Goosebumps

There is this time of night — well, 1:30 in the morning to be exact — when the whole house is dark and the traffic on the highway has died down. I go into the kitchen where the windows aren’t covered and stare out at the hills and the silhouettes of all the trees that surround us. Goosebumps. Never fails.

I can’t say with certainty why we love Oregon so much but couldn’t handle Connecticut. They’re both green, with some beautiful scenery and a great emphasis on outdoor activities.  Maybe it was just the bad timing in our personal lives of when we chose to go to the east coast that soured the whole experience for us. Connecticut felt claustrophobic to me, the trees oppressive. Maybe it’s the open spaces in Oregon that let me appreciate the trees more.

I just really like standing in my kitchen at 1:30 in the morning and looking out into the darkness. Contentment, with goosebumps.

EE Wilson Wildlife Area (January, 2007)