I grew up in the artificial oasis of the Los Angeles desert. I was also stationed in Knoxville, Huntsville and the Presidio, lived in San Luis Obispo for two years but otherwise, deserts were my world for thirty years. In 2004, I took a contract job in Portland and fell in love with the greenery scenery, rain and rivers.

I explored the Aberdeen area this week, visited seven houses for sale and crossed a couple off my list. Ocean Shores has a smaller population than it appears because many homes are vacation properties, so I set a minimum limit of 10,000 residents and my retirement locations are Aberdeen/Hoquiam, Shelton, Port Angeles, Bremerton, Gig Harbor, Longview, Everett, Bellingham, Port Orchard.

If you wonder why the neo-progressives want unlimited immigration, watch today's news out of Ecuador. Hitler used malcontents to topple the Weimar government, later eliminating many because you never leave a weapon your enemies can use. Better to not be in a large city when chaos comes.