My trip to Morocco is nearing . . . 11-weeks away! While there I will turn 60, in Fez. During that time, too, the 8th Annual Sufi Cultural Festival will be taking place — music, trance dancing (Dhamal), poetry reading, and more. 

In preparation, I pull off my bookshelves poems by Jalaleddin Mohammed Balkhi (Rumi). A scholar and an artist, I first became acquainted with him in my 20s. Then later in my 50s, his love poems were brought to my attention. Their boundless images and precise articulation speaks directly to my heart. . .

The draught is finally starting to get people's attention. Last week, the folks who cleared much of our property last winter — Brush Goats 4 Hire — gave a presentation at our homeowners association's annual meeting to offer their services to reduce our exposure to fire hazards. This was followed on the heels of our water master confirming that the water table in the Santa Ynez Valley is down about 25 feet. Yesterday, Governor Brown declared a drought state of emergency, followed by one of our local valley communities calling for voluntary water reduction. Global warming?

With California is now facing the driest year in recorded state history, what's a gal to do? Bring back the goats! Earlier this week about 50 brush goats moved back on to the front "bowl" of our property to eat down the dried grasses and munch back the lower story of oak and scrubbier trees. The first night Simba and Peetie, a neighbor's Great Dane, and the two Anatolian guard dogs kept us all awake until about 2 AM barking at the full moon, coyotes and each other. Thankfully, the last few nights have been quiet!