It’s Independence Day and I am sat by a reservoir just south of San Jose waiting for sunset. It’s 7:30pm and its still 35°C in the shade. I am sat on a rock that feels like it has been baking in the sun for days. There are birds swooping in and out of the water, the reeds surrounding the reservoir are knee high and are so dry they have turned a yellow. It all seems dry around here, the reservoir has more than half dried up and the plant life looks as though it’s dying of thirst. It hasn’t rained for months, which is such a bizarre thing to experience as a Brit. What’s left of the water is incredibly still, in fact everything is still, the air feels like it’s drowning you, every now and then when the wind blows a slight breeze across my face, it almost feels like having a hair dryer on me, it’s no cooler even with wind. The deer stood in the dried up part of the reservoir seem as overwhelmed by the heat as me, slowly grazing on the small green patches of grass that are left. As I am sat here on this rock staring at the beauty in front of me that is nature, my husband is walking down to the edge of the water to take some photographs. One of his biggest passions, he has just worked out a new technique which he wants to try out; he’s always looking for something new to try. Myself, I am happy just sitting, admiring the view and writing down my thoughts. I love sitting in remote places like this and dreaming about how I would love to live somewhere like this, surrounded by wildlife and stunning scenery. Just up in the hill is a huge house looking out over the reservoir, imagine the beautiful sunsets you must be able to see on the veranda, imagine being able to sit up there and write a book, maybe one day!

Fiona Louise Potts © 2007