3 stages of the sunset over Tulare. Reminded me of the old saying "Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning." (or vice versa?)

We spent all day sunday at our son's place. Left in tears... from having laughed so much and so hard! So much fun to be had from a simple deck of cards. Two decks even better! After "catching up" with good conversation for a few hours, we played Canasta (requires the two decks) out in the courtyard, blanketed by the warm sun. I have to admit I am a bit of a ditz at cards at times, and caused us all to crack up bigtime, many times! But laughter is so good for the soul, we were wonderfully cheered and optomistic about the world in general at the end of our day.

"At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities." - Jean Houston

"What the...??? Duh!!! This my friends is a cloud shaped like a number 7. As we were driving along the freeway to Visalia on Saturday I looked up from my open window and there it was, all alone in the sky. It's got to be a good omen right? Really don't know where it came from, how it was formed... jet trail...fluffy little cloud transformed by a playful wind? Click on the picture & you'll see it better.

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow."- Helen Keller

This was our first attempt... a little kidney shaped pond tucked in the corner off our bedroom deck. The plants were mostly re-plantings from other parts of the grounds that had "overgrown" or from friends who were de-cluttering their garden beds. Anyone who gardens knows the peace of mind, the simple joy that comes from the act, a form of active meditation.

"A garden always gives back more than it receives. " - Mara Beamish

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme"... up close and personal with my rosemary plant which is now covered in wonderful blue blossoms. I was trying to photograph a busy bee, he was somewhat shy, but he's in there somewhere (can YOU find him?) This particular plant, almost a "shrub" now, has seasoned many salmon filets and filled the cavities of as many roasted chickens these past many months. I also love to throw sprigs of it in my bathwater or just rub on my wrists, the scent is so delicious!

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."

Wow, catching the news (online, tv, papers) these days is just too frightening, think today requires a break from it all, let things settle, regain some peace of mind in an unpeaceful world. Dubya, WHAT the heck are you thinking????

Anyways, where was I? Back to my resolve...

"It never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya, it pours, man it pours!" This was such a day last month! We absolutely welcomed and loved it! Sat out on the porch with a cup'a and breathed deep! Nothing quite like the smell of rain, and the moisture seeping into dry pores! I think we got all of 3 days like this over the course of this winter (Dec - Jan). Spring has come now come to our area, the blossoming pistachio tree farms I passed on my way into the City (Bakersfield) yesterday were lovely, this area is SO like back "home", when those fruit trees come into bloom in April and May.

Stopped for dinner at 'Macaroni's' in Bakersfield last nite, a wonderful Italian restaurent. Dined on Vodka Rigatoni with Grilled Chicken (for me) and Chicken Portobello with spinach and tomato orzo (Rods choice). The dimly lit interior, rock walls, tiled floors and soft music, was a welcome respite from the crazy rush hour traffic outside on Rosedale Ave before we made our way back to quiet little Taft.

Just as the great oceans have but one taste, the taste of salt, so too there is but one taste fundamental to all true teachings of the Way, and this is the taste of freedom.
expressed by Buddha

The Oriental Gardens in Manito Park, Spokane, WA. on a summer day.

Your past is behind you.
Your future isn’t here yet.
Your Eternity is NOW.

After leaving the 'magic garden' there is this lovely open space of water (with the occasional pole holding an Osprey nest) as one heads to the open lake. Straight ahead of my kayak is Oroville State Park, boat launch at its tip. Canada lies north, a mere 4 miles of open water ahead.

Viewing our little community from the water was like being inside a bubble looking out, everything always looked clearer, cleaner, more lovely. Less 'real' and more desirable. I always felt this wonderful sense of 'freedom' and a greater appreciation for the area I lived in, seeing it from a completely different perspective.

This was one of those "perfect" days. Mid summer, off work for the day and leaving all my problems behind..."fix your problems by forgetting they are problems". So simple.

This little "pond" is actually a widening in the river as I'd leave GoosePoop Park and head north to the open lake. The water lilies have taken over and the peace and beauty one comes upon stops the breath. Lots of big, fat frogs, lazy catfish & curious bass poking their noses through the glass sheet just because "its there". A friend & co-worker from my old workplace lives in a little house on an apple orchard, right off the banks of this river, in fact just a short bit before this. Some summer days we'd pass she and her husband as they worked, clearing their river bank, wave, chat a bit, before drifting into this magic garden. How lovely to have instant, easy access, to this beautiful little spot in the world. Not to be taken for granted Patty. I wonder if she is still there?

Packing away the kayaks after a particulary hairy day on Whitestone lake. We'd gotten off work, made the maybe half hour drive up to this lake, launched our boats and headed out on a quiet peaceful lake. We'd spent maybe an hour exploring the lake, watching the ducks and birds, several jumping fish (was that time of day), cutting back and forth across the lake, when a sudden gale came up. Thinking it would blow on by, hoping really, as we weren't ready to come in quite yet, we did however moved just offshore. But as the waves grew more and more turbulent, and it was more and more difficult to cut our way through them I waved to Rod I was heading back in. He followed me, and I have to say I was getting a little uneasy. But after a good strenuous half hour paddle we got back to the docking area where our truck was parked. Once in we relaxed and watched the sun set. Then packed up our boats, and made a slow drive back home. A nice way to end the day, completely left our world of work behind, got our blood up a bit, then had a nice post "workout" cool-down :)

Such an amazing day on Beth Lake (at least I think it was Beth... its been a few years now, summer of 2003 tho it seems like yesterday!) The water reflecting a mirror image of everything surrounding it, we were the only humans on the lake that day. We'd gotten our kayaks that summer and spent most the summer exploring various lakes in our vicinity. Some days were full of quiet and pure peace like this day, other days we'd find ourselves being tossed about on angry waves a quick wind had russled up.

Something to ponder..."matter is a mirror and the smoke in-between is what keeps us from knowing what we are....the smoke is the dream, and the mirror is you, the dreamer."

Clean bill of health from my doctor - my Valley Fever is completely gone! He even seemed a little surprised, as this is apparently a tough bug to get rid of. I understand the virus is actually caused by a windblown desert spore, it get into ones lungs and attaches, then spreads causing respiratory and other symptoms. Mine were aches and pains, headache, and pneumonia. I had first contracted it in October and it has taken several months to combat, I was fortunate to have an incredible pulmonary specialist as my doc, it's not something to take lightly.

Desert "climes" such as this breed the dreaded spore I just talked about. The first photo is a picture of The Pinnacles over near Trona, in the Mojave Desert. Rod worked out there a few months putting in new power lines shortly after we came to this area. Temperatures out here last summer got into the 120+ degrees. Somehow you just get used to the heat. The Pinnacles are actually sodium formations, from a once large sea in this area, long long ago. The other photo was taken at RedRock Canyon, out that way as well, but maybe an hour before you get to the city of Ridgecrest. The formations and colors are gorgeous. I always made it a point to stop here for a little rest on my trips over from Taft to visit Rod and stay a day or two.

Thought for the day..."What you don't have you don't need it now. What you can't see you can feel somehow"...beautiful and true lyrics Bono!