Yellowstone is a true jewel of the Rockies — rugged, a geothermic wonder, resplendent with wildlife both obvious and hidden, with luscious green meadows, late blooming wildflowers, and many wondrous birds flitting about. After a week of camping, we drove away yesterday, onto our next adventure.
It was lightly raining yesterday morning, as we left near sunrise, which cast a truly magical light onto what is already spectacular scenery. A light that was so precious, so lovely, so radiant that it created a near-aching appreciation of Mother Earth and all of her bounty. John and I were reverent as we drove in quiet, both of us appreciating the sublime magnificence. Does this description sound over the top? Well…it is not! It describes what we were feeling in our very souls…
John and I are perfectly matched travel partners. I am sure I have written about this previously, but given the uncertainty of Yellowstone, in terms of what wildlife will present itself to us, how crowded a particular trailhead will be, how long we wait on the line to get into the shower (we did not have to wait, not once!), or how hungry we are for dinner while I am chopping garlic, peppers, or onions — we get along swimmingly. There are no hassles, no worries. We each do our own part to make each day together a true delight.
I actually have it easier than John, I think. He does ALL of the driving, every mile. He navigates windy roads, sometimes slick with rain; he chooses the hikes; he pulls over–or not–for wildlife; he knows his way around Yellowstone in terms of which roads to take for a most direct route…He, of course, would say that my keeping us well-fed; maintaining a tidy living space; doing laundry–domestic priorities–are as important as is his navigation, and that may be so, but what I do for us feels natural and intuitive to me, and I enjoy it. I think he enjoys his role(s) just as much.
One way in which we complement each other is in our search for wildlife. I happen to have a keen eye for what is “out of place” — an animal on a hillside or a bird in a tree, which makes me the official spotter, pointing out the bird or animal that he can then photograph. Certainly, he sees beauty on his own, but we work well together in this way. John may put some of his favorite photos onto his website but I am the one who shares them with the world on Facebook and in these blog posts. Often when we are hiking we are quiet (not so great when we are in bear territory!), each of us soaking in the rich natural beauty.
I am writing this blog post from the car, outside of Missoula, Montana as we travel west to Spokane on our way to British Columbia. It is another rainy morning, driving on secondary highways through spectacularly forested mountains. There is something about thick steep forested mountains that fills my heart with joy. Truly. As we drive past clear mountain rivers, we notice early fall color as well as vast homestead ranches nestled at the base of the mountains. There are a lot of horses and cows in Montana!
John makes so many photos, only a small number of which I share into the world. Here are a few more, for your enjoyment.
The emotional upset I shared with you, dear readers, last week, has been dissipated as I am not reading news in the mornings. I see bits and pieces of current events on FB, but I am not absorbing a continual stream of worry and outrage. Instead, I am allowing my heart to be filled by the beauty all around me. I hope you feel that also. xo
