Our Pandemic Walk

In February of the year 2020, our family had gathered at our Seaview, Washington cottage to memorialize our beloved Wheaton Terrier, Elliott, who had recently died.  In view of local Covid-19 advisories and family urging, we decided to remain in our small coastal village as much as possible.  My wife Bette and I thus instituted our daily “Pandemic Walk,” about a 2 mile stroll to and along our nearby shoreline where nearby Cape Disappointment State Park and the Town of Long Beach have established a 28 mile “Discovery Trail” midst the beach, dune grass and coastal pines.  We have continued our daily trek for the past four years, each morning, evening or, sometimes, both. We never tire of the sounds of the sea, the wind, and the multitude of birds obviating any need for electronic sound input.  By the same token, each walk brings new colors as the sun passes overhead from east to west and new plant and animal wildlife sample the ever changing seasons.