Tired

Today was "Load the trailer - get ready to leave day." Even with helpers from the local day worker pool, getting everything unloaded from living quarters and packed into a trailer is tiring. Our helpers were wonderful - they were polite, eager to do whatever we wanted. The trailer is full to the gills, but the car still has some room.

We loaded stuff until around 5:00. Then headed over for a last meal at Malibu Seafood. An after dinner walk at Michael Landon Park sounded good - and it definitely helped work out some sore muscles.

Tomorrow morning will be spent - one last visit to the Malibu Curves, load the few remaining items, clean, and hit the road.

Evening Walks

When Debra took her first PE class at Pepperdine, she told me about a park across the street from Pepperdine, right above the ocean. Its name, Michael Landon Park, conjures memories of a man I watched on TV much of my life. An actor who stood for much of what is good in this world. Debra is moving back to Texas within the week - so we are doing our last things here. I had always wanted to see this area - so tonight after dinner we decided to take a sunset walk.

There is much that I like about the end of the day. For one thing, it gets cool. For another the clouds and the sky go through a sequence of lovely colors as the rays from the sun slowly recede into the west, and twilight invades from the east. We started our walk after the sun was behind a mountain, but before its last rays had left the mountains. From the PCH, Michael Landon Park looks pretty civilized - baseball fields, soccer fields, a community center. But after you park the car and head off onto one of the narrow footpaths - you have entered a wild area. The footpath is well beaten, but just wide enough for your legs and feet. In many places the plants brush against your legs as you go through the brush. Little birds scurry away in the underbrush. As we headed out to our right was Pepperdine University and the Santa Monica mountains. In front was this grassy moor area. And on our left the calm Pacific with a cloud bank in the distance and the varied colors of the evening sky. At one point on the walk I looked back - the view of Pepperdine was beautiful. The highway was hidden. The wild area contrasted with the green manicured lawn with its scattered trees in a beautiful mosaic. The evening lights of Pepperdine showcased the beauty of its buildings.

At one part of the walk, there was a path that was severely erroded by this last winter's storms. It leads down to a road filled with houses that sit directly on the beach. We could see and hear the breakers come in and crash in front of the houses. Debra said some people still take this, but I told her this was the kind of trail I would much rather go up than down. Very rocky and rough where a new gully had been carved where once there was a smooth path. So we went on and followed the cliff line, stopping to look over to the lingering glow in the west, to search the water for life, and to see the approaching darker blues in the east.

As we walked the trail, there were evidences of wildlife - the calls and trills of unseen birds, an occasional rabbit, and coyote scat. When the trail turned uphill again, I was pleased that my three months of working out at Curves have had an impact on my stamina. Although the hill was not steep, it was uphill and I managed to make it up at a reasonable speed with a minimum of stops. That in and of itself was a small victory.

When we got past the wild area and back into the soccer and baseball fields, there were rabbits everywhere you looked. The babies were so precious, innocent, and more trusting than the adults. But, even so, when you got too close, they scampered away. As the twilight deepened, you could see them in the manicured lawns, under the trees, and right along the brush line that forms the border into the "wild lands." Under the tree, one rabbit was definitely trying to appear like a rock - he was very still with his ears pinned back against his body - so rockshaped, you had to look twice to be sure it was a rabbit - but his eyes were obviously watching our every move. Another was more on alert, ears up listening intently, with a posture ready to run.

There are a couple of areas to sit and look over the water - one with telescopes and a whale tale shaped seating area, one with picnic tables. We stopped at each one briefly to soak in the beauty and tranquility of the scene.

I like the end of the day outside. There is a quiet calm before night comes. And this evening walk combined natural beauty, wildlife, and a renewed joy of a better fitness level.

I will sleep well tonight.

Fourth of July

While waiting for the fireworks to start here on the beach at Malibu, I could not help but remember other sets of fourth of July fireworks. When the kids were small, we took them to the fireworks on Town Lake in Austin. The music of the 1812 Overture always signalled that the fireworks were about to begin. Sitting on the shores of the lake seeing the fireworks refected in the lake was a wonderful way to celebrate. During the years when our kids were in school, vacations were summer events. We tended to travel over the fourth of July because it gave us an extra vacation day. We've seen fireworks from a campground in Montana, from a hotel parking lot in Dillon, Colorado, and from the highway in Phoenix. We've been in France twice on Bastille Day. The first visit we ended up at a hotel overlooking the Valley of the Volcanoes. From our restaurant's picture window, we could see dozens of villages celebrating with firework displays. The most impressive firework display I've ever seen was Bastille Day at the Eiffel Tower. People filled the Champ de Mars beginning with picnics on the grass. As it got time for the fireworks, it was standing room only - and you had to stand to see because everyone was standing. They told the history of France choreographed with music and a lighting display.

This year Debra and I went to a private beach in Malibu. Before the big show from the barge, I enjoyed watching the families shoot off their fireworks. The kids would get closer and closer to where the Roman candles and rockets were being lit. It brought back the memory of our first year at our Hutto house. We now lived in the country so we were going to do our own fireworks. Thomas begged to get to hold one of the Roman candles. It backfired into his face. Our celebration turned into a trip to the emergency room. We could see Round Rock's fireworks in the distance as we drove in. The emergency room treated the worst of it. The plastic surgeon finished the job. Now you would never know it happened.

But it was fun to watch the waves coming in, the families enjoying themselves. One group of kids had dug themselves a fortress complete with mote, big enough to sit in and covered with beach umbrellas - looked like a great temporary club house. The big fireworks were set off from a barge in the ocean. This year Malibu had three barges in separate locations. I'm not sure who sponsored them this year, but in year's past you would recognize the names from the Hollywood stars who live here. The clouds have been moving in early the last few days, and the taller displays were hidden behind the low lying clouds, coloring them red and green. But we could see a lot and they were beautiful. We could even see parts of the display from one of the other barges in the distance.

Fourth of July - picnics, parades, concerts, fireworks. A fitting way each year to be greatful for the freedom we have.