Woke up to lightning and thunder, way off in the distance. Checked the weather radar and sure enough a storm may touch us. May. You know how weather goes. I hope it does, for a bit. We can always use rain. Of course, I have to drive to Houston today for an afternoon doctor’s appointment, so I won’t mind if the storm slips away north and east. Going to see my ENT guy about a drippy nose. I’m also going to hear some music tonight, tomorrow I’m having lunch with an old friend in Galveston, and Friday evening it’s me and the grandkids. Babysitting time.

I miss Houston, especially Galveston and the ferry and the beaches. I honeymooned on Bolivar, we were poor folk, and since we lived in Pasadena and Alvin most of our married life, it was easy to take the kids to the beach in the evening after I got home from work. Later, after the kids departed, my wife and I would go to the beach down by the state park to watch the full moon rise while drinking wine and eating cheese. Lots of good sandy memories.

I think I may try to spend more time down there this summer, maybe take the grandkids. That would be fun. They live in Pearland, so heading south would be easy. I could teach them the art of walking along the beach, sand on your toes, looking for treasure or just looking at nothing and listening to the waves and feeling the water run over your feet on occasion. We could even ride the ferry just to ride the ferry and watch the dolphins. Simple pleasures. Pleasures within easy reach if you know where to look, and I’ll show them.

John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver's Tale