The Bluest Blues, the Greenest Greens
On the bedstand: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Really enjoying this one, but why? It draws in the reader. It makes you (me) care about the characters.Coming through the speakers: What else but Roll On Columbia, Roll On by Woody Guthrie (though I'm partial to the version sung by the Seattle Sounders fan section).
A 45 minute drive east will put you in such a smattering of green that you'd be pardoned for confusing it with a rainforest. Another 45 minutes takes you through snow-covered Stevens Pass as it cuts across the Cascade Mountains. An hour further leads out to the barren hills and apple orchards of Central Washington.It was my first visit to this part of the state. I was astounded by the diversity of the natural beauty. Streams and deserts and apple orchards and wineries...A hike followed a trail beside a clear river rambling with whitewater. I surveyed the scene, both within and without: Could this, Washington State, be my new/next home? It's a question my mind has grappled with to varying degrees of intensity over the past six months. While amazed at my surroundings and optimistic about life in Seattle, something within me simply can't fully embrace it. Not yet at least.It's not that I'm considering a move. Hardly. At least not realistically. I'm tired. It's been a tumultuous couple of years. And I'm tired. But I still harbor reservations. Quibbles, really. Comparisons to past places and previous lives. Unfortunately, like Lot's wife, I have a tendency to look back. It would be unfortunate to turn into a pillar of salt.Sorry, I didn't mean to get off on a tangent. What I wanted to say is Washington State is stunningly beautiful. And it is...
