Five Years!!!!

 I just realized that five years ago today we moved into a brand new never-lived-in house. It was 108 degrees that day and it's 100 today, even though it looks like winter; there is a cloud covering today with the threat of rain, or maybe, it's the promise of rain? The backyard, brick walled in, was planted in March of the following year, until then there was only desert soil. The palm tree is the neighbors; palms aren't allowed in my yard. The tree in the corner was shorter than the wall and is in need of drastic pruning. Every spring the winds knock it over and in May it nearly hit the pergola; the roots aren't strong enough yet for its height. The brick retaining wall, curved, gave the yard some character; it was just too flat, and areas for planting cactus. The cactus next to the pergola post has grown 7 feet in 2 years and the cactus at the base of the tall one wasn't even visible last December. Off to the right, just out of the photo, is a fountain. The pergola shades my bedroom window.

Ode to October. This is a difficult month for me; two years on the 17th my guy suffered two strokes and my life drastically changed. So, I've decided to celebrate the month of October rather than go down the road of grief again. Here's to loving October and the wonders of the month, and may this month shine bright and no longer be difficult.