it sure felt like it

It was Sunday morning and we were chatting before getting out of bed. Feeling slow and easy. Feeling relief that, even though I love doing things for other people, I now had my life back after being stretched too thin for too long. We decided to just throw on some clothes and finger-comb our hair when we heard the other B&B guests coming to the proprietor's late breakfast. Another meal of quiche and fantastic orange not-too-sweet rolls and homemade jam and perfectly cooked salty bacon. We ate and talked and laughed with the other guests. We bathed and got dressed again and packed and headed out only slightly after our 11 o'clock check-out time.

Armed with a vague map, a half a tank of gas, and some locals' stories and suggestions, we headed out of town. Wildflowers abound. We hit one winery that was overcrowded with a bus tour from the city. We walked around a lavender farm and took one of the fledgling plants with us. We tried in vain to find that old bridge they mentioned was getting torn down and replaced by something new. We went back to town for lunch at the most popular little place--with real fountain drinks.

We headed outside of town in the other direction to another winery. This one had an inexpensive yet entertaining tour and tasting. The wine was good. The place was less crowded. We bought our larger samplings of port and sherry and took them, along with our chocolate and pecans, out to the empty porch. The temperature was perfect, the wind breezy, the sky sunny. We had no other place to be, no obligations to keep.

He said, "I wonder if this is what Heaven is like."