HIGHLIGHTS VIII

The shortest route from from Tucson to Washington State does not go through San Diego, but the best roads do, and the real benefit is visiting family throughout California. It was almost a given from the inception of this trip that we would find a way to visit Aunt Edith whom many of you in Vancouver met last year. I think she is 93, and she is certainly the most active person of her age I know.
While we were there she brought out this version of a scrabble type game. I didn't crop this picture hoping you could see the word level, and I could point out that she made many of the high point plays. Aunt Edith is actively involved in Scouting and works with a troop of Cub Scouts. She attends activities at her church, she has been in a book discussion group, she assists with her church library, she is a lifelong serious hiker and helps lead a group regularly. Recently she again organized the reunion of her high school class and prepared the program booklet for that event. She is still driving and has no fear of California freeway systems. She attends plays and the Starlight Opera outdoors in Balboa Park, and arranges a picnic meal for her group before each concert on the famous Spreckles Theater Organ also in an outdoor setting in the park. And much, much more. Upon our arrival and before I could get out of the car, she put me to work harvesting pomegranates from her loaded tree. I used the picking pole and she packed them into bags and boxes. They are wonderful fruit and I brought just over 100 home to daughter Patty who pointed out that locally they are selling for $2.00 apiece. We did not seem to diminish the crop in the tree by much even after a second large picking, and she planned to have all her fellow scout leaders come and help finish the job. We also enjoyed her garden area and other fruit trees behind the house: peaches, plums, loquats, lemons, oranges, and an avocado.
We always enjoy our visit with Aunt Edith. She is lively, spunky, and delightful in every way. Conversation never lags, and the range of topics is amazing. She is a wonderful soundingboaard for me for she is able to confirm some of my memories of my growing up in the same county. I can remember when she and my Uncle Lee married in 1947; he was a Forestry Ranger and she taught Fourth Grade until retirement (maybe 40 years?). I just can't go the Southern California without finding a way to visit with this "Energizer Bunny" for a day or two at least. We've invited her to visit us again in 2007, and her response was, "When will be best?" We are already looking forward to her coming when we will share the adventure of her life in our own arena.