I miss living in Mt. Shasta

I think it's because of the cabin with the loft and waking up looking at the mountain through nature these past 3 days that I remember living here in Mt. Shasta before. From 1976 when my youngest child was 2 I lived off and on in Mt. Shasta between 1976 and 1992. So I haven't lived here for about 22 years now. However, since this is my spiritual home I come up here about once every three months on average (more now since my youngest daughter has gone away to college). (Empty nest syndrome). So, in order for my wife and I both to be happy I'm gone more since I can afford to travel more. And eventually when traveling is less painful for her than it is now recovering from a knee replacement hopefully she will start to travel more with me.

However, I prefer a more rustic form of travel whereas she usually wants to go 1st class. I like to be near friends and in the wilds as much as possible and she prefers a more gentile and city or suburban form of travel. So, taking these trips and visiting friends and going into the wilds works for both of us at this point in our life.

I'm really grateful to have a wife that understands if I go to wild places I eat less, the air is thinner which makes me lose weight and I hike a lot at high altitudes with friends, take pictures and this keeps me alive longer too. If I'm at home on the northern California coast I walk my dogs there every day in the coastal forests or along the ocean and that helps keep me in shape and alive at 66 years of age.

But, coming to wild places really puts more of a strain on my heart and lungs being at 3500 to 10,000 feet in altitude and so this makes me healthier and more adaptable too. Plus I love the out of doors and skiing and hiking with friends in the wilderness. I have all my life. Wilderness has always been my church of 1st choice where I can talk to God 24 hours a day without all the stupid stuff of complicated life in suburbia or in a city.