Then and Now...

This time a year ago I was venturing out side of my house looking at beautiful flowers, moist ground, green grass, miles and miles of water, sail boats coming into the harbor, mountains that shot right up from the water's edge.

I was hurrying to get ready to go to the ranch. Making my list of things to buy during the summer to ship back. Dreaming of riding my horse and 4 wheeler.

What a difference a year makes.

(This is a winter picture but I just love it so I decided to throw it in!!)

The flowers have taken on a much different look, it only rains once in a while, it is 96 degrees on a good day. The mountains are a cloud of red dirt stirred up by the wind, rain only comes once in a while, the grass is only green if you water the heck out of it. The horses paw into the dirt and then lay down to keep cool. BUT I am loving it. I love the desert. I love how mysterious it is, I love how brutally hot it can be during the day and then as soon as the sun disappears below the horizon (of which as it is going down lights up the entire sky in brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows) the evening breeze brings in a quiet coolness. I love the brown landscape and then suddenly there is a burst of color. I love when a lighting storm moves through and the flashes of lighting light up the entire sky relieving the darkness of it's gloom.

BUT... what I love the most is there is not shopping list because I can hop in my truck and be there in two minutes. (of course it takes you 10 minutes to find a parking spot, park and walk in) but never the less there are not major lists, no massive shopping days.
In fact we are spending the summer together as a family right here. (First time my husband will be able to be a part of my daughter's birthday in 9 years. He is so excited). This summer the ranch will be come our holiday home for just a couple of weeks, instead we are having a birthday party together, watching movies, going swimming, the daughter is going to work on getting her driver's license, the husband will come home to a house full of family instead of it always being empty and always feeling alone, the daughter is going to learn to sew and cook the majority of the meals, the son will have his family around him to hear of his wild horse breaking tales.
BUT most of all I AM JUST GOING TO BREATHE and enjoy the quietness and then JUST BREATHE again. Change is good sometimes!!