north broadside me as I turn left or not is in the past. It wasn't much safer to cross from the south side of Clinton Keith on Hidden Springs Rd either.

The topography of the intersection made for poor visibility on the brightest days... due to the fact that Hidden Springs Rd slopes down from Clinton Keith Rd on both sides.

Thanks goes to Public Works Director/City Engineer Dan York for seeing this to completion.

Check out those arrows. I'm guessing it's going to make the morning commute a bit safer now.

But that's not the only present from Santa Windsong got this year.

There is now a new shortcut from Windsong to Renaissance Plaza, where Barons, Natalie's Rascals and Stadium Pizza are. Watch the brief video for step by step directions.

I tried it out a few times a couple of months ago, but it was still predominately a construction zone then. Now the barricades are down, and though I doubt there'll be any ribbon cuttings for this, the short cut is up and running. Thanks Lennar Homes... just what we wanted. ☺

For those that prefer to read, or hate Super Mario music, here is the rundown. From Catt Rd, turn south on Arnett Rd, left on Crystal Way, right on Stable Lanes Way, right onto Clinton Keith Rd.

To get back to Windsong, just reverse the order... pretty basic really.

You've just saved yourself three minutes, and the hassle of the light at Hidden Springs Rd and Clinton Keith Rd (even if it is now improved or not).

Some people may think it's not very nice —using a new neighborhood as a shortcut. Too bad, welcome to what many people in Windsong have been dealing with on a daily basis for the last 20 years. (Try living on Cervera or near the park... not to mention Frederick, Charles or Catt).

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Fortune is like glass, the brighter the glitter, the more easily broken. ― Publilius Syrus

Wildomar Rap tip of the day: If you have a temperamental uncle, that hates Christmas, just smile and keep your good cheer. He may just get a visit from three ghosts during the night and be a new man in the morning.

• When Is Yellow Basket Opening?

You may remember back in early August that I told you that Yellow Basket was on it's way to town. It's at the front of the parking lot where Barons Market and Stadium Pizza are.

In the same blog I mentioned Natalie's Rascals (Pet Spa), and China One restaurant too. Today my shih tzu Vinny has a date with Natalie.

Well, both of those establishments have been up and running for quite awhile now, but Yellow Basket is still more than a month away.

As the Yellow Basket site looked in early August 2015

In fact, in the time between the August blog (link) and now, El Pollo Loco has managed to open its doors in the same center. Granted, they didn't need to construct a building from the ground up, but still... they're there. Also a new yogurt place has taken over the old White Lime Frozen Yogurt spot, called Yogurt Valley, is opened for business.

Looking good from the outside, but the inside appears to have no upgrades in it yet.

I asked the super at the Yellow Basket construction office if they had an opening date in sight yet. He looked a bit beleaguered (perhaps it was the time of day) and said, "February" with a bit of hesitation.

When I asked back in August the guesstimate was mid October.

The outside is nearing completion. It'll be good once the entire parking lot is available again.

I didn't want to take too much of his time on a Friday afternoon, so I wished him good luck, and hoped they could finish ahead of the promised El Niño rains. He agreed, especially because they have a large open trench at the moment.

This trench was easily approaching five feet deep.

I'm not a big fast food guy, but I look forward to trying this place out when they open. I've checked out their online menu and they a staggering variety to choose from. (Link to their menu)

If you've ever eaten at a Yellow Basket, let me know what you thought of it.

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With work and two kids, nothing interesting's gonna happen to us for a long, long time. 

—Pam Beesly (The Office)

Wildomar Rap tip of the day: There are several ways to keep up with this blog. You can check the site from time to time, subscribe by email, follow it from a Google Plus account, but the easiest is to go to the Facebook page.

• Better Know a Wildomar Business: Natalie's Rascals

Do you already know about Natalie's Rascals? 

If not, it's a doggie pet spa and more... they service cats too, located right next to Barons Market on Clinton Keith Road and owned by Natalie Cornwell.

A look at the front of Natalie's Rascals.

The first thing you notice when you enter is how clean and tidy it is. Actually, if you see the other rooms, you'll find that is a theme throughout Natalie's Rascals. Below you can see the front area which includes the check in area, and the fenced doggie day care area.

