I look across the canyon to my old house that my daughter and I lived in when she was in high school. The big Oak tree outside the front door lost all it's leaves before all the other ones. The people who live their must water it. Now the other Oaks are losing their leaves. The Elm trees burst with seed pods about 2 weeks ago. And about a month ago, the Junipers started pollenating and the winds swept big puffs of burnt umber clouds that flew past my front window. I thought there was a fire. (Boy, the allergy season indeed!) I was waking up the other morning and the view from my bed is of the Elm trees. I noticed that the very top leaves had come out for new life. They were much bigger than the other new leaves coming out on the branches closer to the trunk. It seems the Elm grows with those big leaves at the top to nourish itself as it reaches for the suns' light. It was 80 degrees here today. I did four loads of laundry and each time one load was done the other one could come down from the close line. I hear some people drumming out in the distance. The wind has been horrible. A cotton ball blew in my house, as I had the screen door open so my puppy could sun herself on the deck. When I picked it up, I noticed little blood splotches on it. I slowly realized it was probably from one of our local meth-heads shooting up the stuff into their bloodstream and these miserable winds wanted me to remember our little town has a big problem. I know I should get active with the community. I feel our planet is in such peril that everything knows it and is trying to propagate it's species before it is all destroyed. Or is trying to destroy itself by drugs and alcohol. I wonder, as my retaining wall to my parking lot is threatening to come down into my backyard, how are we going to survive what our future is "acting out" in front of us? The 30 Moon Canyon fire that just happened when my daughter and grand children were here and the lights went out and I said, "It's time to get the Easter Baskets out." I realized how vulnerable we are here in this very water-deprived desert.

On a more positive note, the birds are courting each other. The Curved-Billed Thrasher pair were outside my kitchen and the male was talking sweet nothings to the female as they were inspecting a place for their nest. The Hummingbirds were doing their dance up and back like they were in a big swing. The Bridled Titmouse were up in the Oak tree all in a flock with their chickadee-dee. It is truly spring here in Southern Arizona.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning and could not get back to sleep. I've been thinking back over this past year... a very busy and event filled year. It has been a wonderful and magical Winter Solstice. Good visits from family and friends and good memories. I have been profoundly affected by a dream I had prior to going to visit my daughter and her family over the Christmas holidays. I dreamt that the day after Christmas, I was crossing the street with my dog and a car hit me and killed me but spared my dog. I felt my spirit rise up out of my body and looking down, saw my daughter and her husband had run up to me and then seeing I was dead. I saw my cremation and my daughter and my two sisters going to my home to go through all my things. My dog went with my older sister. (This dream was very detailed.) And then my memorial service and all the good things people were saying about me...that is when I woke up. So, when I got to Tucson, I told my daughter and grandchildren about this dream and we all were very careful not to cross any streets and particularly the one in my dream. I have heard of people having dreams about airplane crashes and then canceling their flight and then finding out later that plane did crash. I have never had such a dream but feel it important to pay attention to such things. I am very thankful to still be here and looking forward to the future for more good deeds and experiences. Happy New Year to all!