From my kitchen window, I can see a concrete wall six feet from my nose, literally. I also have a close up and personal view of my neighbor’s home. There’s just a tiny patch of blue that’s mine. Houses this close are the norm here in Arizona, so the view from my kitchen sink is nothing unusual–just unusual to me.

I’ve been surprised at how many animals I’ve seen from my window. Hawks soar high in the sky, and doves walk the roof of my neighbor’s house. Lizards scamper along the walls in the spring. Cats, domestic and feral, walk the concrete walls. I love to see the moon make his nightly ascent.

Recently I’ve concluded something. Airplanes make me happy. With the Goodyear Airport just five minutes from us, and the Sky Harbor Airport downtown, I can almost always see a commercial airliner or private cessna out my kitchen window. And it makes me happy. I guess I just like to know that there are people up there, and I’m happy that there’s something to see. Seeing an airplane so far above me gives me kind of a wistful feeling. Weird, huh? I think too much sometimes.

Fall tiptoed into the Valley Monday night and made a dramatic appearance this week. Temperatures on Tuesday were still in the high 90s, but we had a furious thunderstorm and downpour. The neighborhood kids were running back and forth across the street through the rushing water near the curbs.

Yesterday and today, the sun is hot, but the air is cool with temps in the 60s and 70s. Autumn is here! AND we have cold water flowing from our faucets! Silas and I took a walk yesterday morning and met our neighbors across the street who come down from Winnipeg, Manitoba for a few weeks/months out of the year.

Hopefully we’ll get to know more of our neighbors now that the weather is so beautiful. It’s weather like this that draws so many people to retire here.