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Goodbye California

Can this be true?

One very Smokey September

After 27 wonderful and sometimes painful years for me and 30 for Julia we are leaving California. Portland Oregon will be our new home in perpetuity. I know, how can this be?

Julia and I took off after the September fires began and headed north to escape the smoke and horrors of what has become regrettably a California staple. We landed in Portland and fell in love with the place. It’s a small city reminiscent of the Bay Area when I first arrived many years ago now. Surrounded with green forests, crisscrossed with flowing rivers, and filled with friendly people it is irresistible. Well this has been our experience so far.

It seems like a quick decision, but in fact we have been exploring the idea of leaving for a long time. The current fires in California, and those over the last three years combined with very convincing climate change data, increased our motivation, and accelerated our move. Plus, we’re not getting any younger and looking after Exeter is getting more difficult each year. Consider that Julia broke her wrist earlier this year gardening on our steep hillsides. Well, these are the arguments we have convinced ourselves of for the move.

I guess only time will tell if our newfound love of Portland will continue. Anyway, we are leaving behind our home and friends to start anew in a cooler place. A land of more rain and hopefully less fire.


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