Morning in Paradise...

Morning in Paradise...  Miki, Race, and I took our walk an hour or so later than usual, well after sunrise.  I took the photo at right from the point at which we turned around.  In the center is a storm cell approaching us – and by the time we got back down, it started to spritz on us.

We met several people today along our walk: a crew from Clausen's dairy moving the irrigation lines on their alfalfa fields (2 hand lines and 4 wheelie lines), the gardener who keeps the corner garden I've posted photos of, and a couple of girls (8 and 10 years old) out for a walk in the beautiful fields and almost 2 miles from their home.  The girls told me they do this several times a week, and the main reason they do it is to see wildlife and birds.  On today's walk, they'd spotted a skunk, a rock chuck, two deer, and a flock of white-faced ibis.  They were excited about the ibis, as its the first time they'd ever seen them!

Can you imagine how the nanny-staters in California would react to two kids this young out on their own, so far from any adult?  It's oh-so-refreshing for me to see that this is completely normal here.  These two kids, and many more like them here, are going to grow up unafraid of the big wide world – unlike so many I've met over my city-bound career...

Limited blogging alert!

Limited blogging alert!  Today is Debbie's big day with the doctors – the follow-up after six weeks (!) of no weight bearing on her knee.  We're hoping she gets clearance to bear weight, so she can start hobbling around on her own (with a walker) and start physical therapy.

I had my first visit with our new GP yesterday.  I liked her, rather a lot, actually.  Great straightforward conversation, no punches pulled, no hesitation answering questions.  For example, I asked her how one could tell the difference between ordinary age-related memory problems and Alzheimer's memory problems.  She had a one word answer: “Autopsy.”  I like this lady :)  One thing I asked her about was some difficulty I've noted with my right shoulder in certain (not common) positions.  She diagnosed it (in about 20 seconds) as a rotator cuff muscle problem and sentenced me to prescribed physical therapy, which she's confident will fix it.  I start next Thursday.