Conversations

Beautiful day...The weather here in Cincinnati (for the next three days) is simply amamzing! The leaves are beginning to change and the fall sunshine is just warm enough but not blazingly hot. I spent the afternoon in the park...walked my 5 miles and then spent the afternoon working on my French verbs, grammer and reading an excellent new book. "Guns, Germs and Steel" its an unorthodox historical look at the reasons developing countries took over more quickly than those that remained agrarian/hunter-gatherer societies. Very interesting.

So anyhow...I had a great conversation last evening with a friend who I hadn't spoken with since June. It really made me remember why I love to travel and got me to thinking again about how much I love the outdoors. I did some quick research to refresh my memory of the area this friend was traveling to for vacation and now I have the bug to see Seattle, Portland and the west coast region again. I was there two years ago (yikes, i can't believe it was that long ago), and while there simply fell in love with the region. The people are so friendly and real. The true joy the people of the upper northwest take in exploring the outdoors in all its splendor was so fun to see. The areas tend to be very environmentally conscious and the fresh food and bold combinations are a pleasure for anyones palate. No matter if you love hiking, biking, mt climbing, cave exploring or just walking through the breathtaking gardens the upper northwest has something for everyone. If you taste runs more to the cosmopolitan and cultural scene the upper northwest is home to some of the best indepent film makers and artists/art galleries throughout the entire United States. Of course never would one of my trips be complete without a visit to a winery or two...so let me say that once again the upper northwest has true value for any visitor.

Ahhhh, with weather like this I wish I had my mt bike here with me. There are so many great trails in this area and the smell of the fall leaves and the grasses is so appealing. Actually I wonder why Goldenrod was ever classified as a weed? I was walking on one of the nature trails on Woodland Mound Park and there was an abundance of Black-eyed Susans, daisy's, Goldenrod, Milkweed, Queen Annes Lace, decorative grasses and other plant life that I don't know and I just wonder why some plants such as Goldenrod are so beautiful yet are classified as weeds. What makes a weed a weed?

Questions that make you wonder?


So anyhow...its been a fantastic weekend and hopefully this week will continue that positive trend! Just think...next Sat I fly out for Mpls, MN!