Three thousand miles from home in the desert area of Oregon, I am sitting with my friend, Carol, of too many years to count. Not true. All those years have counted. We’ve know one another since our children were tots. I am visiting.

We sit for hours sharing events of the past and present, simply comfortable in one another’s company having coffee or a glass of wine. Neither of us feels compelled to “top this.”  We don’t have to go someplace. Being entertained is not on my agenda. I’m happy sitting here or reading in the sunshine while Carol makes ink paintings or checks her email.

Last week my daughter, Susan, and I spent time in California visiting a friend in the San Jose and traveling to Yucaipa to visit relatives. Between times we went on a whale watch, saw the redwoods, and the coast from Santa Barbara to Monterey.

I’ve been nearly the entire length of California. From San Jose, Susan drove me to Redding to meet Carol. Altogether we went a few hundred miles before my daughter left me to fly back to the East Coast. This weekend I will also fly East, but meanwhile I’ll enjoy each hour here.

On our trip from Redding to Oregon, we found this great view of Mount Shasta.