MOUNTAINS

One of the very first things I do daily is to rise and put on a pot of coffee. Since I helped make coffee in the Teachers' Lounge for about 20 years, I'm quite adept at the art. I went through a time where I added just a pinch of salt to the huge commercial pot in the lounge. It was at the suggestion of our superintendent. And I liked it for awhile.

One thing I look forward to is opening the louvers in our kitchen and getting the first mountain view of the day. Scottsdale is in the valley of, or some would say this time of year, on the valley of the sun. We are fortunate enough to see the McDowell Mountains and Camelback from our house. Not a great view of either, but hey, they are mountains, and they are cool.

The different colors they take on is an added bonus. We don't get a lot of the blue color (pictured) but we get blacks and grays and pinks and yellows and somewhat greens though. They change so quickly, too, with the sun and shadows and dust particles in the air.

Sunsets are great in the West, too, though not as great as over an ocean or lake when the orb takes its daily dip. Those are the best by far.

So, on days that I start with mountains and end with sunsets are some of the best. But before I shut off all the lights, I have to sneak a peek on or back outside porch for geckos. I can nearly always find at least one, with 11 holding the record.