Living in the beautiful NW offers so many peaceful, recreational choices. There are the tall rugged mountains, the rock cliffs, the lakes, the rivers and hiking trails. So many choices, so little time. Even with all these choices, I'd rather go to the little piece of land I cherish - the one I own. The one that offers me solitude and a sense of wonderment that I can't find anywhere else. There's a peace that I can't find at home. It's not too far and it's not too close. It's just far enough away to provide a get away that allows me to escape my cell phone and computer.

Now don't get me wrong. I like conveniences. After sleeping on the ground a few times, I missed having a soft place to put my head. Therefore, I brought up a trailer. That was good. I then realized I always wanted a tree house. So that was built. There's something about being in the trees and looking down that brings back a sense of childhood. I even added solar lights so I could read at night. I then added a propane heater so I could keep warm in the treehouse. I realized I liked the treehouse better than the trailer. What was I missing now? Well, I realized that a place to take a shower would be good. So, I talked a friend into building me a showerhouse. Taking a hot shower in the middle of the woods was something you have to experience to appreciate. I had everything. Well, almost. I always wanted an outdoor kitchen. Okay, I had another friend build me an outdoor kitchen. Now I had it all. Well almost - again.

I had started taking ballroom dance lessons. Wouldn't it be great to build a big dance floor in the middle of the woods? Who has that? I had to have it. So, I had built a 20 x 20 dance floor that had a breathtaking view of Mt. Hood and some cliffs. But there was one more thing I thought would be really cool. Satellite TV? I almost got one. Then I realized I had done enough to bring the city to the woods. What I had been escaping was filtering into my escape. I realized I had to be careful what I asked for. The privacy wall I had been put up was starting to fall down. Count my blessings, be grateful and appreciative for what I had. Sometimes we literally can't see the forest for the trees....