Musings

My brother’s only dream for the past few years has finally come true. If you could have only seen his joy…

It feels good to be settled. It feels good to know that if I make friends, I won’t have to leave them behind in a few months. It feels good to know that I will have a job on my resume for more than six months. It feels good to be free to enjoy where I am because it’s home.

America, the beautiful, indeed! That time I watched the sunset across the vast expanse of the Kansas sky, I drank in the colors of the cerulean ceiling above me as swabs of cotton candy pinks, jewels of amethyst, strokes of indigo, and the juices of pomegranate gracefully moved all around me. I felt as if I would be engulfed by this majestic painting and had never seen the sun set in such a vast, unhindered setting.

America, your Blue Ridge Mountains stand nobly along your Eastern edges as both a majestic tower and a welcoming warm blanket. I felt hidden and safe yet humbled by your stately presence.

New Mexico and Arizona, such loneliness and barrenness upon first glance. Now I understand the injustice our government caused the Native Americans in a way that school books could never teach. However, what a marvel it is that living things are created to thrive in a land such as this. That is beauty.

California, your amazing variety astounds me. To experience all the natural beauty and variety of culture you have to offer would take years. A land rich in soil and resources, you are an invaluable part of this country.

New England, I love your pristine countrysides and your rich history. Each home perfectly hidden by established trees brings comfort and serenity.

Utah… Wow! Your canyons, your color, your variety. Each moment I spent with you made me feel honored and humbled to be in the presence of unspeakable beauty.

America, I could go on and on. The beautiful rolling hills of the Ozarks in the fall when they appear to be on fire, the beautifully clean farms of Ohio, the mountains of Oregon, the hidden beauty of Funks Grove, Illinois, the cotton fields of Tennesee, the shores of the Great Lakes. It is a privilege to be a part of all you have to offer. May God continue to shed his grace on thee.

Chuck has decided that I need to give my blogging style a small makeover to allow me to link my pictures to my Flickr page. Aparently it needs to be more “book style” with more pictures. Check this out… (Click on the picture)

Well, folks… After a year (or so) of planning, I am finally moving to Denver.  In just a few short days I will be on the road to the Mile High City.  Next Monday I start my new job as a toddler teacher at an Early Head Start Center.  So far everything has gone very smoothly in this process which only helps increase my excitement.  The only problem I am having is motivation to pack.  If anyone has any particularly inspiring motivational adivce, I would love to hear it!  

  We are back from vacation and it was a great time!  We camped about 15 miles East of Yosemite Park in a nice little valley.  The weekend was filled with lots of relaxing, some sightseeing, hiking, fishing, and lots of laughs.

Where we camped, there was a large meadow in front of our campsite.  The first night we were there, I dreamt that there was a processional of African safari animals going across the field.  One of the pictures is of Chuck’s parents dog, Lacy, in her big acting debut as a lioness (that was the best we could do).

One of the days, we went to Mammoth Lakes and Mammoth Mountain, which is one of Chuck’s favorite places to camp.  We hiked to Devel’s Post Pile and Rainbow Falls.  Devel’s Post Pile was created by hot lava.  I know it doesn’t sound too impressive, but you just have to see the pics to understand the phenomenon.  From there we hiked to Rainbow Falls, which is just beautiful.  It was a long hike, and I was very tired and crabby by the end, but it was so worth it.  We went down to the bottom and swam in the falls.  Now, all of the rivers are created by melted snow, so I’m sure you can imagine how cold it is!  Yes, I did swim in freezing water and it was SO much fun!

 The next day, we went to Obsidian Dome, which is also created by lava.  Obsidian a black shiny rock that is very beautiful in it’s pure form.  It is found in many places in the US, but there happens to be a mountain made of it near where we were.  After that we went in search of some hot springs that Chuck used to visit while camping.  The springs were beautiful, however I do not have any pics because we were planning on swimming in them and did not bring the camara.  As we hiked down to the springs we saw a sign stating that they were closed to swimmers.  Aparently, there has been some high volcanic activity around the springs making it dangerous for swimmers.  Disapointed, we went in search of some other springs we had heard about.  This is where a very interesting story begins.  For a photo journey of our experience (and other pictures), visit the flickr.com link.

It was a great time, but I am glad to be home.  Hope you are all doing well and Happy Fourth!!