Saturday morning and here you are on the computer, reading this. Just remember, I was writing it Friday night.

The weather forecast shows it could be a great day to do some hiking because the morning should be cool, so you can get back home before the heat affects you. I’d like to suggest any of the many trails around our valley. Do you have a favorite trail?

Of course I’m just a little partial to Pico Canyon and Mentryville. It is just the way I roll – back to kicking around the old home place. Have to be extra careful to watch for rattlesnakes. Yep, it is that time of the year.

We also have some trails along our “river.” Hike, jog or bike where it is allowed, and it is always a good time as long as you take plenty of water.

In today’s modern communications world, you should always be sure to have your cell phone fully charged before you set out on that hike. How many times have we heard of folks getting lost a few hundred feet from a trail, and the phone battery dies before they can be found?

Is this the weekend you’re taking your dad to breakfast, lunch or dinner? We have lots of places to dine in our valley.

Which brings to mind that the Elephant Bar has closed. Guess it lacked the business it needed to stay open – but I know many restaurants in that chain also closed at the same time. Must have been a result of changing tastes and the economy.

There are a few places that seem to defy all odds and keep going. Just to name a few, the Saugus Café, Le Chene, Way Station and Halfway House Café have been around for years and years.

Then again, you might want to cook a meal for your dad. Lately I am most impressed with the meat and deli counters at Acton Market and the Original Acton Market. Looks like great cuts and even some specialty items all ready to put on the grill.

I’m sure there are places down in the lower SCV with the same style meat and deli counters. Would anybody care to share that information with us? I like staying away from the big stores for those special times like a barbecue for dad.

Whatever you decide, please remember it has been a year with very little rain, so be extra careful with your charcoal-fired grill. A tiny spark could ruin Father’s Day for the whole SCV.

I thought of that because today I saw some idiot actually throw a cigarette (still smoking) out of the car window. Yes, my friends, there are still lots of stupid people out there. I couldn’t read the plate, so I couldn’t call it in to the sheriff. I do that when I can see the plate on the car. I’ve been known to take pictures, too.

Aren’t cell phones great? Or are they cameras? Recording devices? Whatever.

Lots of possibilities for today. Not a day to sit around doing nothing. So much to do and see right here in our little corner of California.

Back in the day, a bunch of us would pile into a car and collect the five or so dollars it would take to fill the tank. A trip to the beach was always a great summertime adventure. Catch some waves and rays, too. Remember when we would slather on the coconut oil to get a better tan? Didn’t think about skin cancer back then. We all know better now.

I’m going to spend most of the day outside, too. Can’t wait.

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com and his commentaries, published on Tuesdays and Sundays, are archived at DManzer.com. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].