I wanted to do a blog about Natalie's as soon as I heard of them, but my Shih Tzu Vinny needed to let his fur grow out a bit to put the groomers to the test first. ☺

When you first arrive they have you fill out a grooming contract. It is rather comprehensive, but you only have to fill it out on your first visit.

Next, your canine companion goes into the clipping area for an assessment. I was asked how I wanted the cut to look, how short, etc. From there my Vinny went to the elevated tub area for a thorough wash. Our groomer was Paloma, and she took great care of Vinny, and took time to clean all the nooks and crannies too.

A couple of views of Vinny while at Natalie's Rascals and his groomer Paloma.

During his bath, he basically received a facial with a lot of care given given to his ears. He was in doggie heaven... wait, that doesn't sound right... let's say he was in doggie nirvana instead. ☺

The tub area has three tubs in it.

From there he went to the drying room. They have a few options for that. Towels, blowers, and cage dryers. Though they only use those "as a last resort and are fully monitored." 

A look at the drying room.

After the dog is dry, they go to the groomer's table to get all spiffied up. Once Vinny got to this stage, I decided to duck out so as not to be a distraction. He was ready in about an hour, though the timing varies depending on many factors.

Look at that transformation! This picture is from Natalie's Rascals.
They do this for many of their clients. There are many on their website.

Some random facts in no particular order

• Right now they are only open five days a week, 9 to 5, closed Sundays and Mondays, but their goal is to be a seven day a week operation. 

• They are serious about providing a safe and healthy environment, so they have a pretty strict policy about your pets being vaccinated. 

• There are four employees, all are Pet CPR & First Aid Certified, three have vet's assistant experience.

• Natalie has a comprehensive website, with complete bios of the groomers, the services and prices, and her blog.

• They do not use heated dryers, so your dog won't end up getting skin irritation due to heat.

• The self serve dog wash gets you access to tub, soaps, towels and dryers for $15.

I asked Natalie about her experience in Wildomar so far.

We're excited to be here. Wildomar has been awesome. I'm so happy that we got this location —I can't say that enough. The Chamber has been awesome, the city has been awesome, the ribbon cutting was beautiful. Everyone in the community has been really nice. Our customers are so supportive.

On the day of their grand opening.

The center is really nice and then the people... when we were looking into this location, city officials reached out to me... before I had the chance to reach out to them. They were all really helpful with questions I had. Bridgette Moore was really helpful as were the girls at the chamber of commerce. Everyone was really nice... it was so refreshing.

After my conversation with Natalie I could really tell how much dedication she has to making Natalie's Rascals a success. To ensure that she places the utmost importance on your pet's safety. If they are feeling stressed out during their time there, she'll give them some down time to become calm. 

I'm really thankful for my dad and my husband's help. They have been really awesome. My dad comes in and he'll help me clean. My husband helps me with all the technical stuff.

—Natalie Cornwell

Link to Natalie's Rascals website.

Natalie is really proud of her website, and especially the blogs she writes about the various aspects of grooming. Here are some topics she's covered, with links: 

• Our Shedless Treatment
• If your dog normally "needs to be sedated" for grooming
• What's the difference?  Baths, Tidy-Ups & Grooming
• Supported by local Animal Hospitals
• Our drying techniques, and many others 

Next time your furry friend needs a full groom, or even just a quick tidy up, give Natalie a call and ask her about the services she offers. If you happen to be shopping at Barons, or having some pizza at Stadium, take the short walk over and peek in. She may not be at the front desk, but she'll be able to see you on the CCTV and get to you right away.

951-609-0123

​Fax: 951-678-6886

.

32294 Clinton Keith Road Suite 105 

Wildomar, CA 92595

.

Tues-Sat 9AM-5PM

Closed: Sunday's & Monday's

Holiday hours subject to change 

Link to FaceBook page

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Anyone who doesn't know what soap tastes like has never washed a dog. ― Franklin P. Jones

If Wildomar Rap were a breed of dog, it would be two parts Brian Griffin, two parts Droopy, half a part Snoopy, and a soupçon of Underdog.

