I am sitting in the shade of an orange tree up here in our grove in Ojai. Right now it is in the high 80’s, but by late afternoon the temperature is due to hit 107. Ray and I will be heading back into LA by 1 pm in order to miss that heat. Even now, though a cool ocean breeze makes sitting the the shade pleasant, I can feel the undercurrent of heat as the sun blazes down.
Being here is peaceful. A bird chirps in a nearby tree; a rooster crows off in the distant. Someone is sawing far off – I can barely make out the buzz – and an occasional dog barks. Besides that, it is quiet, though sometimes you can hear a truck heading up the far highway, which leads to the national wilderness. The pickers came last weekend and picked our oranges. We marked several trees with caution tape so they would pass them by. That way we can have fresh oranges for the next couple of months. Below is a photo of the tree I am sitting under.
We also are growing agaves. Here is a photo of them:
My shade is getting smaller as the sun moves high in the sky. I will need to move my chair back in just a few minutes. The heat is beginning to surround me. I wouldn’t be surprised if we are now creeping up into the mid to upper 90’s. Once the sun begins to bear down, it doesn’t take long before the heat becomes oppressive.
When we leave and travel the 12 miles to Ventura, the temperature will go down, too. It will be no hotter than 70 degrees there today with its constant ocean breezes. Luckily, those breezes come right up the canyon and bring relief with them, though no one smart will want to stand out in the open sun.
Time shifts here, slows down. And I slow down with it. How lovely.
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