I’m sitting on my mom’s back porch, swaying with the breeze on her porch swing. The wind chimes are competing with the rustling leaves for my attention while I occasionally check in on the chess game unfolding before me between my mom and oldest son.

SHROUDED IN SMOKE
We’ve been parked in her driveway for over a week and our hearts have been filled with a myriad of memories in that brief blink of time. When we first arrived in Northeast Washington, forest fires provided a blanket, shrouding the mountains in smoke.

I grew up here. I’ve driven these roads and skied these waters. My mind is able to pull back the curtain of smoke and know that despite the layers hiding it, beauty is here. Continue reading “shrouded beauty | Kettle Falls, WA”