Tonight I am up in Ojai. The wind has been blowing very hard all day.

We had old friends come up and visit today. They are moving to Washington State and are on their way up the coast to their new home there. They are very good friends who we haven’t seen because of Covid so it was bittersweet to see them, have a wonderful time, and then wave as they drove away. However, they are moving right up on the Washington/Canada line and this is right on the Amtrak Coast Starlight route from Los Angeles to Seattle, a trip on my bucket list. So, somehow their moving makes the probability of us exploring the Pacific Northwest much more of a possibility.

The night is quiet except for the wind. It is also supposed to be cold tonight. Down to 44 degrees. We’ll need to bundle up, wear our sweatshirts, and snuggle with the dogs to stay warm. But the air is so clean and crisp, it makes it really lovely up here. We should get a real hint of winter tonight (at least for Southern California), which will be a pleasure.

Being here, away from television and living inside, heightens my senses. I hear the wind chimes clanging nearby and the branches of one of the orange trees brushing against the side of the Spartan. Ray and Liz are across the compound from me in our Airstream and I can hear the sound of their voices as they chat away. I can’t make out their words but hear the rhythm of their sentences and occasional laughter. Besides those sounds, it is so quiet here that the clicking of the computer keys as I type is the only other sound I hear. Very different than our busy street in Los Angeles.  

I am going now to join Ray and Liz. I spent the morning with our friends, the afternoon with students, and am now ready to spend the evening chatting with my daughter and husband. Of course, it’s already 8 pm so we’ll all be in bed in less than an hour!

Sleep well, my friends. I hope you had a good day as well. I’ll be checking back again tomorrow. Until then, stay well.