Optical Illusion
By the time I reached Monterey County I could no longer ignore my hunger pangs and the onset of road hypnosis. I decided to take the first exit at the next town to rest and have lunch. I didn’t want anything from the fast food joints located off the highway so I drove through the small city centre of King City (population 11,225) in search of homemade style food.
King City is not a destination city it’s one of those seemingly unremarkable places that seem to blur into the landscape as travelers trek along Highway 101.
Well imagine my surprise when I came upon the Fireside Inn with this tree jutting out from the roof of the motel office/managers residence! It appears to be an optical illusion, but it isn’t.
I tried to imagine what the interior of the structure was like with the tree situated in the middle of the room. I wondered about the energetic effect of this tree on the occupants of the manager’s residence.
Fortuitously as I was taking these photographs a pleasant woman with a kind face opened the door and warmly greeted me. She did not speak English and I do not speak Hindi so through pantomime and animated gesturing I inquired about the tree and she invited me in for a closer look.
The moment I stepped into the house and caught sight of the base of that tree I knew I had just stepped through a portal. I can’t quite describe the otherworldly sensation of gazing at that tree trunk festooned with ivy and flower garlands. A sensation of familiarity washed over me as I observed the orderly surroundings of the interior and received the kindness of the woman and the smiles of an adorable little boy.