I had no idea that I live in a nuclear free zone!

On my way back home, I meandered even more than how much I have recently been doing.  At this rate, if I don't watch out, soon my path home might be via New York City!

It was a pleasant late afternoon, with an occasional fine sprinkling from above.  The hills in the distance looked bluer than usual.  The greens of various hues were all brilliant.  There was no way I was not going to take in as much as I could.

I indicated left almost as a reflex.  And I was off on a narrow country road.

I wonder if I would have enjoyed the scenery as much if I had grown up here.  Do kids growing up here know what a paradise this is, or are they counting down the days to get the hell out of here, like kids often seem to do?  Even if they feel that way now, the older they get, will they feel the urge to come back here from wherever they are?

Farmlands had been recently tilled, and there was that earthy smell in the air. The sky and the clouds looked gorgeous.  I had to pull over.

The country road wasn't straight for even a hundred feet, it felt like, and had a whole lot of twists and turns.  Some turns were ninety degrees and more.  All the more the reason for me to drive slowly and that is what I did.  As I passed a T-junction, I made eye contact with a much older man driving some farm equipment and waiting at the stop sign.  Waiting for me to pass.  He nodded his head to mean hello.  So typical of of what we would refer to as the salt of the earth.  I thought if I stopped and chatted with him, well, maybe he would even invite me over for supper.  I was tempted.  Life in this paradise is full of such temptations.

As I passed a sign board, it felt as if there was something odd about the board.  There was no traffic and I backed up the vehicle to that signpost.  Sure enough, there was something strange: a board that proclaimed that it was a nuclear free zone.

That is Oregon for you. No, that's so Eugene!

I resumed driving. At about 25 miles per hour.  It was my choice to drive at that speed on a road that is not often taken.  How much we miss out by taking the same well traversed paths!

Cows were idly standing under a rain roof.  Sheep grazing on velvety green grass.  I could have just parked there and watched them until the sky turned dark.  But, I didn't.

A couple miles later, the road ended at the highway.  It seemed like my mini vacation ended quite abruptly when I had to step on the gas pedal and drive at sixty in order to keep up with the flow.

As I neared home, I realized that this deviation from the usual route had taken up an entire hour.  I suppose there is an advantage to being divorced and single and without even a dog at home--I can take such a leisurely approach and forget all about the straight lines of life.