Transitions

Transition. A movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another. That pretty much sums up our last few months. We've moved from the wettest city in North America (Ketchikan) to one of the driest (Palm Springs). Where we once avoided stepping into muskeg bogs, we now watch that we don't stamp on cacti. At one point I was practically sleeping in my XtraTufs and now I wouldn't know what I'd do without my flipflops. Our skin is adjusting from humid ocean air to dry desert air. And the dogs are wondering who the heck turned up the heater!

Another transition we're making is from learning to dodge seagulls and their unerring aim to learning to dodge errant golf balls and the drivers who are chasing them down. I'm still startled to have an 80 year old in an electric cart come whizzing by me in the bike lane.

But, all in all, life is settling into normal here in the desert. And who knew there was so much going on in this little oasis! We've attended film festivals, street fairs and farmers markets. Erik has hooked up with a cycling group and running group and has been in athlete heaven. We're signed up to do the Palm Springs Half Marathon and 5K (I'm sure you can guess who is doing which) and Erik has gone further and signed up for a century bike ride and triathlon (I plan to assume my role as athletic supporter for those two events). Heck, we even get the weekly rag so we can plan our next entertainment attack.

But for all the transitions we make as we move from one state to the next, there is one constant that neither of us can get enough of....incredible sunsets and the desert has those in spades.

Two weeks ago, I was yearning for the beach, the salt air, the crashing of waves on the sand, dolphins fishing just offshore and now, sitting outside in the evening as the desert cools off and the smell of mesquite and sage starts wafting by and the birds start their evening serenades...it's hard to imagine a better place to be than right here...right now.