In moments of great stress, every life form that exists gives out a tiny sublimal signal. This signal simply communicates an exact and almost pathetic sense of how far that being is from the place of his birth. On Earth it is never possible to be further than sixteen thousand miles from your birthplace, which really isn't very far, so such signals are too minute to be noticed. Ford Prefect was at this moment under great stress, and he was born 600 light years away in the near vicinity of Betelgeuse.I miss the Northwest already. The forests, the mountains, the water, heck, even the weather puts me at ease in a way nothing in Florida can. It's odd, but I get a sense of closeness and comfort there; when I am outdoors in Florida (if I can find a place and time in nature that isn't too hot, bug-infested, and inaccessible), there is a palpable sense of loneliness that hits me. The realization made me think of that Adams quote.
—from Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Chapter 3
I scanned a couple of books by John Muir while in the gift shop at Mt. Rainier, and he seemed to capture some of the grandeur I saw. I know I'll end up buying books, but not at gift-shop pricing, thank you. I found myself all pensive and quiet, but not in a bad way at all.
I'm already pondering a trip to Portland in the Fall.
