It is amazing how fast the weeks go by in our retired life. Having the freedom to do what you want and the time to make things happen is more rewarding than we could have imagined. We have opened our lives to others in ways I would have never considered before I retired. This for me is mostly because of the different journeys we have taken such as Europe trips and our long-distance hiking. We have met many people both in Europe and on the trail, that we connected with and have become good friends with. The random acts of kindness we received in our journeys, opened me up to giving back to others in ways I did not know were in me. As Joe Walsh sang “Life’s been good to me so far” and I am thankful for the things we have been able to do and the people who have entered our lives. Now to our week.

Last Saturday, we had another Board Game Night. We played Pandemic again and won one lost one. Other games played were Whitewater, a raft game, and codenames a clue giving game with two teams. Lots of fun was had.

Our Backyard Tortoise Reserve

On Sunday, we walked a bit in the Tortoise reserve behind our house. There are many trails and loops for us to do and explore.

Monday and Tuesday were spent gathering info for taxes (ugh), and doing some chores around the new place. On Wednesday, we hiked in the reserve again with our friends Ted and Alice. We explored a new area and did just under 5 miles. Every time I hike around here, I am amazed at the amount of beauty we have in our backyard. Since leaving New York at the young age of 23, I have lived in two of the most beautiful states in our country, Colorado and Utah. I have walked their ridges and canyons, and found peace in the bountiful amounts of nature available to me. I have added many creatures to my list of wild animals observed. These include but are not limited to deer, elk, moose, stellar jays, grey jays, hummingbirds, bats, the elusive pine martin, marmots, pikas, porcupines, beavers, mountain lion (just one and that is enough), rattlesnakes, bull snakes, gopher snakes, road runners, desert tortoise, and more.

Desert Tortoise

All these in Colorado and Utah. Still hoping to discover a gila monster (a long time waiting so far), badger and a few other species. When you spend time in the outdoors, the rest of life’s issues seem to melt away, at least for the time you are out. With luck, your perspective of life, is changed for the better and more long lasting. I highly recommend that you get out, bring your loved ones, and enjoy the nature in your area whether it’s a grand national park or the local woods or desert up the street.

On Thursday, we had an Indian food night with some friends. Not the native American Indian, but rather  the Taj Majal India. It was a small crowd of seven which made for a great evening. Food was plentiful and we tried several new dishes and bites. It was kind of like an Indian tapas night.

Chef Dalai Charlie

On the menu was lassi (an indian yogurt based drink), sweet potato samosas, dal vada (a fritter), indian sour cream dip, date and raisin chutney, curry vegetable salad, baked jackfruit, curry rice, tikka masala, butter chicken, cucumber raita, and of course some Naan bread. For dessert, we had gajar halwa ( a type of carrot pudding) and kheer (rice pudding with cardamom). Everybody did a great job, as there wasn’t a bad dish to be found. I even found some Indian music to play for the first hour or so adding to the theme of the evening.

Yesterday, we did some more chores in the morning and managed to squeeze in a walk in the afternoon before the forecasted rain showed up. Our friend Steve, who we discovered, lives just a few blocks away, called and asked if we wanted to have pizza together this evening. We had met Steve just twice before moving in to this neighborhood. He was a last-minute invitee to our Indian night and we are finding out about each other. This continued last night as we shared stories and some interesting heritage information. Steve is a fellow paisaino with the last name of Bartolucci, and we share an interest in discovering those in our heritage who came before us. It was a great evening and I see a new friendship developing. Tonight, we are hosting another game night, playing Blood Rage, a Viking game and another of Carols choice which is yet to be determined. Enjoying life, the old-fashioned way, by living it.