Bare Naked Trees

Candleman and I decided to go for a drive around the valley today. With the building boom going on right now we want to keep abreast of what's happening. The first thing I said when we left the house was how I hated to see all the bare-naked trees and bushes this time of year. He said they are really quite lovely and just different than other times of the year. I think there are some beautiful tree specimens that look striking without their leaves, but most are not that wonderful to look at, besides they look cold. And a little unnatural.

I remember when a friend of ours moved to Utah from San Diego. He and his family came in the winter. After several weeks he asked us why we didn't cut down our dead trees, bushes and vines. We had a good laugh. In all fairness to our friend - he was young and had never lived anywhere besides San Diego. Heck, we moved to San Diego in January and found flowers in blossom. Why would we move back to cold, frigid, barren Utah you might ask. It's really a good question and one I ask myself every year after fall has ended. I always have a ready answer: I love the seasons and I love to look up at the night sky and see stars. I will put up with winter just so I can have spring and fall. Summer's okay, but I love spring and fall and I missed them terribly when we lived in souther California.

One trip home from San Diego I had fallen asleep and my head was leaning against the window. When I woke up I kept my head rested against the window and looked around and up. There were millions upon millions of stars twinkling in the sky. I was so shocked. Didn't we have stars in California, I asked Candleman. He affirmed that they were there but we just couldn't see them because of the bright city lights and the high level fog. I really hadn't missed them until I saw them so brilliantly on that trip home and I became aware of the vast differences in the night sky.

That trip home was over 30 years ago before any of our children were born and it was just the two of us. Now all these years later our four girls are grown up and out on their own and it's again just the two of us. I mentioned to him the other day that retirement is kind of like a honeymoon except we are more in love now, more comfortable with each other, and we like each other a whole heck of a lot. I feel bad for those young kids who don't stick it out, over the hills and dales, so they can enjoy the type of relationship that comes from shared struggles and triumphs. I guess what I'm trying to say is "Life is good right now." I know it won't always be this blissful, but that will come and go, too. It's just good to stop occasionally be grateful.