Friday, September 22, 2023

Another smoky day here.  At dawn I can barely see much of Monterey from my kitchen window. We are now entering our fire season.  Strong winds blow through the trees in the afternoon. Now we begin our wait for the rains to come.

An old friend, the cabinet maker, comes to visit every couple of weeks.  Just shows up at my door, his old yellow truck parked in the front. We have been friends for 50 years. We sit and talk about our old age, about families and what we have read recently.

In the morning I drive to the local bank to get a supply of cash.  I am the only customer in the bank, The security guard and the bankers are friendly.  My favorite teller teases me about being too old to drive.  No, I say, I can drive just fine.

I stop at San Carlos beach parking lot.  Flat ocean, very little activity on the water.  The distance is hazy.  But clusters of pelicans are on the move, near the shore.