"The Winter of our Discontent"

September 8th 2010

So quoted Richard II in the opening line of the play of the same name. Its only appropriate to quote from Shakespeare as we complete our six week stint in this great small town. But quite the opposite, this was our "Summer of Contentment". What a wonderful time we had!

Some of the highlights:

1. New friends..lots of them..transplants from Alaska, San Francisco, the Mid-West, the South, Ireland, New Zealand..you name it.

2. Never having turned on a TV with so many other things to do, day and night.

3. Walking everywhere, parking my car and hardly driving at all.

4. Mixing with the actors as part of the community

5. Trees, trees everywhere and daily visits thru Lithia Park

6. Deer and fawns in my backyard every day

7. Lots of local shops with friendly owners who always have time for a hello and a smile

8. Saturday and Tuesday local growers markets

9. Mountains changing colors as the day moves from sunrise to sunset

Ashland is a very special place not only for the culture and the surrounding natural beauty, but also for the people who live here. The town is a melting pot for many who came of age in the sixties and those of the younger generation who want a life of simpler things without the bling.

The town has undergone quite a change from the logging community it was only 30 years ago.

I close with the words of famous photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson:

"Change is never just about beginning and end

states, but also about that magically indefinite

gap between them.”