Misters and ma’ams, wishing you a boffo and top-tiered western pre-dawn to all y’all, dear saddlepals. C’mon. Hop into something that looks remotely cowboyish (valuable bonus points will be deducted from your permanent frontier record if we find out you’ve pressed your jeans) and slide on down those million-dollar condo railings, for there’s a special pony waiting for you downstairs.
Heavens. Where did this year go? It’s the last weekend of 2024 and we’ve all sorts of gee-whiz adventures ahead. C’mon.
Let us mosey into the mystic ...
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN IGGY & TONY — Ignacio del Valle had not seen his father, Antonio, in years. The elder military man had invited his son up from Northern Mexico to join him. Purpose? To make a great fortune in California.
When Iggy arrived in Monterey on July 27, 1825, the two men learned something important: They couldn’t stand one another. In fact, both fought on separate sides during the Californio wars. Later, they’d reconcile.
Antonio, on his death bed, wanted to make sure he had an heir to his fortune (the entire Santa Clarita Valley with more acreage, crops, peons and livestock in Santa Barbara). He said his oldest child could have half the SCV if he would just marry and provide an heir. The dates are unclear whether Ignacio put the cart before the horse, but he did provide a legitimate grandchild and earned a fortune for, essentially, as they clear their throats in the Bible and delicately refer to it as going forth.