Yesterday was one of those days where nature reminds me why I like living here. Driving down the highway I was literally surrounded by mountains. To the north the Coast Mountains; to the east the North Cascades Mountains; to the south the Olympic Mountains; and to the west the Vancouver Island Ranges, specifically the Seymour and Gowlland Ranges. As a passenger in the car I could see all of these at the same time!
There are endless things to write about all these mountains. From the marvellous names like Shuksan, Baker, Judge-Howay, Crown, Elphinstone and so on to the endless history they have, from First Nations to the modern day. Examples include Frederick Seymour and the sadly inevitable plane crashes like this one. Then there’s the simple fact that I can’t help being inspired by the sheer majesty of nature I live amongst.
I could talk endlessly about the birds that inhabit the mountains, even if I don’t really have the knowledge to do it justice. I could talk about how the city is not only close to the mountains but things like bears and coyotes that live there. I could talk about the different micro climates that exist close to the mountains but extend only as far as you can drive in a typical 15 minute drive.
The possibilities are as I mentioned, endless. So rather than write about any of that I will focus on this endless quality. The landscape is certainly one of the reasons I love living in this part of the world, but I’m beginning to realize another is this endlessness. It’s as much about the freedom and space it creates in my head as it is about the glorious pictures my eyes record from the outside.
Which rather conveniently allows me to finish by saying it’s about something and nothing!
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