Better Seattle

  The coyotes are calling right now, their voices from far off. As soon as my husband finishes his last business call, we will be out the door to a romantic dinner. I hear the coyotes again. I saw one the night before last, standing in the middle of the street and back lit by the streetlight behind him. His ears were perked up, he stood still. My dog gazed back at him. Simon, my German shepherd, would have approached, except for my steering him down another street.

Last night, a large deer glided off, startled by our entrance. I encounter deer every four or five nights, often not more than twenty or thirty feet off. These late night dog strolls have become a magical encounter with a world with which I had previously lost touch. It is as if nature has been invited into my backyard. Once the hour gets later, the owls will start to hoot. They are magnificent creatures, their voices low and strong, melodic and rhythmic.

This is what I love about Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach is 100 percent authentic life at its best.  A town boasting a mere population of 18,500 residents, it is surrounded by natural wildlife preserves on nearly all sides, with the ocean itself a marine preserve. Its citizens are committed to various non-profit causes, the fundraiser being the most popular of social events. For a city this small, Laguna locals are educated and vocal with their beliefs. Laguna features 17 churches, as a well as an atheist group which meets weekly. In correlation to its residents, community activism is high, with groups gathering to serve the community or those in less fortunate straights within other cities. Above all, Laguna Beach is a city that cares. It cares about protecting wildlife; it cares about those in its community dying of AIDS. It cares deeply about education. Most notably, Laguna Beach cares about the Arts.