The rains have stopped momentarily allowing Kinoko (our Akita) & me to make a dash to our favorite go-to spot — the hill. We climb a long, windy dirt road dotted with sprinting rabbits & the leftover tracks from last night’s critter gatherings. The storm is gone but the wind that chased it away is still strong & brisk against our bodies. To the left we can see the many canyons on Catalina Island as the clouds brush its mountain tops. “Smell that, fella?” “Ah, fresh salt air, straight from the very blue Pacific Ocean!”

When we reach the top, we stop & take in the sight of the many thousands of wildflowers that overlook the ocean.