The Journey

I see the world differently now than in my younger days. I like the view better.

I see problems more clearly. I have the confidence to know that I can find solutions. I know what I don't know.

It seems like so many people want to recapture their youth. Why?

I would never want to grow younger. I would never want to give up my memories and experiences- good and bad. Youth has its rewards but it had its negatives as well. Every age has its own particular brain chemistry.

The journey ahead is unknown. Scary in some ways. In many ways if I'm honest.

Living every day completely drives my decisions now more than in the past. And that is a great thing.

This morning we walked in the Phoenix Botanical Garden. I was jet lagged and was tempted to not venture out but I am so glad I did. It was a great morning.

The unusual tree in the closeup is a boojum tree, a personal favorite.

"Boojum tree, (Idria columnaris), tree that is the only species of its genus, in the family Fouquieriaceae. The boojum tree is an unusual plant found native only in the deserts of Baja California and Sonora, Mexico. Fancifully, it resembles a slender upside-down carrot, up to 15 metres (50 feet) tall and covered with spiny twigs that bear yellowish flowers in hanging clusters. As with its relative the ocotillo, the small leaves fall early, leaving the greenish stems to carry out food-producing photosynthesis. The swollen trunk base is often hollow and provides a habitat for honeybees; the wood is somewhat spongy and retains water. The boojum tree is sometimes planted in southern California and Arizona."