A year ago on this day

Happy Sunday morning to you!

So, has anyone seen the facebook feature that tells you what your posts were on this day last year?  It just popped up in the right hand corner of mine today.  Last year, on this day, Nick and I were gearing up for our moving sale.  We weren't sure if we were moving to a new place in the city or if we were going to embark on some kind of epic journey.  It all depended on the last few weeks of the job search, and if we could wrap our minds around heading out of town,  There was so much unknown, the uncertainty was palpable and exciting.  On that day, friends and strangers came by to look at our things parceled out on the sidewalk.  Thankfully, most of our beloved plants went to kind souls who I am sure are taking great care of them.  We recently saw a few of our plants at our friends Jennifer and Adam's house, of course they are thriving, and it was great to be reunited.  As you know, the job search of last year was fruitless for me in the short term, and we moved out of the city (albeit temporarily).  I remember my teary "last" dance class with Molly, our last meal at Small Bar (neighborhood food and drink joint), and the unending move out of our third floor apartment in Logan Square.

Hero mover husband is assessing the situation. 

We planned to do it in 2 days, but once half of the apartment was empty we realized that the truck would have to sit on the street with a skimpy padlock overnight.  The wrenching memories of 2 beloved bikes stolen were too great for me, and we kept packing and cleaning and drove to Iowa that night, arriving at 3 am.

The sobbing, continual canvasing the neighborhood, and my ensuing violent hate of the "junk truck" people began last year in Logan Square. 

In the next few weeks, we unloaded our belongings into Theresa's (Nick's mom) generous basement, we relaxed a little, explored hilly Dubuque on our bikes, bought a car, mapped out a cross country road trip focusing on National Parks and family visits, and we took off. (Click on the link to see our map.)

Oh the nostalgia!  Just looking at our map makes me want to jump up and take off all over again.  There is so much beauty out there, and it does me so good to be in the midst of it all.

The majesty and the peace that we felt during that time was remarkable and timeless.  I would give anything to be back at in the Badlands of South Dakota, Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons, the Redwoods, Joshua Tree, Arches or Zion.

As the story goes, on the way back home, we were in Nebraska, it was election day, November 2, 2010 and I got a call from John Spry Elementary School, in Chicago.  They found me on the Chicago Public School database (how I surfaced from the thousands of job seekers, I still don't know).  They needed a maternity coverage temporary teacher (irony?) from November- February.  We didn't have any plans for the winter, and we were feeling the sting of spending money without replenishment.  I got the job that Friday, and started Monday.  We stayed with great friends Laura and Tim for a week, found a sublet, and moved some of our essential things back in our Subaru.  This was the beginning of our return, only a few months after leaving.  I have re-found my dance community, I am working now as a 4th grade teacher, we have a comfortable apartment in quiet Avondale, and we are happy parents to Arnie, our demanding, loving, pointer/cattle dog mix.  The biggest surprise and joy is going to be the new baby that joins us in December.

As unpredictable as the year has been, we've been so lucky in so many ways.  I will always be nostalgic for the road, wide open beauty, and freedom to follow our whims.  I am also well aware of the many blessings bestowed on us from this place of openness that we chose a year ago last year.

There is more to say, but I've got 2nd trimester organizing, cleaning, grading, and general Sunday enjoying to do.  I'll leave you with the delight that is the first of our 12 week Angelic Organics, CSA (community supported agriculture) pickup.

Anyone know what to do with fennel? 

Grutz says, "Blog? What blog? How's that? Oh! Yeah! This blog, kinda forgot.... Pt I!"

Howdy friends. Yup, it's been quite awhile and much has happened. But, seriously, I have a legit reason failing to write lately. I've been stuck on Endor. Against my will, no less.

My captors on Endor. Cuddly? Yes. Mean streak? A mile wide.

Here's the sight of the terrible deed....

Yes, lush Endor home of the maniacal Ewoks. There's one to the left, up in the tree.
....
...
Ok, it's Vancouver B.C., Lighthouse Park.

Yes, we're here in Vancouver BC! The best city in the world! (And yes, they'll be the first to point that out to you, the second you cross the city limits.) So we've done quite a bit to find ourselves in Canada. Quick run down ala photos with informative/funny/glib/painfully unentertaining captions(drumroll, please):

Cold spring in Yellowstone? Snow in September? Wrong, hotshot. Mammoth Hot Springs.

The water looked so appealing and captivating. Hauntingly sublime colors and reflections. But the boiling and sulfur and brimstone means hands off bucko!

Speed bumps in Yellowstone.

The beauty of the Grand Tetons.

The beauty of the Grand Tetons.

To be continued after Katie's lunch....

Teton photo montage delight

Welcome to the Tetons, we were greeted by splendid and magnificent views all around.  It was hard to pay attention to the road, the sights were so grand. 

Sunset from our lake. we set up our hammock and yoga mat and relaxed by the lake to watch the sun drop between the mountains.  

Towards the beginning of our 7 mile hike, the aspens are still glorious, and the mountain is getting closer. 

At Inspiration Point, we relaxed and posed, spending some time taking in the silence and the scenery. 

