Snow? Here? In the Valley of Heart's Deligh? Yes! Well, in the surrounding hills and mountains, anyway. Yes, folks, we got some snow in the hills here over this past weekend. Every couple of years we get a dusting on the hilltops, and it usually stays for a few days. This year I was able to get up into the hills to see, experience, and photograph it. Those who live in snowy areas might wonder what the big deal is. The big deal is that it never snows here! Well, only once every few years, and only in the hills. So it's a rarity in these parts. And one thing I've observed is that people are attracted to, and sometimes fascinated by, things or conditions that are out of the ordinary. For instance, people who live in urban areas like to take time to go out into undeveloped natural areas and parks; whereas people who live in unpaved, undeveloped areas want to see smooth paved roads and concrete. People crave what they do not have. People like to visit what they do not see every day.
A related phenomenon that I have observed is that people who live near tourist attractions tend to ignore them, and visitors to those areas tend to seek out the tourist attractions. I live in the vicinity of the Winchester Mystery House and the Mystery Spot, yet I've only been to the Winchester Mystery House once (at the invitation of my visiting cousin), and to the Mystery Spot never. A friend of mine lives near Old Town Sacramento, yet (as far as I know) he doesn't go there. I wonder if people in Paris view the Eiffel Tower as just another building.
Learning to appreciate my surroundings,
bIsh
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