10/06 2eme semaine/ 2nd week

Kate en avait marre. La pauvre! Depuis le mois de juin sans doute, ce qui fait quand meme 4 mois, elle vit dans un enfer, puisque l'Arizona monte deja dans les 35 degres ce mois la, fait une pointe a 45c au plein coeur de l'ete, et c'est seulement maintenant que ca descend dans les 28c degres, et encore, seulement tot le matin!

De plus, avec la grossesse, elle a tout le temps chaud...
Du coup, il fut decide d'aller passer 2 jours a Big Bear, en Californie, au nord est de Los Angeles, ce qui represente quand meme 4 hrs de voiture de chez nous, mais c'est un endroit tranquille dans les montagnes a 2000M d'altitude, et j'avais meme pense habiter la avant de demenager a Phoenix. La, avec plaisir, elle a goute a 3c le matin et 12 degres dans l'apres midi! Pour un peu, on se serait cru en France!
Pour moi, la chaleur du desert n'est pas aussi inquietante, puisque grace au boulot, je ne suis pas toujours a la maison de toute maniere, et quand j'y suis, c'est pour etre a 10 000 pieds au dessus du sol dans un planeur, a des temperatures tres confortables!

Ce serait toujours pas mal de vivre a Big Bear, et nous avons meme jetter un coup d'oeil a quelques maisons, mais non, ca reste encore un peu plus cher, et peut-etre un jour pourrons nous passer la retraite ici, peut-etre.
En attendant, il a ete decide que nous passerons une semaine ici tous les mois d'aout, de maniere a refroidir madame et bientot le petit (ou petite, on saura ca le mois prochain); que nous baisserons la temperature de la clim dans la maison, au lieu de faire des economies de bout de chandelles, et qu'enfin, nous allons reinvestir dans notre jardin, qui decidement n'est pas assez vert a notre gout. C'est que le vert reste difficile a faire lorsqu'on vit dans un desert, mais ca reste possible quand meme, aussi allons nous se pencher sur ce grave probleme.

Good morning (since it's 10:45am here in AZ as I write, and as the world and Sun revolves around AZ, I shall say good morning). :) Richard and I visited Big Bear this week on a spontaneous decision to see the trees. I, stuck in the 118 degree heat, and also stuck on the coach since Baby has been giving me a very hard time with illness and such, had been itching to get out. And Richard himself is always glad to return to this place he had wanted to call home. So, off we went!

We drove, since a long plane trip sans bathroom didn't seem practical for a pregnant woman. However, after our long 10 hour round trip drive to Big Bear, we both heartily decided to fly next time, regardless of inconvenience (fly ourselves, folks, not take Southwest). Flying itself is a joy for us. Long car rides with numb patootees is not. But, regardless, we finally got to Big Bear and nestled in the tall trees, the cool air, and crisp smell of pending Winter.

As Richard said, he would like to live there and, being as we usually think alike, so would I. Although Richard and I grew up on different continents, separated by a wide ocean, we had very simliar childhood experiences, I in Missouri and he at the Montigny. In both places we both were able to experience open forests, wild flowers, spiders winding their webbing on tall grasses, the lulling songs of songbirds in the morning, and the silent humm of lightening bug butts as they flickered on - off - on - off. We both also remembered picking wild raspberries to eat. And playing near streams. So, although born in different countries, our pictures of childhood mesh to nearly same memories which instill in both of us calm, happiness, and peace. Alas - Big Bear.

Big Bear is an ol' fashioned kind of American town, born of the American mining boom during America's early days, and outside of its utilitarian features, was also just plain pretty to look at, a grand departure from the parched California desert which surrounded it. Its spattered with all kinds of homes, very few alike, all lending themselves to a cabin-esk feel. No big shocker there, since they're cabins!

Although Big Bear is popular, its population doesn't grow too much, mostly because of the very few jobs offered at 7000ft, hours away from a viable city. So, its mostly a haven for weekenders, retired couples, those few who make a decent living (insurance, doctors, etc), and a few brave souls willing to trade a hefty retirement portfolio, working at a small time gig, to see and smell and feel the way that, frankly, God intented this world to be. And, so too, would we be lucky to live there, as Richard is not tied to working in a city center. But, alas, although Big Bear is not quite at California real estate prices, it is still more than we could comfortably afford, and logically risk at this point. As Richard said, someday...someday....

So here we are back in AZ, back to the heat, back to the desert. As Richard says, I am not sure if humans were meant for 118 in the shade with no natural water in sight. But on behalf of responsible decision making, here we will stay for at least awhile.

But one day maybe we'll both return to our roots. No, not us moving to Missouri, or to France. But back "home" to a place we have never lived, because it bespeaks of things held in our hearts which perhaps one day we can not only speak of to our child, but show instead.

Good day!