First, let me just say that Oregon is fabulous and, if you haven’t been there, I’d highly recommend it!
The weather in Portland was, mostly, lovely. I saw lakes and mountains and rivers and waterfalls and places where many of those things come together, which is a wonder for this Mid West/South East girl. I had lunch in Washington State, adding yet one more to my list of states visited.
I have crossed through “Tsunami Hazard” zones (Who knew?) and over Humbug Creek, East and West. I even discovered the Museum of Whimsy in lovely little Astoria, OR. Really!
One particular highlight was a visit to Fort Clatsop where the Lewis and Clark expedition camped in Oregon Country during the winter of 1805-06. The model of the original fort left me feeling awed. I’m not sure I could have camped there for half an hour!
Everything being contextual, the only things I really knew before about Lewis and Clark were that they embarked from Missouri and they were accompanied and supported on their journey by a Newfoundland dog named Seaman.
Now, though, I feel some of what they must have felt centuries ago. Mostly the forest.
Hushed. Primal. Upholstered in whiskery moss. Living. Breathing.
A treasure not just as a teaching tool, but as a silent call to cherish and heal our planet.