Yesterday morning I met up with a dear friend at Alki Beach in West Seattle.  Alki is one of the most picturesque spots in the entire Seattle area.  As you walk along the rocky beach you can see the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline in one direction. In the other the gorgeous Olympic Mountains were peeking through the clouds. Ferries crisscrossed Puget Sound, tug boats tugged and a little seal poked his head above the water to watch us. My friend and I walked and talked for an hour. When we finished our lattes we used the cups to collect treasures picked up along the way. It was a wonderful way to spend the morning.

Driving home I listened to the radio as a horrific scene unfolded across the city.  By the end of it, six people were dead.  Radio commentators asked what had happened to our normally peaceful city.  In reality it was an anomaly, a horrible, tragic, thankfully rare occurrence.

Despite the events, I cannot imagine a more beautiful part of the world to live in.