On most days, heading north along the coast of California you eventually reach fog and drizzle that doesn't let up until you head inland, or until you reach...hmm, we've been all the way to Alaska and it still doesn't let up.

Two benefits are that you seldom get sunburn, and you can easily stay indoors to focus on work, which I did for a decade near Seattle. But the biggest benefit is that when the sun does come out, the light is magical and people make the most of it. This book meanders in a personal way through the magic light of summer in the American Pacific Northwest.