Change

-The heart of creativity is change.

-When you are through changing, you are through.

-Change always comes bearing gifts.

Change is: Exciting! Scarey… S-t-r-e-s-s-f-u-l

It’s something I need. Complacency is even scarier to me. After 11 years of living in California, it’s time for me to make a change. Boy, did I resist it! It’s easy to focus on the things you will miss, like favorite trails, the beach, and most of all friends. Yes, I’ll miss those things, but they’ll always be with me. It’s just time for me to move on to the next set of experiences. New favorite places and even more friends.

People’s reactions say a lot about their views on change. Most people congratulate me on my decision and wish me the best. A few admire my courage to make a big step. But a small number are very negative - one even begged me not to sell my house because she’s so sure I’ll hate Colorado and want to move back to California.

Change is good. Bring it on!

Wild and Wonderful Day

I love animals, always have. Furry, feathered, scaly – doesn’t matter.

My friend Sue, whose background is in wild animal care, arranged a personal tour of her friend’s wild animal sanctuary, Zoo To You, situated a very short distance from the airport in Paso Robles. I get to fly there – double score! So we hop in the airplane on a beautiful sunny Monday for a 75-minute flight into the heart of Central California wine country. It’s 80 degrees with light winds – perfect.

Me & my marmoset pal

We arrive as David (the owner/CEO) is leading a group of Moorpark College students on a tour of the compound. They're learning about primates, so we get out the marmoset and take turns carrying him around on our shoulders.


Then Sue detours me toward our own private tour, since she knows these animals and they know her.

Dennis Hopper loves Sue!

We visit our kangaroo friend Dennis Hopper, whom Sue helped raise, and his wallaby friends. We wander over to the birds to see beautiful bald eagles, macaws, hawks, vultures, and a kookaburra. 

David with Cody

I’m captivated by all the big cats: the Asian fishing cat, African serval, lynx, and two sleek and muscular mountain lions (a.k.a. cougars/ pumas/panthers) who purr SO loud!

Asian fishing cat

proper lemur greeting - my sinuses are now clean!

Me & Bacari

After the group leaves, it’s just the three of us and now the fun begins! We go get Bacari, a black-and-white ruffed lemur, for some playtime and a quick walk. He’s sweet and gentle, and honored me with the proper lemur introduction of the tongue way up my nose! 

Maya the spider monkey

Fig Newtons for Sierra

We meet Maya, a spider monkey with a sad story – she grew up in a cage so small that her bones permanently malformed and she cannot fully extend any of her limbs. She’s happy and well cared for now, quite the charmer.

We saved the biggest for last…

Sierra is a cinnamon-colored American black bear. She is truly a gentle giant with a weakness for Fig Newtons and grapes. She tenderly nibbled the cookies out of my fingers and let me touch her paws and hug her.

Bear hug!

beautiful Jasmine

Jasmine is a spunky Bengal tiger. Earlier I had watched her romping like a kitten in the water, chuffing her greeting to us (a friendly sound made by forcing air out of her nose), and rubbing her cheek on the cage so we’d scratch her. David brought her out and she ate raw eggs out of my hands. Her tongue is sandpapery just like a housecat!

I’m still on an unbelievable high after such an amazing day.

Line Judges and Other Distractions

It’s my second tennis match of the season. The day before I'd had my first match and, since I was defeated in two sets, I’m excited to get out there and give it another shot.

We do the introductions, racket spin, warm-up, and get the party started. My doubles partner and I take the lead three games to one, and then it begins. The opponents call a ball "out" that looked solidly "in" to me. Then it happens again, then again. I try to make a habit of not focusing on questionable calls - since that often leads to self-destruction - but three?

So I ask my partner, “did you think those were in?” and she says, “oh definitely! Let’s call a line judge.” I convince her to give them yet another chance, and we quickly get number four. We find a line judge/court monitor from each team’s peanut gallery, and continue the match.

Just when you think you’ve solved your problem... “Our” court monitor stood quietly at the net post, watching play, and commenting only when asked for confirmation. “Their” court monitor cheered for points won (theirs of course), collected wayward balls, talked to the opponents between points, and generally served as an on-court nuisance. I have to give her credit for her honesty in overruling bad call number five, but the rest of time I got to practice my focus-in-the-presence-of-extreme-distractions.

The USTA rule book spells out the monitor’s role in verifying or overruling line and let calls, calling foot faults, keeping score and timing breaks. But it doesn’t explicitly address good manners. That should be a given, right?

So here’s what I learned:

1. Never be afraid to request a line judge. It takes the pressure off and, when done cordially, can defuse a tense situation.
2. Never be afraid to “guide” the line judge in their duties.
3. When all else fails, find your focus and do your best. After all, it’s a GAME!

Where do I begin?

So I may be the last person on earth to start a blog. What will I write about? And who wants to read what I think anyway? I guess I'll find out! I do love reading my friends' blogs...

I play the flute, fly my airplane, walk my dog, read books, cook vegetarian food and play tennis. And loads of other things too. Something is bound to inspire me to write!