I am loving owning a house. In the past year I have learned how to do so many odd things and its been fun mixed with a bit of hard work. Besides the usual room painting, I have repaired all the control valves and heads in the sprinkler system and converted the front yard portion into a drip system. I have repaired the gel coat breaks in my shower, replaced the silicon seal around my shower door and put in a new bathroom fan. I tore out a hideous fountain nicknamed Jabba the Hut and planted an orange tree in its place. That was the most work requiring a sledge hammer and a jackhammer (I loved using that). I had a mesquite tree planted in the front yard and tore out three dead palms. This fall I am going to put in a lawn in the backyard.

I'm sure in 20 years I won't be saying these things are fun but for now its great.

Reminder

Being in the wilderness every other week has some drawbacks. Not just the obvious ones that everyone usually thinks of. I have spent over 2 1/2 years of my life in the deserts of Arizona and with that comes a certain amount of familiarity. Some of the awe I used to get about being in the wilderness has faded with all that time. One thing I love about seeing the new YWs who come out to the trail is there first glimpse of the night sky. Arizona is one of the best places in the country to see the stars because of the dry, still air. Many of the YWs come from cities and have not had the opportunity to really see the beauty above them. Seeing their reaction to that first night reminds me of the beauty thats out there.

Seeing the Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon puts many things into perspective. It gets me to ponder everything from my place in this world to how grand the universe trully is. It stretches my mind and imagination as I try to comprehend these great ideas. How grateful I am to those YWs for the reminder and for the opportunity I get to see that night sky so frequently.