The part of the world that includes San Diego and Tijuana woke up today to rain… not a storm but  gentle showers. Throughout this rare damp day I was keenly aware of the colorful brilliance of this place where I live, and I snapped more than fifty pictures. Everything I saw reminded me of a story I heard yesterday about a baby who was born to a poor family a couple of weeks ago in Tijuana. Her name is Valeria. In utero Valeria developed cataracts, a very unusual condition.  She is blind.  Here’s what I was told. If the cataracts are not removed soon, she will be permanently blind.  It has something to do with the way the brain develops in the early weeks after birth. I don’t know the details yet, but I’m checking with people who know the family, and I’m going to contact the ophthalmologist who successfully removed cataracts from my old eyes a couple of years ago. Cataract surgery is quick and easy, almost routine with many older people. I was told that because Valeria weights under 6 pounds now, the operation can’t be done for three or four weeks. That’s all I know.  The surgery can be done in Tijuana, Mexico, for  fraction of its cost on my side of the border. I’ll learn more and report back. 

In the meantime, take a look at these pictures I got today. I’d like to believe this little girl will grow up to see the beauty of the world the way I see it.