Blogging from beautiful Mount Shasta, California. No, not the top of the mountain, wherein reside the "wee people," but the town of the same name, at the base of the muontain. Here's a view from the southeast.

Mount Shasta has become a regular vacation spot for our family, thanks in part to a dear friend in the Bay Area, whom we first got to know in Chicago, way back in the 80s. She and her husband have a second home up here, and generously let us stay there if it's not occupied.

Fall seems to have set in already. Very breezy and cool. We're going to brave a short hike today anyhow. Drove down Sunday from Seattle. The 530 miles took about nine hours, including some pit stops. The late summer evening light over the Siskyous, from Ashland, Oregon south across the state line, was a bright, deep orange-yellow. Pretty immense.

Going around town, I'm reminded again how many mega-churches there are here, in the land of crystals and aromatherapy. Probably a good thing. Conservatives and nature go a ways back, actually.

TO COMMENT: The regular comment feature is not in operation now. However, you can e-mail me your comments on this post, at the address accessed under "Contact," at the top of my "Main" page. I'll add them, here.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at August 30, 2005 11:22 AM