I live in Juneau, Alaska, a quote temperate enquote rain forest. We do get a lot of rain- and sometimes complain, but I guess if it got sunnier, it wouldn't be a rain forest. But when the sun does shine, it's glorious. Slanting, never glaring, light with a breathtaking clarity that brilliantly outlines the white mountain tops against the sky. And in the winter we have the prettiest snow I've ever seen- like dense, sparkly confectioners sugar. Not much air pollution here.

There is a healthy very active music culture here, everything from light opera to folk- is there anything lower? :~) I live in and take care of a small museum/large house and every week I hold a word-of-mouth song circle here. Great acoustics and good, talented people. Some come to sing and play, some just to listen. Some are semi-professional musicians and others, like me, are involved in bands and songwriting and just soaking it up. Hope I never have to experience life without music!

I'm 64 and have been here just 12 years. Spent most of my life in Oregon (with a few segues to Virginia and to Michigan) so it's interesting to me to hear people mention little towns like Depoe Bay and Richland. Once I even read of the weekly jam at Guthrie Park in Dallas- I used to go there every Friday night. I like Oregon, but everything I liked there is intensified here. Including rain.