Chicanes

Life is interesting.

Maybe an understatement, but undoubtedly true.

When I was in High School... more years ago than I care to admit... I was in the band. I played trombone, and I had a great time at it. I wasn't super serious about it, but it was a blast and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

One year we came on band tour to the northwest of the United States. Our journey took us through several western states, with stops along the way. One of the places we'd stopped was Grants Pass, Oregon. I was immediately attracted to the place - not only for it's natural beauty, which is surpassing, but for the good people we met here, for the indescribable feeling that exists in a small town that calls its citizens back from wherever they may roam. It is small enough to be close knit, and large enough to have everything that a town should.

It was one of those places that gets stuck in the back of your mind, that if there was EVER a chance to get back there, one would jump at it. I'd even wistfully thought of it as a place to retire, when the time came.

When my good friend Michael Black, with whom I'd attended grad school, came out here to be the Director of Community Development, I was more than a little envious. But then, just a few months ago, I'd heard that he was hiring an assistant. Well, naturally I looked into the opportunity. Everything worked out, and here I am. I've been here for three days now, and the shock and pleasure is renewed every time I drive down the road, walk around downtown, or even just think about how life is truly good sometimes.

I am so excited to be here. There is a lot going on in this small-ish community, and I can't wait to jump in and get to work. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. I will do what I can to help.

National Park

The Google art thing for today is honoring the 123rd anniversary of the creation of Yosemite National Park. It's the second oldest, after Yellowstone, and one of the most majestic places on earth. Being conveniently located about half-way between San Francisco and Los Angeles, but far enough away that you kind of have to want to go there, the place is visited by thousands every year.

National parks are America's gift to itself. We, the people, set aside these areas to protect, preserve, and enjoy them, making sure that they're available for our own use, but also for future generations as well. It's one of America's best ideas, and one that is important to the legacy of conservation, environmental protection, and wildlife preservation. It was in a National Park that I first started feeling my own desire to become interested in the environment and its preservation.

I have been to many National Parks and Monuments, and they're all incredibly lovely. The National Parks Service deserves great credit for what they do. Having the dual mandate to preserve and protect, and also provide access to, the natural beauty, the Service is faced with difficult and often conflicting challenges. They handle these things well, however, carefully balancing the need to keep the places clean and natural with the need to help people become aware of the beauty that is there.

Today the National Parks are closed due to the political wrangling going on in Washington. Because it's well into the fall and slow season, I'd imagine not many are going to be affected by this closure - as opposed to say Memorial Day weekend. But it highlights the importance of these places. Even if we cannot go visit today, we can still explore online and discover new and exciting places to go visit. It's fun to plan trips out to these great natural treasures and dream about what it would be like to be there.

And perhaps, in the meantime, Congress can get itself sorted. :) We can only hope.