Into The West

      Leaving Boise the sky is filled with smog induced by another wildfire in the hills. I almost think I am coming onto Los Angeles. 

  Our traveling entertainment is the book "In the Garden of the Beasts" by Erik Larson. The reader is bringing this non-fiction work to life. Berlin in 1933-1934 is the backdrop and the characters are the Dodd family, ambassadors from the U S to Germany. From letters, dairies, and private papers, Larson, tells of the main German players who interacted with the American family. It is evident that information about the true facts in this hotbed of horror and power was mixed and confused and most Germans and expats there, were unwilling to open their eyes and see the truth.

   As we come into the Salt Lake basin I look for the lake level. Some years the salty water reaches the freeway, but it is only visible on the horizon. Campers are situated on Willard Bay, a small resort and enjoying the 93 degree afternoon. Lucky for me I have bare toes, cooled by car air-conditioning.

   Growing up the mountains had always been my landmark and I lived right up against them for almost a decade. Now my landmark seems to be water and trees.