Joy.

I went to see my dermatologist last week because my skin was itching all over and there was no rash, no hives that I could see. She looked closely, said my skin was dry and asked, "What soap do you use?" Hmm. "Zest." (I like the smell.) She said, "You are NOT a greasy teenage boy. You are too old for Zest! Use Dove and go to Trader Joe's and buy either Vitamin E oil or Lavender oil and use it!" I don't think my insurance will pay for any of this and I know the IRS won't recognize the cost as a medical expense but I bought it all, used it, and 5 days later my skin no longer itches and I smell good!

I show the spots on my hand to my dermatologist and she says, "Yeah! Look at the spots on my hand!" She cracks me up. She is also married to my second cousin. She told me the birthmark I have on my upper thigh is exactly the same as a birthmark on her daughter. Imfeld blood. (Our Swiss family name.)
Oo! We are like the Purple Pimpernel!

I saw my hematologist today (yes, I have a hematologist) and she gave me permission to eat vegetarian again if I only did it for a few months, and "Don't forget the protein!"  (I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat that way sometimes...) I love her. I can talk to her about everything! Some doctors are grand! I've been lucky.

I've been saving some pictures for you. One is particularly curious to me:

Unexplained Golf Balls

Look! It is a cache of golf balls right next to the wash I call my river. Okay, yes, there is a golf course near by but it is down river! How did these golf balls accumulate? I don't get it. I stared at this a long time, pondering.

Here is the river (okay, "Wash") and it is clearly flowing downstream toward the golf course. Curiouser and Curiouser.

The Wash... Again.

This is my path to the "Wash". A beautiful walk.

My Path.

I see these gladiolas nearly every year. The owner of the property just lets them be... gladiolas. 

The Blooming.

A Surprise
Orchid

Jasmine. Night Blooming or Star?
I can never tell.

Remember when my husband and I took that trip to the beach? Well, I found the photo of the pelicans I took through the windshield of the car. It was a much more amazing sight than this picture shows. I was stunned at how well the California Brown Pelican has come back! They were once endangered. They are back! What a joy!

California Brown Pelican in Flight