The Long Hot Summer

Another long hot summer in Bakersfield. We are 3 months into what seems (to me!) the longest and hottest summer since we made our move to California back in the early spring of 2005. for the first time ever, my poor vegetable garden couldn't keep up with the suns relentless blaze. It died a slow death by the beginning of this month despite all my efforts to save it. For the past month of August alone, here in Bako, we've experienced, suffered through, 105 - 110 degree days, with little respite. Filling the pool the 4 or 5 inches of water it loses each day due to evaporation, has become a daily to-do. In fact, adding cold water to it is the only thing that has made it a refreshing experience, rather than a bath!

The last time I felt this oppressed by the heat was our very first summer after moving to Taft, from the moderate, 4 seasons, weather of the northwest. It would be 5 years before we'd purchase our current home with a pool in Bakersfield. That first summer in Taft was especially memorable, enduring temperatures far higher on a daily basis than we'd EVER experienced. The swamp cooler in our little bungalow rental could just barely keep up...well in effect it didn't...we just adapted the best we could. I had purchased a small, round, above ground pool that fit perfectly on my front patio (the landlord didn't want me setting it on the backyard lawn as it would kill it) and every day thats where you'd find me!

Happily the pool at our new home is slightly larger!

Gosh, as I look back its' hard to believe 7 years have passed in this chapter of our lives. Back in 2004 when faced with our sons 12 1/2 year sentence, it seemed a lifetime would pass before we would see him walk out of prison. Now that almost 8 1/2 yrs have passed since Coreys arrest leading to his encarceration in a southern California prison, these past years seem a blur, it's like they slid by in the blink of an eye. But when I think to myself "really?", I know thats simply not true. It feels great mind you, to be at this point in time on this journey, where the road behind is far, far longer than the one ahead, next fall of 2013 Corey will walk out of prison.

This will be our last Thanksgiving and our last Christmas spent in a Federal prison visitation room. We'll share one more New Years Day, one more birthday each (mine, Rods, and Coreys), one more Daylights Saving period, one more Mothers Day and one more Fathers Day and one more July 4th in a prison visitation room. My good friends, the Santos, experienced the joy of freedom two weeks ago, on Monday, August 13th, when Michael walked out of prison a free man after a 25 years sentence for a first time, nonviolent drug conviction. We've shared many experiences and stories over these past 8 years, since I first met Carole online as I frantically searched to educate myself, and my son, on what to expect of the prison "experience" upon learning he'd actually be sent to Prison. Seeing Michael and Caroles happy post-release pictures on his Facebook page (go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-G-Santos/101936186518234) and talking with Carole as she describes the experience of release, and Michaels new and exciting adventures in the world fills me with optomism. Our turn is next.

"The realist sees reality as concrete. The optimist sees reality as clay." ~ Robert Brault