Come With Me to Town and Good News for Sick Friends

I took this picture in our Albertsons parking lot March 22, 2013.

Yesterday, February 24th, I took this picture in the K-Mart parking lot. Ornamental fruit trees are in bloom all over town, a full month sooner than last year. Birds are singing springtime love songs, our ground-squirrels are awake and sunning themselves in our yard. All signs that spring has arrived in the mountains.

Pretty spring flowers are on sale at K-Mart together with 

lawnmowers for those whose lawns haven't perished in our drought. 

After buying a housewarming gift for my BIL, I drive over to St. Vincent de Paul's thrift store, which I use as my library. I buy surprisingly good books here for a quarter/paperback - dollar/hardcover; after I read them, I return them to the store to sell again. The store supports the homeless in Bakersfield. 

Then I stop at Walgreens to pick up test strips for my diabetes care and buy chocolates (yes, I do know the two don't go together). In the chocolate isle, an elderly man approaches me and shows me a small box he has filled with a variety of goodies. He asks, "do you think these will last me to Texas?" "It would depend on how fast you drive," I answer flippantly. Then I feel bad and ask where he's going in Texas. I forget where, but he says, "I'm going to visit my sister. She's 90 and I haven't seen her for over 30 years. This will be a trip of forgiveness." I think, oh, the things lonely old men will share with you in the chocolate isle. But I say, kindly, "I believe you will need a lot of candy for your trip." And I wish him good luck and go on my way. I will not forget him though. 

Almost done with my chores, I drive to the recycle place and get rid of my magazines and some cardboard boxes. My husband suggested we take the bottles tomorrow, when we both go to town. Great, but it is supposed to rain, which doesn't mean much here, so maybe we will get it done then.

On the way home, I drive by the railroad tracks and see views like this.

The road stretches out empty for many of those 15 miles I mentioned yesterday. 

Some of the dead weeds you see above are Rabbit Brush. It is very invasive and has overtaken the fields in our canyon. And these hardy bushes, among which our Cottontail rabbits live, are dying now, everywhere. 

People in Bakersfield and the San Joaquin Valley gathered recently to pray for rain. They may have been heard, because the forecast calls for another Pineapple Express from Hawaii coming our way with a 60 percent chance of rain from Wednesday this week through the weekend.

Finally, thank you for your prayers and healing thoughts sent to Fran, aka fishducky, who had a mastectomy yesterday and is doing fine. Fran wrote a post called: Ode My Left Breast, which her son posted as soon as he knew she came through the surgery OK. You can read it here.

And blogger friend Roland Yeomans had skin cancer surgery last Monday and is recovering well also. Thank you for thinking of Roland as well. Our blogger community is so caring and kind and I believe all this really helps. Click here: Writing In The Crosshairs to check out Roland's blog.