Burn the paper

I talked to the mortgage company today. One more check this week and I finally pay off my first. Thirty years, wow, it went by in a flash of a second. My home is looking really beautiful right now, thanks to Leslie and our neighbor Todd, who has been spiffing out my palms.

I took out a second for funds to buy the commercial building so I'm not completely free and out of the woods but it sure feels good to get at least one payment out of the way.

I love my humble country home, my garden, my river, the peaceful Santa Margarita valley, the hawks and hummers, the views of Gavilan mountain in front of me. Once you taste this type of secluded privacy and freedom it is awfully hard to go back to compression, in any form. A slice of the wonderful old California that has now mostly been destroyed. I really don't think we could replace its particular brand of magic anywhere. I have been very lucky and we've somehow made it this far.