In the spring of 2006, Pam and I decided to make a huge life decision in moving from PA to the Pacific Northwest. In the process of preparing ourselves for a change in lifestyle, we were forced to consider many things. We had the option to move to CA, AZ, UT, or WA. After carefully researching many attributes of each area, we decided on moving to the Vancouver area, all of this prior to Pam ever visiting the area. I had been here just once for two days on business, a week prior. After committing to the move, Pam and I visited for three days in February of 2006. Of the three days we were here, skies were clear as could be on two of them. On the trip back to airport, crossing the Glenn Jackson Bridge, the clear view of Mt. Hood as we looked across the Columbia River said it all. We were sold. Six weeks later, I was here. Living alone for almost 8 weeks, for the first time in a few years, I missed Pam and my son, Howie (not quite 3 at the time) so much that I can barely describe it. Alas, June arrived and we had sold the house on 5 country acres in central PA. It was time to move the family westward. Much anticipation and excitement ensued. Howies first plane ride; Pam coming to the PNW in hopes of finding work with the company she was currently employed by, my new career that had me traveling all around the western states, making new friends, etc. Fortunately, most everything has worked out, with just a few bumps and bruises along the way. Within a month or so of living here, we decided to purchase a camera as I had some minor interest in taking photos. It was Sony point and shoot, the Cyber Shot DSC-H5, and it did the job well for what I wanted. In retrospect, I wish I had known anything at all about photography then. After settling in for a few weeks, on Labor Day weekend, 2006, we decided to visit Mt. Hood for the very first time. The accompanying photos are from that trip. I do not remember the complete lineage of these photos, except that they were shot with a Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H5, and the photos were printed on Canon 4x6 photo paper. Today, I finally dug them out of the garage and scanned them with my Canon MG6120 Photo Printer, and edited just a bit in Lightroom 5. While these photos are far from great quality, the significance of them to me is one that is almost of a surreal quality and the fact that I spent a very meaningful day with my beloved wife and son is irreplaceable. Prior to 2006, I had never seen a mountain of this magnitude in person. The highest elevation in all of PA is around 3200 feet. To this day, eight and a half years of viewing Mt. Hood regularly, albeit from the distance of Clark County, WA, I am still in awe of the mountains in the western U.S., especially this one that I call Majestic. Never once has there been a question regarding making the best decision for my family to be here in the PNW, the best place on Earth. We are very proud to call it home.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 05:12:26 +0000
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