Since 1988, my husband and I have lived in San Diego County's picturesque back country near Mt. Woodson. The habitat is a mixture of chaparral, oak woodland, and nearby grasslands. Coast live oak is the predominant tree, although Engelmann oak can be found throughout the area. Many of the oak trees are up to 300 years old. The chaparral consists of scrub oak, California buckwheat, chamise, manzanita, ceanothus, laurel sumac, and white and black sage.

The plant life supports abundant wildlife. Coyote, fox, rabbit, skunk, bobcat, and even a young mountain lion have all visited our property. The wide range of habitat supports a large number of birds as well. Herons, egrets, and several species of ducks live in the ponds at the foot of the north side of Mt. Woodson. The oaks are home to red-shouldered hawks, woodpeckers, scrub jays, and western bluebirds, among many others. California quail and road-runners are a foot in the early mornings, while our night skies are filled with the sounds of resident barn, screech, and great horned owls.

We are located at an elevation of 1600' and have huge boulders that dot the surrounding hillsides. They were formed when the granitic rock that makes up our mountains was brought to the surface by the movements of the earth's crust. Over eons, exposure to the wind and rain has worn away the rock (which is now coastal beach sand) and left a present configuration of large rounded boulders. The old name for Mt. Woodson was Cobbleback Mountain, named for the giant boulders. In 1895 a confederate dentist, Dr. Marshall Clay Woodson, settled here resulting in the name change.The Ipai Kumeyaay Native Americans lived at the base of Mt. Woodson until the 1700's. They called it the Mountain of the Moonlight Rocks.