Gone West and Back

Time sure does fly or melt or evaporate. It's almost Thanksgiving. Where have I been? Not to Mars, but to Oregon. A very interesting state, very beautiful and dramatic. Storms, floods, landslides, snow, sun, light rain, heavy rain, driving rain, cool, cold, windy, cloudy, brilliant-colored fall leaves, tall snow-capped mountains, smaller mountains rising from rivers and the ocean, sloping hills, winding country roads, itsy bitsy towns, wineries in the middle of nowhere, thrashing Pacific Ocean waves, cliffs, trails, rapid rivers, houseboats on lakes, huge seagulls and terns, quaint restaurants in the middle of nowhere, covered bridges, rolling country, ravines, tiny cabins at river's edge, waterfalls, small historic beach towns, lighthouses, picturesque towns in the middle of nowhere, sand dunes, chainsaw wood sculptures, state parks everywhere, free wine tasting, outrageously beautiful Pacific Northwest-style homes on the McKenzie river, homes sliding into the raging Sandy River, elk and deer crossings, bus stops in the middle of nowhere, pretty lights in the trees of hilly downtown Portland...I really liked Oregon!