Years ago, my Dad and I were sitting in a duck blind in Eastern Oregon before dawn, and I mentioned how much I wanted to live near the Oregon Coast.  The gist of my reasoning was that the Oregon Coast is beautiful, and having water around was comforting.

There is nothing quite like the sight and sound of water; the roar of an ocean or the babble of a brook.  The response from my Dad surprised me; he preferred the high desert and mountains…

It was not the first time I have been surprised by such a response, as my ex- felt the same way, where I always envisioned a place on the water, she felt the opposite.

My dad laughed at my incredulous look and said he loves being at the pond (one of his favorite places on earth), and it is made better because it is located in…