Piece Of Cake

As happens so often, once I force myself out the door I have a wonderful time and wonder why I was so reluctant to go.  It was a beautiful day, a smooth trip, and a terrific visit with my dear friend.  I hadn't seen either of her kids or grandkids for years.  Dolly and Jodi put out a spread of appetizers and then a spaghetti feed, and topped off the day with a basket of chocolate and a bottle of port to take home.  We sat on a lovely screened patio.  Tzar, a 19-year-old cat, tottered around, totally ignoring Chance, an elderly whippet-mix, and Daisy, a bouncy blond Lab.  It seemed very strange after my years up here to see fenced yards again, and I was very conscious of the sound of cars, airplanes, and helicopters.  I'm sure a weekday trip would be different, but I drove the freeway down and the "back way" home and encountered very little traffic either way.  It was a piece of cake.  Fields and hills are green at this time of year.  Closer to home, lilacs are in bloom everywhere.  I really was surprised to see that very little had changed on Highway 16 (haven't driven that way in years).  Somehow I'd expected more construction sites, but with few exceptions the pastures and fields were just the same.

Time passes in the blink of an eye and too much time had slipped by between visits with Dolly.  I was glad to get home, but more than glad that I went.