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It’s not something one is inclined to think about, though of course it makes perfect sense:
The east slope of a hill darkens earlier.
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You might think that same slope would receive daylight sooner too, but as you can see, this is not the case here.
Every morning, the world comes awake beyond that screen of trees, while we are still in darkness.
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Simply a matter of the topography, of course.
The house across the valley sits at the top of another hill and it probably enjoys two hours additional daylight every day.
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But I enjoy watching the shadows elongate, one way, then the other.
Morning shadows point west.
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And I’m a fan of back-lighting.
As views go, ours is not bad.
It certainly beats a few I’ve had.
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After a year Washington State, I decided I would be staying and set about finding a property, hiring a realtor who was *friends with a colleague.
*Something I do not recommend, having done it twice.
The realtor took me to look at a condo which I immediately fell in love with as it had a stunning view of Mt Rainier.
The place was perfect, but by the time that woman finished messing about, someone else had snagged it.
It was the one time in my adult life I’d actually got excited about something, but it was not to be.
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The place I ended up purchasing was an identical unit in a brand new complex and if I strained my neck, I could see the mountain.
It was quite nice, but not the same.
(not my picture)
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The other let-down was by a moving company owned by a friend’s relative.
It was my first home purchase and I’d been living in a shoe box, so I didn’t have a great deal of stuff.
Maybe in truth that was the problem. Too small a job.
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Being the organised person I was in those days, I had transferred all of the manageable items myself and even arranged for the phone to be cut off that day, which of course was a mistake.
This was long before cellphones so I had to go downstairs to my landlord to make a call the no-show movers.
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“Oh, it’s raining.” was the excuse.
WHAT?
In fact it was barely raining, but I was so flummoxed I only asked if they would come the following day, deciding that sleeping on my new floor would be just fine.
Moving is one of life’s great stressors and every time I’ve done it I swear never to again, but like pain, once it’s gone you forget the awfulness.
It is always a help if you have plenty of time for your move which I never managed. Even after I was retired, somehow my relocations always had time constraints.
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It would have been nice to drive to Seattle, when I relocated from New York, but other obligations tied me up, so I arranged for my car to be collected from in front of a friend’s house and transferred by truck.
In Seattle I rented a vehicle for what was supposed to be a few days, but then discovered that I had contracted with a scallywag who had no intention of fulfilling his part of the transaction.
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Twice, I helped my parents to move and after my mother died, my father moved another five times.
Good grief – five! I’d forgotten.
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Moving is very stressful, yet it also affords you a new outlook.
It shakes you up and when the dust settles often it’s not just the view that has changed but your mindset.
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Afternoon east-pointing shadows
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I once moved 3 times in less than 2 years, and it took me a full year to get over the stress of that period. So I do understand, completely.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thank you, Carolyn, for your fascinating memories about moving and all the tribulations connected with this stressful fact of life. Now, I am settled, but before moving from a smaller house to a much larger one was a joyful occasion as I like to arrange things inside and outside.
As always, I love your photographic talent!
Joanna
Another very appropriate topic to read! Moving is not for the faint-hearted (something I have just realised again)! But as you say, once the dust settles (and all the boxes are unpacked), then one soon forgets about the stress and inconvenience caused by the ordeal! And may I just add: It’s wonderful to enjoy your beautiful photos again … your views are indeed not bad at all!