and BOOM there it is, 120 miles away! I remember that as a kid growing up in central Maine. You're very lucky to have a view of it from your home.

Out here in southern Arizona, when I'm up near the top of the Santa Catalina mountain range northeast of Tucson, on a clear day I can see the much less-steeply-sloped silhouette of Mt. Baldy about 125 miles away near the New Mexico border to the northeast in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. It's just a slightly higher, slightly darker and greener-tinted place on a distant horizon broken by some closer peaks. But every time I see it I remember the feeling of wanderlust that would come over me when I'd see distant Mt. Washington. I think it's the steepness of the mountain that makes it look so arresting. Mt. Katahdin would affect me similarly, though it had its own very different mystique to me.

I've been getting my DU fix almost daily almost since its inception, back in those dark Bush/Gore days. I finally created an account on October 29, 2008. Obviously, I don't post much, seeing as I'm just now hitting 1000, as I have much going on in my life and DU is just one part of it. I post when I have the time and feel as though I have something relevant to say. Some of my postings are quick or silly replies to others' OPs, and some I really work at to craft something meaningful that I want to share with others. On rare occasions, such as this one, I create a new thread. I have a sampling of my postings from the past few years on my Journal page, wich I started using once I discovered it was there. I've covered a lot of ground, from postings of local news with national importance, to tutorials in math and use of the word "it's" vs. "its", to speculations, to congratulations, to thank-yous for hearts.
Reviewing my journal entries, I thought I might see a stand-out post, but none jumps out at me, so I'll just post a short one I like, from December 2020:

May I propose a new collective noun for elected republicans:
an “incarceration.”

I'm so thankful that DU is here, providing links and feedback on the latest breaking news, multiple ways to view and interpret the issues of the day, insights into the lives and thoughts of people much different than myself, beautiful photography and much more. This site is an incredible resource and and you all are such a supportive community.

I'll celebrate by renewing my star membership!