Driving

We do lots of driving out here.

In good weather it's 45 minutes to church.
45 minutes to a gas station.
45 minutes to a grocery store.
45 minutes to a library.
1.5 hours to a bookstore.
1.5 hours to the doctor's office.

That's a long drive with a sick child (and a sleep deprived parent who's been taking care of a sick child).

There are a few good things about the long drives. We encounter very little, if any traffic. The road up to Bickleton used to be gravel and was paved only a few months before we moved here. And the long drives let me see something besides the view outside my window. I don't really like the views in Bickleton itself, but there are many areas close by with lovely views of trees, mountains, the Columbia River, fruit orchards, green fields, and wind turbines.