Dear Editor:
Remember the week before last when we finally had rain? That was when I noticed a robin splashing water from a puddle in our driveway. The sight gave me great pleasure like never before. In fact, just having the puddle was quite a morale booster.
These simple outdoor pleasures occur all the time. Some are obvious, like the large bull moose I saw standing beside the road recently. And on the same day, while fishing in complete solitude, I watched a dark shape appear behind the 40cm cutthroat that I had hooked. It was shaped like a torpedo and was easily twice as long as my frantic quarry. Fortunately, the bull trout went hungry, and I released the unharmed cutthroat with a whispered, “Good luck.”
“Satchmo” Armstrong used to sing “What a Wonderful World,” and even in these troubled times, the simple pleasures are still there if we just look for them. There is even a benefit in smoky skies. Slathering on sunscreen becomes an option instead of a necessity. So try to minimize the bad and be grateful for the good life in our own wonderful world, here in the Columbia Valley.
Bob Hahn, Juniper Heights
