When I was walking at lunch today I looked in the distance and saw snow on the very tops of the foothills. For some irrational reason it made me really happy. See California does have all four seasons!

It hearkened me back to growing up in East San Jose: when driving east on 280, just before the 101 junction where the freeway becomes 680, there's about a 2 mile stretch on elevated ground. On a clear day you're treated to a glorious, if fleeting, view of the foothills in all their majesty.

It was sublime, and I would fill up with joy. Come to think of it, if I had to verbalize a sensation of "home," that might be it. Seeing the Golden Hills of California on a happy sunny day--there's not much that can beat that.

And that's the point. It's the little things, the free things, that make us happy. If we stop and notice them, we'll recognize that simply being a part of this incredible world is joyous enough. What a thrill, what a pleasure, it is to be alive.