In July we moved to a cool 1970s house atop a hill on Seattle’s Eastside and enjoyed a long, mild summer and moody fall. Then December arrived and we quickly learned that the elevation of our neighborhood means it has its own odd microclimate: in wintertime, it is consistently a degree or two colder than the rest of town, the roads ice over, and we’re shoveling snow while folks at the bottom of the hill just get a bit of rain.
We figured at some point we’d be trapped atop our hill if we didn’t get a form of transportation that wasn’t a rear wheel drive, low-slung sports car. Enter the Toyota Tacoma, our new bad weather buggy and trail-driving buddy, which we’ve been spending January and February taking out to muddy gravel paths along the Snoqualmie River.
It’s phenomenally capable, and with it in our lives, I’ve been able to access views and vistas I’d normally not be able to reach on foot or by ordinary car. My fiancé put it when he said we’ve been able to pursue a “lonelier” vibe in recent photos and you know - I don’t hate it. I think lonely and moody is a gorgeous look.