It's A Beautiful Place

I explored a neat little section of the Issaquah Alps this week, with Herc and Sarah and the kids. Places like that, easily reached from the city, and interesting in their own right, that remind me of why I love this area. As Herc pointed out in his blog yesterday, I'd like to move to that area sometime. It's cheaper to rent a house, which J wants, and I could get even more hiking and backpacking done. Viri could see even more slugs, and Arkaedi could have ample opportunity to say "Carry you, Papa!"

Whenever I get to missing WV, I head out to the hikes in the Issaquah Alps. They remind me more of WV than anyplace out here, and without sacrificing vegan doughnuts and PCC. (I seriously appreciate PCC. That may be odd. But there it is.) The countryside reminds me of the hills of WV, but more than that it is the feel of the land. There is a gentleness that is different from a lot of the west. It's so new out here, and it can feel harsh. You go to a beautiful place like Mt. Rainier, and it is foreboding. Awesome, in the classical sense of the word. Around Issaquah, though, it's relaxed. The people are more like people in WV, in the good ways. They are nice, polite, but less likely to vote against their own self interest than people back home. The hills are bigger, but don't feel as alien as the high peaks of the Cascades. It's dark under the tree canopy, just like the hollows of West-By-God that I ran in as a lad. It's really neat to see Viri scrambling through the woods, picking blackberries like I did.

Between this hike and the recent visit to the fair, I feel like I'm getting my WV fix. Now I just need to have enough money to buy land, and build a cabin for my dad. Get him planted out here, and I really will have brought WV to Washington. Plus, I get the chance to build a cabin! Or maybe a yurt. Sorry dad, you may get stuck in a yurt, because I think they're cool.

We'll give you wireless internet and healthcare though. This is still Washington.