A Day in Late June, 2024

Summer came early this year, forcing us to cancel an artist and her son who were scheduled for a residency in early June. It would be too hot to work in the barn or outside, and even if she could manage, her son would be miserable.

We attended a wedding in San Diego, once again experiencing how perfect the weather is there, although a bit humid. And so green. But loud and crowded. Before leaving, we walked around my old neighborhood and thought, we could live here when we are "old."

Driving back to the desert with our electric car, we stupidly bypassed the first set of chargers, and then tried to find one in Temecula. On Sunday afternoon. Most were broken and people were waiting, hot and mad. We ended up at a low level charger in Menifee, under very little shade. Hell.

The High Desert was no cooler, even in late afternoon. At the turnoff to our street it was 107, but on the dirt road it rose to 108, and pulling in front of our house… 109.

That evening we drove east to Wonder Valley to say good bye to a friend who is giving up on desert living. She ran a horse ranch, and was doing a last photoshoot before breaking it down. And that is when the crappy day turned to magic. Perfect sunset. Golden horse, our friend majestic.

After the shoot she made hamburgers for us, and as the sunset faded, and dry lighting flashed in the east, a Space-X rocket shot out over the dark sky. We talked about how punishing it is to live in the desert, and that perhaps we can’t stay here forever either. And then we saw the satellites in a line, traveling the same path the rocket had an hour before. Little dots of light slowly spreading apart.

As we drove home the Strawberry moon, one day past its prime, rose over the mountains. Perfect.

Postscript. We are now into July and we hit 122 at 5pm yesterday, higher than we’ve ever experienced.