I'm very fortunate I live where I live. Some would say I live in the country with dairy farms within an easy drive, the Olympic Mountains almost in my backyard and of course the Olympic National Park just a stone's throw away. Well, maybe they'd be right. And I like that. But it wasn't always that way.
I grew up in Los Angeles during the 50 and 60's. It was the city. City life is much different than country life. At least it was back then. My dad made a decision that when he retired he would move his family away from the city and into the country. He grew up in Lake Stevens, Washington and decided to bring his family back to Washington. The place? Sequim. That was in 1971. He moved the family away from the city into an area that is so different today than it was back then. Those dairy farms were everywhere. Sequim was known for them. A lot has changed though. Sequim has become more like a city than ever before. We have the box stores now, Walmart, Costco, Home Depot and alike. The state is finally getting around to making Hwy 101 four lanes all the way to Port Angeles! I remember when 101 ran through the heart of Sequim. That was before the bypass.
And those dairy farms? Well, some are still here. But most have been sold as their owners passed away and their heirs decided there was more money in the land than in the hard work of raising cows for milk. Now the Dungeness area is dotted with two and three story monuments of success, built by retirees who come from all points of the compass looking to get away from the city and find a place in the country. Do I begrudge them for wanting to find a better place to live? Not at all. I can't really. We came looking for that same thing over 40 years ago. And the real settlers who came in the 1800's and homesteaded the area? They really are no different than those of the 21st century who are looking for a place in the country to call their own. It is just much easier to do these days than it was back then. But the drive to find a place in the country is evident in most of us I think. Not all of course. The city has its draw. Lot's of things to do. Bright lights. Fast pace. Oh yeah, and work. Unfortunately, that is what draws a lot of people to the city in the first place. Work and opportunity.
That is why you see so many retired folks coming to the Peninsula and not so many working types. The retirees come with money and the working folks come looking for work but find little unless it is to service those retirees with money. They will come to take less paying jobs just so their children can live in the country and have a quality of life not found in the city. I'm speaking in general of course. There are always exceptions both ways.
So what's the point of this blog? Well now I'm the retiree. Last year I retired from Clallam County Road Dept. I spent 20 years building and maintaining Clallam County's east end roads. It was a very good job with great people to work with and for. But times do change and now I'm heading in another direction. One that maybe I should have taken many moons ago.
You see I have loved art since sitting in front of the tube watching a program in the early 60's hosted by artist Jon Gnagy. Jon was a bohemian looking dude with a goatee with a love to share his talent with others. I bought his art kit and would sit with it on Saturday mornings, drawing along with Jon. It was my start in art, you might say. Through the decades I never lost my love of art, although it may have been put on a shelf occasionally. Now I find myself back in school 42 years after graduating Westerchester High School in LA. I'm taking an AAS degree in multimedia graphic design at Peninsula College in Port Angeles. Which includes my favorite subject .... photography. I want to get better and that is what aim to do.
And because I live on the Peninsula with the Olympic Mountains in my backyard and the Olympic National Park a stone's throw away I find great photo opportunities close to home. And as I have ran to and fro across the Olympic Peninsula and beyond, like Jon Gnagy, I want to share my experiences, photos, and tips that I have acquired in the last 15 years photographing this incredible area. So stay tuned and see what comes up week to week on this blog. I'll try to make it worth your while.
No comments:
Post a Comment