Howdy,
Greetings from the Grand Tetons! Carrie flew out here last Tuesday and we spent nearly a week viewing wild flowers, stalking wildlife, and hiking thru the spectacular fall colors. We spent most of our time in Grand Teton National Park and then snuck up to Yellowstone and the Absorkee Mountain Range in Montana. She flew back to Michigan this afternoon, and now I am patiently waiting for the snow to stop falling so I can mount the steel horse and ride out of Jackson Hole.
You can’t imagine how many times a day I am reminded how incredibly blessed I am… but getting the unexpected opportunity to spend time with Carrie was a gift. I’ll save the stories for another time, but if you get the chance to take a walk with her or share a crappy Chinese meal together, you should drop whatever you are doing and meet her… She is so many things to so many people, but just a few of us are lucky enough to call her family!
There are so many great things from the last week, but one of the highlights was sitting along the Snake River at sunrise and listening to the wildlife. A bald eagle flew over the water. Elk moved effortlessly thru the brush. And then there were the Moose.
Apparently it is mating season for the moose around here, so in addition to the classic wildlife posing, we also got a bugling show, and some insight into how the “dance partner” is selected.
Please use caution in reading the following information…
The male moose, called a bull, will dig holes about a foot deep and then fill them with urine. The female moose, called a cow, likes this? The bull will then find a sunny spot and take a nap (sound familiar?) The female moose wanders over and the male pretends to be uninterested. This is as much as I have witnessed, so while I have yet to see this work, I have made arrangements to have “small ponds” dug at the barn…
So… where to next? Well, I am keenly aware of the fact that in the “old days” people on “horses” would have to settle into a community for the winters. The snow would prevent further travel, and they would find work with room and board until the passes cleared. It is snowing here.
I found the following ad in this morning’s paper… “Box Y Lodge and guest ranch is looking for winter help (ranch hands and snowmobile guides.) The job includes lodging/meals. Tempting, but I think I’m heading down the Rockies into Southwest Colorado. (Telluride, Ouray, Silverton, and Durango.) The passes are higher and the chance of deep snow is greater… J
As I had hoped, the trip has been full of messengers… I’ve been journaling some of the stories, but for the most part I’m just trying to be in the moment. Most of you know how difficult that can be, but I continue to be amazed at what God will do with an empty day planner…
So when our paths cross again, ask me about the following:
Coffee in the rain with a Jesuit priest and a nun
Drinking wine with Scuba divers from Chicago
Chatting with a man from Kingston that lives in a barn
The bible and my lost motorcycle jacket
Meeting the motorcyclist on his way from the Yukon Territory to South America
Chasing hogs thru Idaho
Riding a horse thru the Canadian Rockies
Rafting the Snake River with a group of Orthopedic Surgeons
Walking to the library in Missoula, MT
The Ups and Downs of traveling by motorcycle
One last note… I’m attaching two pictures. The first pictures is of a small Episcopal church in the Grand Tetons. It’s called the church of transfiguration. Dad had mentioned this place to us and said there was a spectacular picture window behind the Alter that looked out over the Grand Tetons.
Obviously the church is a popular photographic opportunity, but I wanted to go in and say a quick prayer. I went to the second pew from the front (Lutherans don’t go to the front) and I sat down. I looked out over the mountains, then closed my eyes and said, “God, I can’t thank you enough for this life. I don’t know where you want me to go, but I am open to your direction…”
While I was saying this very brief prayer, a man came in and sat down directly in front of me. When I looked up from my prayer all I could see was the back of his shirt. Written very clearly was the following… “The journey is the destination.”
So, while you may not be Jackson Hole, you can rest assured that you are exactly where you need to be for now… so lets enjoy it!
Love,
Geoff
Wrangler-in-training