The canopy of pines framed this shot of aspens lining the path to the distant hills. 

We have been eating so well, lots of lentils, quinoa, curry, biscuits, this fire roasted dish of diced potatoes and onions, seasoned with curry, salt, pepper and butter was so warming and tasty.  We will definitely be reprising it once we have a home kitchen!

I'm trying to document each camp site- here you see the expert shelter that Nick fashioned, just beyond the frame is our hidden picnic table and fire pit .  Also visible is the BEAR BOX.  We stored all of our food and cooking items in the bear proof box, we weren't interested in the Subaru getting claw marks. 

The clouds lay low in the Tetons today.  You can see an Ice Age Glacier near the top of Mount Moran.  It's so amazing to see millions of years old rock and ice formations, it feels like we are a part of the circle of life.

We have been witness to such amazing sights and sounds.  Next, I am going to dedicate an entire entry to the animal life we've seen, as they definitely deserve they're own page. (Heads up Peggy- WE SAW MOOSE, and I'll write all about it soon) Right now, we are headed to Missoula, MT, the Subaru got her oil changed, and we are refueled.  Thanks for reading dear friends!  

Tetons

October 4, 2010

Nature is happening all around us. The Grand Tetons invoke grand weather.  We see clouds flying by, wind whipping the water into white, rain coming and going quickly; the drops make small noises on the tarp above me that Nick expertly erected just in time.  Today is a different kind of day, it feels unannounced and volatile.  The days of the past few have been predictable, crisp in the morning, sun comes out and wakes and warms everything up, tank top hot in the afternoon, and lingering warmth until sunset.  Today is our first cloudy day, and it’s hard to know what to think of it because we don’t know what’s going to happen.  This morning we did a long, upward in elevation hike, that ended at aptly named Inspiration Point, offering a panorama view of the Tetons and the surrounding lands.  It was a little treacherous and rocky towards the top, and the extensive quad action was worth the view ten times over.  Inspiration Point is a singular place, but there’s nothing about this whole expansive area that’s not inspiring.  There are so many pull outs off of the main loop road around the park, and each offer a commanding view of something awe inspiring.  Whether it’s the mountains or the plains, the glassy clear lakes, the rivers that snake through the prairie, the creeks that gurgle and talk and beckon, here at the Grand Tetons, there is such variety and completeness of inspiration.   

As we came down from Inspiration Point, which clocks in at 7200 feet in elevation, the wind was talking to us for the first time in days.  It’s been so still lately, the wind in my hair and on my skin was welcome.  We heard the high pitch creak of huge old pines, and we could hear the wind on the water around Jenny Lake.  

This swath of country is known for both it’s grand scenery, and its wild, unkempt ways once you step into nature.  When we were getting used to Yellowstone, and looking for trails and sights, I asked one of the park rangers about the reality of bears. He said, “Well, you never know, once you cross the borders of the park anything could happen.”  It does feel like anything could happen, there are signs everywhere about respecting wildlife, and there are strict rules at the campsites about using the bear proof containers for storing food and toiletry related items.  There haven’t been any publicized animal attacks, but it is reality that wildlife are wild, and should be observed at a safe distance.  

There is evidence everywhere that the animals are here, but we’ve yet to have any close encounters. 

I fall into the category of people that are drawn to wild animals, it’s a combination of awe, fear, thrill and spectacle.  I don’t want to have to fend off grizzlies in the night, but I’d love to see one cross the trail and scamper away at a good distance.  It’s magnetic even, our eyes are so peeled as we drive in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons, hoping for a glance of something moving.  On many of our hikes we have to take closer looks at large rocks in the distance, waiting to see if that particular rock moves.  I spotted a female elk in a small valley below us on a hike (Beaver Pond) at Yellowstone, at it was so well camouflaged that I said, “Is that an elk, or does that rock have fur?”   We have seen mule deer and bison galore, and we’ve spotted elk in a few different places.  One night at dusk we saw 17 (I counted) female elk on a ridge, walking at a leisurely, but purposeful pace.  And just today Nick pulled a prompt u-turn to catch saw a pair of male elk near the road.  Their racks are so large, I can’t quite fathom them maneuvering in the forest brush, preceded by wide and obtrusive antlers.  They must be really aware of their bodies in space.  The sporadic sightings of elk are surrounded by a very frequent aural elk experience.  We hear the elk talking to each other a lot.  It’s sort of like a high pitched tooth whistle, and like clockwork, almost every night and early morning we hear them, and can place their whereabouts based on their sounds.  At Mammoth Springs Campground in Yellowstone, we woke up to bellowing elk.  As I scooted out of the tent, I could see the elk on the ridge just above us, perfectly in time with the rising sun, their profile highlighted against the sky.  This was one of the more magical times of this trip, when nature and I come together synchronously, I always end up feeling so grateful.  

And now, it’s still sprinkling softly, the sun is out and low in the sky, we can see the cloud capped Tetons from the campsite, and the light is ripe for rainbows.  What a gift this time has been. 

We were so lucky to have this view just a few feet down a hill from our campsite.