在來看女兒之前，我們在家查了西雅圖的天氣預報，Google的結果是感恩節四天都是陰雨天氣。LD感慨道，你說這在陽光之地長大的孩子她能不想念這裏嗎？

 

飛機晚上十點多到，走出航站樓，撲麵而來的雨水和涼意。等我們租好車，開上高速，已經十一點多了。雨越下越大，高速公路上雨霧蒙蒙，窗前的雨刷快速左一下右一下在眼前晃動，但是道路還是看不太清。LD在黑暗中戰戰兢兢地開著車，嘴裏罵了句“這鬼天氣”，又感慨地說，“女孩子家，離家近點，找個好老公，完了”。

 

等我們達到女兒住處已經午夜時分。三個半月沒見她，女兒瘦了，變白淨變漂亮了，看來西雅圖的雨水養人啊。我們放下行李，發現肚子有點餓。我打開冰箱，發現冰箱空空然(我們離開前將它塞滿了), 隻有半盒雞蛋，兩根zucchini瓜，一把爛蔥，一袋土豆(還是我電話裏囑咐買的)，一瓶orange juice，別的就是些冰凍的食物，罐頭倒不少。我匆匆煮了點熱麵熱湯，三個人吃著，飯桌上女兒已經在跟爸爸滔滔地談工作上的事了。

 

接下來的四天裏，女兒帶我們走訪了很多地方。我們到過校園，漫步湖邊，看雨中的湖麵漣漪點點，遠處青黛色的山巒煙雨迷蒙；我們走入雨中樹林，看層林盡染，滿目火紅的、金色的、橘色的樹葉在風雨中搖曳。我們不時停下腳步，仰起頭靜靜地看著樹葉從高高的樹梢間一片片凋零，在風中緩緩飛舞，無聲飄落，那一刻，時光好像是靜止的；我們又在天晴時行走林間小徑，那時的陽光像跳動的精靈，在樹梢尖肆意地舞蹈，等你掏出相機對準距離時，又消失地不見蹤影。我們冒著大雨去看電視劇Twin Peaks拍攝景點和著名的大瀑布，雨中的瀑布水氣霧氣彌漫，見不到底部，但磅礴的氣勢猶在。我們又驅車兩個多小時，去尋覓節日盛裝的德國小鎮Leavenworth。一路上，青山綠水，白雲環繞，山頂白雪皚皚，兩旁河流縱橫，偶見美麗的田野上，嫋嫋炊煙升起在孤零零的紅色屋頂上。隨著茂密樹林從眼前掠過，我們還看到爬滿厚厚的嫩黃色或鮮綠色青苔的樹幹和樹枝。它們連同生鏽的鐵橋一起見證著曆史，見證著歲月。

 

 

四天的時光很短暫，然而就是在這四天裏，我們見到的色彩抵得上在加州近二十年裏看到的色彩，四天下的雨水是我們那兒一年的雨量。也就是在這四天，我們也更加認清了這樣一個現實：美不僅存在於加州的黃金海岸，陰雨綿綿看似烏雲密布的地方一樣有美。大自然賦予我們四季，賦予我們不同的景色，讓我們能在陰霾天氣裏渴望陽光的到來，又能在久浴陽光後盼望雨水的滋潤。感謝大自然的萬物，因它們的存在，世界才多彩多姿，才有經風雨見彩虹的欣喜。同樣，人也隻有在離別後才會更加珍惜相聚的歡樂。

 

帶著感恩，帶著滿足，我們踏上了回南加的飛機，牽掛女兒的心漸漸放下，知道她無論留在何處，都有上蒼的恩典與祝福。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we landed and walked out of the building for the rental shuttle, a bit chilly rain greeted us in the darkness.  By the time when the car was ready, it was 11:20 pm. The rain began to pour, and the windshield wipers were set at the fastest speed.  Busy as they were swaying from side to side, the front window was still a bit blurry. My husband was driving on his nerves, his hands gripping tight at the wheel, cursing at the bad visibility and the weather.  It was midnight when we reached the apartment.
 
The next morning was Thanksgiving, still rainy.  However gloomy the sky was, we were in a good mood.  My daughter took us first to a college campus, then to a trail by the lake. In the afternoon, we went to Snoqualmie Falls, where the TV series Twin Peaks were shot.  Everywhere we went, the air was clean and crisp, and the scenery was beautiful.   The fall is like a magical painting brush that touches  with strokes from its palette the hues of colors, rich and varied, to the trees with fiery red, shining gold, vibrant orange, or lush green. The lake, shrouded in the misty drizzle, was dark but peaceful. The trail, flanked by tall slender trees on the sides, were carpeted with thick soft leaves. For more than once we stood beneath the trees, watching the golden leaves swirling in the breeze from the top of the branches to the ground, silently. For the moment, time seemed frozen and still.  My daughter later pointed to a dim distance, telling us that on a clear day, the Rainer Mountain capped in snow was visible from here. 

The next three days found us visiting residential areas and farmland, hiking the trails again, and driving around the island, and to the mountainous areas.  Most homes in the cities look old but pricey. Driving around the rich island gave us a glimpse of where affluent people like Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos could possibly reside. The highlight of our trip was a visit to a city called Leavenworth. Nestled in the mountainous area, it was a German- styled town. Thousands of Christmas lights in varied colors (i.e. eye-catching purple) were decorated on the towering Christmas trees, twinkling and exuding a Christmas festive atmosphere in the air, accompanied by the live joyful music played from the pavilion. We spent hours shopping, eating and strolling around the small town, before heading to a famous trail close by. 

The trail was closed unfortunately, but the views along the way were stunning. The rivers were in one place placid and gem green, and in a few yards away, they turned into white waves plunging and crashing downward. The mountains were mostly bare dark green, contrasted with the white top frosted in snow. Falls, big or small, were spotted here and there, cascading down like white curtains or meandering through like streams.

Seattle winter reminded me of the similar seasons in my hometown in China, where it was just as cold and cloudy, yet charming like a misty young lady.

Traveling from the sunny coast to rainy port cities, we have witnessed the nature’s differences, and the splendors it bestows upon us, rain or shine. Blessed is our life and everyone's, in the hand of God and its creation, for which we are eternally thankful.