Here, I am thinking of nature.
We spent last weekend in the woods near Lake Kachess, WA. A wedding took place just over Snoqualmie Pass from Seattle. The image above can been seen from a sleeping loft in a wonderful, little cabin in the woods. So much of Washington state and our own province are empty. As further personal proof, last month we travelled 600 miles to Bella Coola on the BC coast. We had kilometers of desolate highway pretty much to ourselves, some chipmunks, and an occasional logging truck.
A rural environment is surely a great escape. Yet, this morning I was thankful for a little walk along my own street in New Westminster, BC. This little city, only 16 kilometers from Vancouver, pretty much defines the local urban experience. It was the province's first capital from 1858 to 1866. Vancouver's population didn't grow larger than this city's for 40 or 50 years after that!
I appreciate being able to pretty much fulfill every physical and emotional need on foot. Of course, I don't as we choose to own a vehicle. Still, it would be entirely possible to live here using only public transit. I like the hustle and bustle and put up with the noise of it all. Here are three images I took today within a few blocks from where I live on Carnarvon Street.