At the end of "Vacation"

Today is my last day here in Arizona. Yes, it has been a vacation, even though I hesitate to use that term, as even this trip was not without a deeper purpose than only relaxation and sight-seeing. Anyway, it has been good, and I do feel more than a little "spoiled".
This morning I walked again to the bird park, more correctly referred to as the "Riparian Preserve". Picture blue sky, bright sunshine, a light perfect-temperature breeze, mountains in the distance, desert shrubbery blooming, green trees, a bench in the shade with a view of various birds enjoying the still water. The air is filled with birdsong. Little birds singing their hearts out just for the joy of living today. They are content filling their place with no care over what may happen tomorrow.
For me it is a place the think; to put things back in order. Isaiah 30:15 came to my mind again, "...in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength". It's time now to go forward, to trust God for the next step, and like the little birds, to have a song,

California!

March is here already, and I do need to write again. I'm thinking it really is a new era when my grandchildren say they can't keep track of me because I haven't updated my blog! Smile.
After a week with my family in Arizona, I flew from there to San Francisco, California to visit my friend Pam for a few days. So, here I am in Morgan Hill with Pam and her husband, Nissanka Goonetilleke. Pam was in the work in Nebraska for a few years, and then lived with me in Kearney for a little more than two years. Time has passed, and a lot of you wouldn't remember her. I think it was 1993 when she left. She lived in San Antonio, Texas for several years, then married Nissanka about 4 years ago. He is Sri Lankan. He preached the Gospel in Korea for a number of years, and also a few in California.
I've never been in this part of the country before, and am really enjoying it. I loved our day of sight-seeing in San Francisco, and we do plan a few more outings this week before I leave again, but the most thrilling, really, is getting acquainted with friends here. People here have come from many places and cultures.
It is still cool, but the trees are blooming, wild mustard is golden in the fields and roadsides, and grass is green. This is a valley, but foothills rise on either side. This coming Saturday I will return to Arizona for a few more days with family there before I return to Kearney on the 11th.
This will help everyone to "find" me this week! Next, I need to work on getting some pictures put on here. I don't know if I'll tackle that tonight or not....we'll see.