• Two Ribbon Cuttings in Two Hours

Wildomar officially welcomes two new businesses with ribbon cutting ceremonies. First was over at the new pet grooming place called Natalie's Rascals (which is right next to Barons Market). 

Natalie cuts the ribbon signifying she's open for business.

I'm hoping to do a more in depth "Better Know a Local Business" blog with Natalie's Rascals in the near future... I'm just waiting until our dog is shaggy enough to need some expert grooming. ☺

It's a great shop that has all the modern devices to make your Fido's experience a pleasant one.

Click to visit Natalie's FaceBook page.

The second ribbon cutting was at Pie Nation. They opened their doors a couple of months ago and today they had an open house. They blocked off part of the parking lot, put up some tables and chairs and also had some live music to celebrate the day. Check out the pictures below. 

The only picture I got of the ribbon cutting before my camera went AWOL.

It was a madhouse inside the restaurant.

It was not quite a madhouse outside, but it was still a busy place with live music, free samples of pizza, bottles of water
(or Barq's Root Beer), and activities for the kids. Including crafts, bubbles and face painting.

We had intended to BUY some lunch there, but Pie Nation's big grand opening generosity made that impossible. 

Sample sizes that would make Costco blush of some of their specialties like Pesto Chicken Pizza, Margarita Pizza (not like the drink in anyway ☺), Chicken Alfredo Pizza, Barbecue Chicken Pizza, Nation Sticks (a combination of ranch dressing, parmesan cheese, mozzarella and garlic seasoning) on a pizza crust cut into strips.

We'll have to stop in again soon so we can actually support this fine local business.

A young man is eagerly awaiting his turn at a design for his face.

Dulaney and Co singing at Pie Nation's Pizza-Fest.

Westerly panoramic.

Easterly panoramic.

Click to visit their FaceBook page.

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There's no better feeling in the world than a warm 

pizza box on your lap.  —  Kevin James

You better cut the pizza into four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six.  —  Yogi Berra

Wildomar Rap still would like to find a way to have pizza taste challenge with the four major pizza places in town... ideas anyone?

New Businesses Coming to Wildomar

Two eateries and a Pet Spa coming soon.
Yellow Basket has had a sign up for quite sometime on the empty pad in front of Barons, but they have finally broken ground and the foundation is about to be poured. I asked one of the workers if they had an end date in mind and the estimate was about 2 and a half months, or sometime in October they should be opening.

A look at the early progress before the foundation is even poured.

I've seen the Yellow Basket in Temecula for years, but have never eaten there. I went over to their website and took a look at the menu.

They have a pretty extensive breakfast menu; a basic "Mexican food" menu; a complete hamburger-hot dog menu; a dinner menu that includes NY Steak, Fish, Pork Chops, Fried Chicken and more; and a dessert line-up too. They didn't post prices so I have no idea if they are reasonably priced or not.

Front windows of the new Pet Spa that is coming.

Also opening soon is Natalie's Rascals. There is an official Grand Opening ribbon cutting coming Saturday, August 22nd. It is next door to Baron's to the east (the left side if you're looking at Barons).

I also noticed that there will be a new eating house in the same plaza. It's called China One and it's going into the old Poblano's slot next to Stadium Pizza. I didn't see any proposed dates of opening posted.

I wonder what will be on the menu here.

The scuttlebutt is that a Steak 'n Shake was angling to go into the vacant KFC building but lease details couldn't be agreed upon.

Now that Sycamore Academy has moved out of Renaissance Plaza (they're moving into their new campus on Palomar this school year) that is opening up a ton of opportunities for even more new business to open here. The old gates are down and they are getting the former school rooms prepped for new occupants. Can't wait to see what comes next.

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Update

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It was just brought to my attention that the new Subway on Bundy Canyon just opened today. I had been wondering when it was going to open up. 

Thanks to Mayor Ben Benoit for sending me some pics that I could use.

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When acute, the sufferer often denies his ailment. 

—  EG Marshall, CBS Radio Mystery Theater

Wildomar Rap cautions you against counting your eggs before they hatch... especially if they've been in the fridge for long.