Small Town Living

I live in a small town on the Columbia River west of I-5. You might say we live off the beaten path. Most of the time living off the path is just fine with me but it has its disadvantages.

The hiway between our town and civilization east of here is the most beautiful drive you can imagine. For several miles the drive is right along one of the most spectacular rivers in the world. The hiway is between the river and high cliffs to the north. The drive, though beautiful, is often treacherous. Rain soaked cliffs release rocks onto the road and deer and elk often cross the road at night.

Over the weekend several large rock slides closed the road to Longview and the estimated time to fix the road is uncertain. The only way to drive east of here is to take the Puget Island Ferry or to drive to Astoria and cross the bridge at Megler. A forty-five minute drive has become a half-day experience either waiting two to three hours for the ferry or adding an extra three hours a day for the drive around to the Oregon side of the river.

People in my town are amazing. They have found creative methods to accomplish the commute. My stepson and stepdaughter are leaving their cars on either side of the river, walking onto the ferry and using each other's cars on the other side. The county commissioners have established a shuttle service from Cathlamet to the ferry and bus service to Longview several times a day on the other side of the river.

The most amazing thing is that I've heard very little complaining. Poeple are extrordinarily inconvenienced, yet they continue to get to work with little grumbling. We may have been able to put this into perspective because a woman from Kalama was killed by a falling tree last Saturday on her way to Cathlamet for a basketball tournament. What's a little inconvenience compared to her family's shock and sadness?

Still, I have to pay homage to my freinds and neighbors who have risen to the occasion, to the Sheriff's office for thier professional and effective service, to the delivery people who have added hours to their day to deliver food, drugs and other vital products, and to each person who has tried to make the best of the situation.