Summer rain
Crystal clear mountain lakes
Cloudless summer nights

---the smell of fresh ground coffee waiting to be brewed

---my little black cat running down the path to catch up with me and get a bit of love

---an unexpected phone call from a friend I haven't heard from for a while

---no mail...no bills, no junk, nothing

---finding my keys right where I last left them...

---being able to see and touch my toes from a standing position

---the arms of a man reaching around me from behind, whispering that my scent drives him wild

---crisp, white sheets

---a smile from a stranger for no reason

---blocking people that do not add to my life experience (ha)

yeah...thanks for the reminder that the little things make a big difference...

The decadent sensory overload that is gently swinging in my hammock, with a light breeze, reading a book, and a cold drink nearby.

The Loss of my Daughter will not let me be UBER HAPPY but... Little Happy I can be and I am every day... Being Shepherded by my Son's German Shepherd... being retired... she is 24/7 on my Keep. Being Grateful for decisions I made in my younger years are paying off as I am Retired and not worried about money. I may be Happier than most Millionaires (they are always worried about money). I am not. I am looking forward to a Healthy Old Age... if I can of course. Every day I wake up with a smile. I hope the nightmare of our unpresident come to an end sooner than later. OH HAPPY DAY!!!
P.S. Looking forward this Summer to visit DC next month, following with Jacksonville and San Juan Puerto RIco. Free to Travel!!!

Yesterday may wife had a hospital appointment and we were quite early so I read to her the first five chapters of Pride and Prejudice, her favourite book, while we waited.

A) Cracking off exactly three squares of the dark chocolate candy bar from Aldi to eat after dinner. B) Fresh sheets and pillowcases on a bed. C) When my kitty honors me by sitting on my lap. D) Biking on a wooded trail and hearing birdsong along the way. E) The scent of the peony and the lilac bush. F) Watching over my little garden in the spring as the days get warmer.

Root beer floats
Assembling a jigsaw puzzle
Thunderstorms
Water moving over rocks in a stream
Nuzzling my puppies
Wind blowing through the trees
Hearing a song from ages past and remembering all the words as if it were yesterday
Saxophones
Watching old episodes of the Carol Burnett Show, seeing Tim Conway bust everyone up laughing as they try to stay in character
Hearing my dog dreaming
Telling bad pins to my daughter
Bowling a strike
The smoothness of freshly shaved legs
Cary Grant movies

My 3 cats. Every day they spend time loving me. They are great spirits in small packages.

Watching the sunrise over the mountains with a cup of coffee, playing my guitar in an empty room.
Leaving North Dakota in the early morning darkness for my days off.

Coffee and cats

Standing at the coast when a winter storm is approaching.

Being anywhere in Yosemite.

Cuddling with a loved one.

Watching my small grand children laughing and playing.

A joint. I just want to smoke a joint.

Taking a walk on the beach at sunset.

Honestly if your talking "low level ecstasy" one of my favorites is enjoying a day with the company of somebody special and having them just doze in my arms. Nothing is more special than knowing you make somebody feel that safe and at home.

marshmallows melting in hot chocolate. sunrises and sundowns. contented dogs. hum of a box fan at night.

waking up in the morning sunny side up..
Morning coffee with friends
making people laugh first thing in the morning to start the day off on a positive note,
Retired and almost no worries
have my health
relaxing on the deck or in the hot tub
precious like minded friends
children and grand children
looking forward to everyones remarks and insights to further my knowledge
my cat jumping on the bed reminding me it is up time

Butterflies. They take off as I approach.

In 44 years of hiking, these are the only butterfly photos I got.

I swear these butterflies were stoned on nectar.

Looking out the back patio door. No patio but a small wooden deck with stairs. Finch feeders 10 ft away, have lots of different birds. Rabbits, bigger birds, and squirrels feed off the ground below and birds sit on the deck, cat watches through the window, drives him crazy. Have a trellis off to the side with clematis, see a hummingbird now and then feeding there.

Sitting in my screened-in back porch in the morning, enjoying a cup of hot tea while the birds are singing their hearts away... and inhaling the fragrance of the nearby dwarf Korean Lilac bush as the breeze wafts it inside...

That second of silence before people speak their minds.

Pizza, mostly. Actually, vegetarian food in general: lots of fresh fruits, robust garden salads, General Tso's tofu, meatless Mexican dishes, etc., and, of course, cheese pizza.

Leisurely walks, away from the hustle and bustle. No cars, no machinery, no people yelling. A nice stroll through the woods can be quite serene, with only the subtle sounds of nature and the gentle crunch of grass and leaves under my feet to disturb the silence.

Memorizing poetry and speeches, e.g., "Jabberwocky" and "To be or not to be." I've memorized only a handful of works, but I sometimes like to commit to memory something challenging and recite it on my commute, playing with inflection, cadence, tempo, and so forth, trying to feel the meaning behind the words.

Light conversation. Although I detest small talk, a lighthearted conversation with a good friend, sharing ideas about life and philosophy and so on, can be a real joy. I just don't want to debate anything (which is a departure from the temperament of my youth).

Comedy. I love smart comedy and clever wit, but I can also appreciate some bawdy humor if it's more than just for shock value. I attended a production of The Book of Mormon a couple of weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Awaking only to discover I have a few hours before I need to get up for the day — or, conversely, awaking at the time I need to get up and realizing it's Saturday and I don't need to go to work or attend some training or have any obligations at all.

The sound and smell of a gentle rain. It's especially nice to fall asleep with the window open on a summer night to a steady rainfall.

I love to hear the rain. Doesn’t happen too often in Victoria, Aus at the moment so it’s such a delight when it does.

i like the smell of chicken fried steak cooking in the neighborhood i am working. it's a popular dish down here.

The golden rays of sun in the fall with a whispering breeze in the trees, or a good book in a bed swing coasting next to the wine grapes in southern France