Oregon Twilight
Published May 17, 2011
Cruising down Highway 58 in Oregon, I passed through some beautiful country. Unfortunately I didn’t have much time to stop and appreciate it because I had to be at my motel by 10pm or do without a bed for the night. I did stop a couple of times: once as I was passing by Odell Lake around sunset and then again a bit later when the colors were amazing. The terrain had a quiet beauty not quite like anything I’ve seen before – almost surreal – deep twilight-blue sky reflecting on a stream maundering lazily through brush colored in amber, burnt orange and reds. There was not a soul in sight. I took a deep breath and felt more human than I had in months. Standing there in that cool quiet space between light and darkness, I couldn’t help but wonder what it is that sometimes makes me feel more human when there are no other humans around.
Then it was back in the car to make my way through the darkness guided only by stars above my moonroof (well, okay, and my GPS) to The Aspen Inn where I was suddenly grateful for other humans and met the lovely Sue and Heidi. There I was warmly welcomed, fortified with warm soup, and bundled off with supplies to the cleanest motel room ever. I took a snapshot of the entrance the next morning before I left, promising to return soon.
