Dear Liza,
Before I moved to Portland, I lived in Salinas, where the land is very flat. The wide Salinas Valley runs for about a hundred miles, wide and flat. Down most streets you can see a long way.

Portland has a river, too, bigger and wider than the Salinas, but the Willamette hasn’t flattened things out much.

Portland has lots of hills and lots of trees. Looking at anything more than a block away involves looking through things. And I am loving it.
Having to look through things and past things makes my brain work harder, and ask questions.

Is it the house I love, or the view of the house beyond the rock garden and blossoms?

Would this flower look as lovely if it were all by itself? (Probably not, I answer myself).
And why does the moon just look prettier through trees?

Anyway, I hope you love the street you live on as much as I love mine!
Love,
Grandma Judy