Plan A, Plan B, Stay Loose

Getting on toward three years now we've looked at what is new in my transition to the East Coast from an entire adult life in the southwest of our country that I might let you know how things are with me. But, mostly, to share the immediacy of all that happens in the transition; a cat's life; adjustments of small and large scope; settling in to new surroundings and people; criss-crossing the country three times; seeing from very young to old people, near and far; in a life I am grateful to still be living.

A story I love to relate is about grandsons Keoni and Aidan's alternating, monthly overnight visits when we all still lived in Tucson. Without initially realizing it, I'd learned to have in mind a Plan A and a backup Plan B for what we might do while one or the other boy visited. It gave some shape to the day ahead as long as flexibility remained--a desire even, to let the day shape itself, but neither willy-nilly nor over-planned.

One of Keoni's visits with me took place during a time his six or seven-year-old interests had led him to enthusiastic research of raptors. He had early on loved diving into subjects--anything from the Wizard of Oz to every music instruments' orchestra position until he'd acquired knowledge of the subjects to a level of mind-boggling minutaea. This visit, he brought along numerous raptor drawings he'd made to show and tell everything he knew about them up to that point.

Plan A: Came from Keoni's request to find on Sunday morning the falcon that had been reported living amongst the tall buildings of downtown Tucson. My grandmotherly rules were: I drive--you look; tell me when you see a raptor; wait until I pull completely to a stop; then, when I say so, you can step out and use my binoculars to look at the bird. We tooled about the quiet Tucson Sunday morning streets. It was so much fun looking! But, disappointment overtook the enterprise. No falcon.

Plan B: Came to mind just before we had started out as a concern entered my mind that a possible disappointment lay ahead. So, when the downtown hunt revealed only pigeons I could suggest we continue along the nearby Tucson Mountains' foothills where I knew many of the back roads and had seen hawks, again and again. His enthusiasm, and mine, began to return with the addition of a drive-through breakfast and sightings of hawks started happening.

Slowly, we drove the backroads, stopping for birds and interesting lookout places. We came upon a National Park Service Visitor Center and learned even more from his many questions willingly answered by the Park Ranger. During a walk around the adjoining trails we saw a hawk unusual to the area. I'm terrible at remembering names of anything or anyone, so I'll pass on naming the handsome bird perched on the top of a sahuaro. Back to the car and many stops; the hours flew by. Along the way, we phoned his parents assuring them that we were slowly returning to deliver him home after completing our giant loop around the Tucson Mountains. Reaching nearly the end of the back roadways and our trip, he saw two birds circling high above. I stopped and we both got out. We were so amazed to see we'd found two Golden Eagles!

That's what Plan A and Plan B are like. Over time, we looked at floods, saw what a forest fire did, rode a ski-lift in summer, climbed the white-painted "A" on "A" Mountain, swam, picnicked, museumed, swung, slid, made soccer moves, shot baskets, checked out a University Student Union, Apple Store products, rode trolleys, and lots else on those many wonderful Saturdays and Sundays. Sometimes, it was Keoni with me, sometimes it was Aidan.

Maybe that is what life is like...I have today. The right now.

Make Plan A
Add backup Plan B
Stay loose

Start

You never know when or if
But sometimes
Around the bend
There'll be Golden Eagles.

See you later...