Ray and I are still here at the orange grove in Ojai. All of our kids and grandkids have gone back to LA except for Liz, who is in her little house working hard an online exam for a financial planning course she’s taking. The dogs and Ray are lounging in chairs around the fire pit, which is blessedly not filled with a hot fire on this very warm day, and I am sitting near our stand-alone kitchen since this is where I can steal some of Liz’s Wifi from the hotspot she is using, which is Ron’s, her fiance. Ron has been gone all weekend to Portland, Oregon where he was invited to a bachelor’s party for one of his old fraternity brothers. He returns tomorrow. In other words, all the hubbub is over and we are now sitting in a quiet orange grove with a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean. Ray has just covered his face with his big straw hat and is apparently moving into naptime.
These past few days here have been lovely. We have played with the kids non-stop, laughed, eaten, kept hydrated with lots and lots of mineral water and orange juice, and just relaxed here among the trees. We went to the movies one hot afternoon and swimming another and today we’ve just been staying in the shade as much as possible. Ojai is hot and being in the direct sun isn’t a smart decision, but sitting in the shade feels just fine.
Tomorrow, Ray and I head back to LA after attending to some business in the morning. It’s going to be 98 degrees here by late afternoon so I think it’s okay to go. After all, we have no air conditioning here except in our cars!
I am grateful for this time with my beloved family. What a joy to have these days of play together. Soon it’s back to work and school. Even most of the public pools are closing next weekend since school starts around August 13th all over the state. Pool closures seem a bit short-sighted since it is, after all, only mid-August and we’re coming on to some of the hottest months of the year. Alas, I will now have to check out the West Hollywood pool, which is open year-round. It is also about seven minutes from my home. However, if I really decide to swim with any regularity, I might have to break down and buy a new bathing suit. Wearing my child’s from twelve years ago seems a bit cheap, plus the elastic is starting to go anyway.
On that note, I wish you a good evening.
I’ll be checking back in tomorrow.
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