Hi Micron, that does sound heavenly. I've been thinking about getting a guitar again. I put it down when I left the "uh-hummm," but have the feeling lately with all this turmoil in the world to start it up again. I'm not much of a singer, but I do like to tinker and there are some songs I'd like to learn. We went boating today with our neighbors and only just returned. It was nice. They just bought this huge party boat and are going to turn it into a barge thing. Put in walls, barbecue and stuff. I think they'll let us go with them a lot. They're nice people. In fact, everyone up here in the mountain areas are so much nicer than in the cities. Cities do something to people, don't you think? Yet it's not for everyone. A lot of people think I'm nuts for being up here away from everything. They say, aren't you bored? I say, umm, no. Not after raising 9 kids and constantly having noise, housecleaning and problems to no end. It's really refreshing and calming. It's a dream come true, but I do miss my children and they miss me. So that's kind of sad.

> I wanted to post something about what it's
> like for me when I get to go home after a
> day's work.
> I own some really great desert property that
> is about 40 miles away from my work. So
> counting carpooling with my wife I drive
> about 90 to 100 miles a day. It's not too
> bad. I have good tires and the mainly
> freeway stretch keeps my engine pretty
> clean.
> Well, I gotta tell you that my place is
> heavenly. It's not a parched barren desert,
> but one of the most lush forests of Sonoran
> desert that you could imagine. We have at
> least 100 sajuaros on the property, many are
> over 30 feet tall. Our nearest neighbor is a
> quarter mile away and it is so silent you
> can hear your ears ringing with the day's
> noise from the city.
> When I get home I first let the dogs out of
> their pen and they run around in the sand
> like the little nuts that they are. My
> favorite thing after work is to start a fire
> in our chiminea (a little Mexican outdoor
> fireplace) in the evening and sit in the
> yard with my wife, play guitar and watch the
> stars come out. The sunsets are
> unbelievable! The nearby mountains
> reflecting the oranges and pinks and blues
> of the coming evening is a perfect backdrop
> to the milkey way and the meteorites we see
> every night (No city lights here.)
> It is just so nice and relaxing that it
> makes the drive seem like nothing at all. I
> just thought I would share that with you
> all.