*
*
It's cold and clear here today. When I looked out early this morning I saw that Scudder Pond froze overnight. I haven't seen the Pacific Ocean since 2008 and may not see it again, but can hear it if I pay attention to my breathing.
Bellingham is located on the Salish Sea, which meets the Pacific Ocean about 100 miles to the west of here, as the crow flies. There is no quick and easy way to get to there from here. The journey begins with a 1.5-hour drive, mostly on 2-lane country roads, to a 30-minute ferry ride and then more than 4 hours, again on 2-lane country roads, before arriving on treacherous bluffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean.
I'm grateful for the nearby presence of salt water, lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds, marshes, forests, and the rain that is so much a part of life in Western Washington. I dream of visiting the Pacific Ocean again, but it seems more and more unlikely for various reasons due to my life circumstances. And yet, who knows what the future will bring?
*
Here is what Morelle wrote from the Scottish Borders today:
Walking by the river the other day I realised that the solstice is more than a moment or a day marked on the calendar. It felt as if I entered a different place with a different atmosphere, one that side-stepped the framework of time. A stillness, a peacefulness, a pause, a sense of intimacy with the bare trees, the river, and the overcast sky with its range of subtle greys. This solstice zone.
*
