315° True Home
“A compass rose is a figure on a map or nautical chart used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions“
“A compass, magnetic compass or mariner’s compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the Earth’s magnetic poles“
The face of a standard compass card or a compass rose, is a pointed star shape. There are 4 large, 4 medium and on a 16 point compass card, 8 smaller pointed shapes. A total of 16 compass points. The four largest of these are called the Cardinal points. Each is orientated on a chart or map as True. Each directng to North, South, East, West in reference to the Earth’s poles or the North Star. The 4 medium sized points are called the Intermediates or Ordinals. Each of the Ordinals is located half way between its two Cardinal points. A modern compass and the compass Rose may be marked with numbers. 360 Degrees of a circle.
All Cardinals are at 90 degrees to each other. The Ordinals (intermediate points), are 45 degrees from its Cardinal points.
The undiscovered Northern coast of the Pacific Ocean was the destination ofexplorers. They searched for an easy path through the land mass of America. A “Northwest Passage”. The River of the West ( now called, the Columbia) was thought to be that fabled Passage.
After the maritime explorers, Lewis and Clark came, fur traders came and finally, settlers came. All heading to what they called…..The Northwest
The Alaskan gold rush and what seemed to be an endless supply of lumber and fish, drew other seekers. Each setting their courses and their dreams for the compass ordinal pointing to the nation’s West and North.
…..315 degrees True!
The dictionary defines “destination” as:
1: a place to which one is journeying or to which something is sent
2 : a place worthy of travel
I was born and reared in the Pacific Northwest; I started a family, spent most of my professional life, retired and likely will end my life here. Every part of my life has been touched by this place. I’ve climbed the mountains. I’ve walked its valleys, and high deserts. I’ve been wetted by the rains.
The Pacific Northwest has always been that “Place worthy of travel”
And my compass always points to the “ordinal”
…315° True.