Willie Shakespeare, in a Midsummer Nights Dream, wrote:

Over hill, over dale,

Through bush, through briar,

Over park, over pale,

Through blood, through fire,

I do wander everywhere …

Well, yup … that’s what we sometimes do. This time, in the southeast corner of Washington and adjacent Oregon, we explore the wonders of the West. The local population is sparse … this is a land where the business of life settles down to a regular pace.

The road curls gently down …

Then gets a little more precipitous …

… ever reaching toward the stream below. I wonder what awaits us there?

This is the Grande Ronde River Canyon … famous for Steelhead, Small Mouth Bass fishing! When we reach the bottom, we’re going to stop at Boggan’s Oasis. What’s there?

Homemade apple pie! An amazing view. A breather after winding down the narrow cliffside road. As we sit, a big RV rolls in … their driver asks “is the road going out the other side better … my wife is scared to death.” It’s not, we tell him – best to sit and enjoy the coffee, some pie. He scurries out. Oh, well.

But, later down the road, even more beauty awaits …

The Nez Perce once lived here. They dined on salmon, enjoyed Camas bulbs, and were traders of their stuff to all who came by. Chief Joseph was one of theirs. They roamed these hills and valleys, migrating to the lower areas in the winter. They lived in “long houses” in the valleys … using the winters to remember the past.

This is what they saw … now called the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Stark, untrammeled, with stunning vistas and peaceful settings.

Simply living well.