Living in God's Country

I meant to do my work today,
But a brown bird sang in an apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the trees were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land
Tossing the grasses to and fro
And a rainbow held out its shining hand
So what else could I do but laugh and go?

-- Richard Le Galimin



There are two seasons in Humboldt County: wet with a good chance of mud slide, and dry with a remote chance of sun. And during the dry season, this is one of the most gorgeous places on earth. When the sun is out and the air is warm, it's easy to forget the many downsides to living behind the Redwood Curtain.

Yesterday was the perfect example: the type of day when something inside me stands up, looks around appreciatively, and then handcuffs itself to the nearest support post shrieking "You'll never take me from here alive!"

Of course, living on the coast means our cambrian days are limited. The inland valleys may be warm, but the gray overcast gets hoovered to the coastline in a matter of days. After a record-setting wet season, I'm hoping the dry season will be here through October. Right now it looks like June Gloom is setting in.

Behind the Redwood Curtain