Spring in California

In California in the spring getaways almost anywhere take you through lush green hills and valleys sprinkled with colorful wild flowers. Leaves and buds burst with new life in vineyards and orchards. No wonder driving from Fair Oaks to Gualala on the north coast fills us with the joy of life and romance no matter how many times we go.

This week for the first time we saw a muskrat swim the river to where it meets the ocean and then turn around and go back. We watched an osprey catch a fish and carry it in its talons to its nest. Often when we come, hundreds of pelicans stop at our stretch of beach. This time flocks of pelicans flew low but they didn't stop except to take a short swim in the river. We were disappointed. They are fun to watch.

We talk about our lives and love well into the night not bothering to turn the lights on. Beautiful reds, golds, and blacks across the sky entertain us as the sun sets. After more than 50 years together, it doesn't get better than this.