Finding More

On the day I arrived in Avalon at the start of my few months down under, my friend handed me a book he thought I'd like. So it makes sense to write about it on the day I am leaving. I am off to the airport to pick Rich and his family up. I have been pet sitting for them. The dogs and a cat have got on with me well. The other cat has been fine, but thinks I am an idiot. She could not have made it clearer that she wanted to go outside. But she is a sneaky cat, and Avalon is rather jungly, so I had jail warder instructions. Back to the book...

'The River Why' is novel about a young man, Gus, and his family. What triggered the suggestion was that Gus ends up in a cabin on the river living a very simple life. Rich and I had been talking about micro-cabins and how small we thought you could go and still live comfortably. During business travel, there are times when you can end up in rather fancy hotels but then only get to sleep in them. It is crazy. All you really want is a comfortable bed, a shower with good water pressure, the room to be clean and wifi. The same concept can apply for homes. If you live in a city with wonderful shared spaces, you probably don't need much more than that either.

The book was about much more than that though. It was beautifully written with lots of hilarious scenes. I had recently heard that Portland, Oregon is amazing. With this book set there, it only added to my desire to make my way out there at some stage. There is something magical about rivers, and although I am not a fisherman, it is not hard to understand the seduction that pulls people to the water. Although the writer cunningly makes small tweaks to hide the identity of the actual river. The tale was about people finding a story which helps them to piece things together. Gus loved fishing. It was everything for him. But through people he was able to find more.