It’s all good.

I don’t venture to pretend that retirement is the same for everyone. I am aware that for some, retirement implies the loss of meaningful life and a boring, empty existence. Not for me. My wife and I are now eight years into retirement and life is truly good. But it is essential to our happiness to see these years as two people living a shared life and taking advantage of the opportunity to fill this life with mutually enjoyable activities and supporting each other in our individual interests. She went with me when I participated in a publishing/writing course to help with a book I am writing and hope to get published. I went with her when she took a course to add to her – already substantial – jewelry making skill set.

Tomorrow we leave for a planned road trip. The itinerary includes Sedona to see local sights. Then on to Cedar City, Utah to see two plays as part of a terrific Shakespeare festival that we originally sampled back when we lived in Las Vegas. We depart Utah to spend four days in a rented cabin in Montana to sample the local countryside and get a break from the heat in Tucson.

Not everything requires a trip. We got a big kick out of watching a hummingbird pair raise a chick in a nest constructed in an artificial tree on our front porch. Now Louise spotted some doves sitting in a front yard nest in a cholla cactus. Presumably they’ll hatch a chick soon. More nature to enjoy and appreciate.

Life is good.