Man, I'm missing the cool weather of the Oregon Coast these days. Right now in Houston we're in the thick of our summer heat and humidity. I keep imagining what that cool, misty, Oregon coast felt like several weeks ago. There is something very personal about the draw to the northern Oregon coast for me. I'm not sure if it's because of trips that my family made to that region when I was a kid (most of which are tangled in the cobwebs of my memory) or if it's because that area is such a stark contrast to where I currently live. Over the past 4 years we've made 3 trips to that area, and each time I think about what it would be like to retire there.

Just got back from an amazing two week vacation to the Pacific Northwest. We spent a week in western Montana with my parents in their new house on the lake, and then a week with Alicia's Mom in Newberg, Oregon. Side trips included the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon coast (mainly Cannon Beach and Seaside), and Mt. Hood.
This photo is from the south end of Trillium Lake, looking north to Mt. Hood. My parents tell me we camped here as a kid, and I'm ashamed to say I can't remember this beautiful place. (But I do remember a trip up to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood)
I'm beginning to think that the reason God placed me in Houston, Texas is to no longer take for granted where I live. I now really appreciate the beauty of the Western United States, and each time I travel out of Houston I'm put at awe to the beauty of the west. Someday we will return. Oregon? Idaho? Montana? Only God knows where, but we hope to return.