Dreams of Water

 I often take my two young children on afternoon outings.  Where we are headed is of minimal importance.  One bright sunny day we were exploring downtown, and we found ourselves walking through the sandstone collums of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

I must have been seeing this place through the eyes of my children, or perhaps I was remembering the magic of the sunken garden in my childhood.  I would often have dreams as a child that I was in the back corner of this garden, underneath a curving wrought iron staircase, surrounded by the ferns and other lush greenery.  In my dreams, there would be still, dark pools of reflecting water tucked into this secret corner.  These dreams are for me, the beginning of my love for water and the magic of Santa Barbara.