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Six Things I Saw Today & Yesterday

Yesterday morning, we took off to head down the central valley and up over the mountains to watch a niece graduate from college. For any of you who haven't been in California's central valley, well, let's just say you know that California is a rather looooonnnnngg state, and this valley runs the length of it. We didn't do the whole length, but there isn't a lot to look at other than cars a few buildings and a lot of trees and fields. For a while there, someone was putting up little blue signs identifying the crops--which gave everything a sort of Burma Shave feel--you could stare at trees or the rows of plants and guess, then check the sign. Maybe someone decided it wasn't working, or maybe the economy has gotten rid of the blue-sign placement job, but there were a lot less than there used to be.

What we saw:

1. Alfalfa fields.

2. Corn fields. I've been driving up and down California for 40+ years now, and it's only in the past few that I've seen corn growing. We don't seem to get it up to an elephant's eye here, like in Oklahoma, but it's green and tall and very pretty. Plus my writer brain can't help checking the space between rows to see whether, if the bad guys were chasing you, you really could squeeze in there and hide. :)

3. Plum trees. Some green and some dark red.

4. Maybe pistachio trees? Almond trees? No sign! Okay, there isn't a sign for the corn, either, but you know--I can figure that one out!

5. Dr. Seuss trees. Also known as Joshua Trees.



Okay, these weren't in the valley, but in the high desert we drove through at the end of the trip. Or the beginning, depending on which day you're talking about. They're pretty much blurring together.

6. A beautiful young woman, taller than me even WITHOUT those heels, who I held on my lap as a colicky baby while her parents went out to see the fireworks on 4th of July many years ago. It was well worth the drive.