The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

"Home", 2020. That's Waitsburg this morning from Cell Tower Hill. My house is behind the big tree circled in blue and labelled "HOME." "Downtown" is right there in the center of the photo, and Ten Ton Coffee is right in the middle of it (another story). The dark hills in the distance are the Blue Mountains. The sky in the image is rather dull because of the smoke from the Oregon wildfires. It got worse as the day and the atmosphere evolved.

Of all the small wheat towns in Eastern Washington that I have been to (ALL of them), I don't think any come close to being as remotely as attractive or livable as Waitsburg. I am amazed to find myself content to just BE here, day after day, with no particular need to go anywhere exotic anymore - just simply BEING. That is a form of contentment that eluded me for way too long. I am finally home! (And No, I've not lost my marbles - my soul is maturing. If you don't "get" the simple joy of just being, don't worry about it. I'm OK, and a lot of people know exactly what I am talking about.)

The straw bales in the foreground were bound two days ago and will probably be stacked elsewhere very shortly, pending shipment to the West Side (206, 425, 360), China, or some Norwegian Christmas-tree mass production straw ornament factory (also in China). Timing is essential if you want to capture our native straw bales in their natural habitat around these parts!

Can you find one of my favorite "eyebrows" on one of the hills in the sorta "near" background?