December 16th, 8:40 am, 55 degrees

I just received a Christmas card from a good friend.

The nearest snowflake is hundreds of miles away.

The morning is clear, the sky is blue, there is a hummingbird sitting in the tree outside my window.

I am lucky.

Yellow, Grey, &--Javelina?

Nathan and I went for a hike yesterday. We've been a little better lately about gettin' outta' town, which is good--because it definitely makes a difference in how I feel. I need it! So much so that I often cry when I get out and away from the hustle and bustle, because it's such a relief! Not that my life is terribly hustly or bustly. (Heh.) I get up, I exercise a little, I go to work, I come home, I eat dinner, I go to bed, I get up, I exercise a little, I go to work. The most stressful part of my day is trying to make it to the bus on time. Still, I've determined that I want to spend more of my life outside, touching things, breathing fresh air, looking at the sky. (<---Link to my other [newish] blog.)

Here's some pics from yesterday. We encountered a few javelinas. It was the first time we'd seen them in the wild.  We also saw a dead kangaroo rat who's head had been bitten off.  So I took a picture of its feet.