Thankvember Day 14: Today I Am Grateful to Live So Close to Bakersfield's Bluffs

I am grateful to live so close to the Bluffs here in Bakersfield. Three blocks from my house the road ends and opens up into them. They seem like they wait for me and applaud whenever I arrive.

Yes, Bakersfield gets a bad rap. Some of it is accurate, I will admit. There are days when I want to kick myself for still calling this place home, but this morning as I sat on the wet grass on the bluffs taking photos for Art Every Day month, I was reminded how much I love this part of Bakersfield.

My neighborhood actually has hills.

It isn’t entirely flat.

The bluffs tower above all that Black Gold that runs underground here in Bakersfield so the view is sort of… well, it isn’t the ocean or the view from the top of a mountain in neighboring Sequoia, but at night you can enjoy looking at the lights on the oil rigs blink and it is quite pretty.

The bluffs have a walking path and a second, more rugged path I usually take.

It’s a great place to meet people for walking or talking or taking in the sunset.

About ten years they took this plain Jane park and decided to get fancy schmantzy with landscaping and much of that has been reclaimed by wild growth, but some aspects of it remain.

I have many fun memories with my dogs, my kids and myself – I have been known to go their when I’m sad or need some quiet, contemplative time or when I have no idea what I want. Sitting at the far west side of the bluffs tends to calm my spirit. I have even met coaching clients there as we worked through whatever they needed to work through.

I am grateful to live so close to the bluffs here in Bakersfield.

What are you grateful for today?

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