He Rocks in the Treetops All Night Long

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Looking Up

I've been on the Redwood Coast for a bit less than a month now, and I continue to be bowled over by how beautiful it is here. There's truly a bit of everything within just a few miles. Mountains, rivers, and forests (and such forests!) Cities (well, large towns, anyway), small towns, and farms. Sandy beaches, rocky beaches, and seaside cliffs. There's at least a little sun and a little fog nearly every day.

The city (Eureka) feels less like a seaport than any seaport I've seen. There's no seagulls, no salt spray in the air, and rather than nautical-themed houses there's Victorian gingerbread everywhere. It's compact enough that you can walk anywhere, and almost every walk is lovely.

The other day I needed to buy a couple of bolts, and that's when I discovered that I had to buy them at (gasp!) a hardware store. There's no Home Depot, no Lowe's, no OSH anywhere in town. If there's a Wal-Mart, I don't know where it is. In fact, I think you can count the "big box" stores on one hand. (Fortunately, there is a Costco!)

Maybe it's the change of scenery, or just getting up and out of the basement, but it occurred to me last night that, since I've been here, I haven't had an episode of grinding, despairing depression, the sort of day where you just can't pull yourself together. I'm accustomed to those days, and while three weeks is not a long time, it's a positive sign.

In the meantime, things are slowly beginning to happen. More on this later in the week.