"Take me to the river..."

Nearly every Astoria street is defined by its angle of river view...unique unto its location, latitude or longitude. 

The river running right past our little town is a talisman; a soothing, calming presence as well as inspirational. As much as I love road trips, the river itself is the ultimate road, beckoning with a greater sense of freedom, an elemental appeal that tarmac and concrete just can't match. It provides an endless parade of color, light and activity: Ships, marine life and a vast array of flotsam and jetsam ride past in its currents. The skies above are reflected on its surface.

At any one time, you will find impossibly-numbered shades of blue and gray, or the purples, pinks, oranges and reds of sunset and rise. This river is the very reason "we" are here. It is the (commercial, environmental, transportation, literal) core of this (Lower Columbia) region, a magnetic presence even before we were here.

An ever-changing and interactive view, courtesy of the Columbia River

 Consequently, I feel that it's important to maintain public access to the river.
Visually, physically, as well as practically. Fishing, commerce and pleasure vessels use it constantly.


  Even on a grey, low-ceiling day, it is a focal point.
From the city's streets and sidewalks laid out over the hills of town, it's where the eye naturally settles, and inevitably follows westward to where the river meets the sea. Dreams follow suit.
                  A mental cleansing, of sorts.

Very often, the river is pivotal in turning around my mood. Sitting still and watching the tide flow past is meditative in nature. The smell of a clean river is something irresistible to me.
 One early late winter evening, on our way back from the beach for sunset, the river called me to detour, beckoning my presence at its side; a barely audible whisper I could not ignore.
The water had turned to liquid black, reflecting a glittering array of lights. The night was calm and clear, as darkness settled into the region. To the west, a sublime stripe of maroon and persimmon burned silhouetted objects on the horizon into sharp relief. Opposite, and low in the eastern sky, a magnified, mellow, golden moon held court over snow-dusted hills. Ships sat quietly at anchor. I experienced a surge of equanimity as I observed and existed in this magical landscape.
Every sense felt renewed, and my psyche soothed; gratefully overwhelmed, immersed in the beauty laid out before me. Glad I acted on the impulse, heeded the river's beck.

 I will return, often, some other time(s).
           I always take with me some fodder for daydreams, and other mental meanderings.