Lately I have been whining about my need to return to Moab, Utah to get a fix of the sandstone there. (I suffer from Sandstone Deprivation Syndrome.) In an attempt to distract myself from the annoyance of the sandstone shakes I went hiking in the coastline forest of Oregon, at Tillamook Head (just south of Seaside). Though I was within sight of the Pacific Ocean, all I saw was trees, rain, and fog.

The lush vegetation of the forest did nothing to relieve my symptoms. In fact, they made them worse. At one point in the hike I became nearly catatonic (see photo). It's a good thing I swallowed several industrial-grade tranquilizers before starting the hike: without them I would have been a goner. Moab calls…