What I Learned on the First Day of School

Central Maine is a very special place.

Lakes. Mountains. Rivers……..Beautiful.

Hurricane Irene came through on Sunday and though we fared much better than our neighboring states…….two very hefty gusts brought down limbs and trees in Smithfield.

“PHTHRUMP!”

I noticed leaves on the window…..and went out to inspect…….ohhhhh…. the largest birch that I have ever encountered was tired and now lay upon my roof and chimney…..and this was only at 2pm with the “heavy” winds to come (thankfully this was not so).

It was tired.

Quickly, and with certitude…..I turned off the furnace, electricity, grabbed my back-to-school teacher packet and went off to inform our volunteer firefighters that I am ok……and that I was off to stay with friends!…..they live in a house in a field!

Adrenaline waning on the drive….it was time to act…..time to start making phone calls to remove the tree…..so I drove to the home office of Carters Tree Service in Norridgewok…. dialed the number on the truck……and pleaded to help the tired birch to the ground it sought……a returned call…..a visit and estimate within 30 min……and we had a date for the next morning……and the day after that…..phew!

When will I see the grass again?

No school the next day….for the entire district!…..lots, and lots of brush to clear….(where is “W” when you need him?”)….the task is big and dangerous, with potential loss of property and life balancing with every decision……Dave, Alex and Derrick performed with such grace, determination and strength that the birch was down in a day with no incident…….tomorrow would be the oak that the birch had clipped……

Where once the chimney stood

First day of school for all teachers and staff……except for me…..the oak is massive and also takes all day….and an acre…… over 200 years old the red oak is dense and requires the technical experience of Dave and Anthony (owner) to take down…. impressive.

First day of school photos are records of history. Fashion. Hairstyles……..I now have one that reflects centuries. Centuries of growth, history and good, solid Central Maine values……I have learned much this first day of school.

First Day of School Photo - 2011

Things we have to do

The winter of 2011 brought incredible snows to the northern Rockies. The late and fast spring brought epic floods. The summer……incredible blue skies, windy passes and fields painted with the flowers of mountains and prairies.

Starting in Billings, MT, picked up Dad…..sans luggage…..it will be delivered to the hotel in Sheridan….and off to Little Bighorn. A very generally misunderstood place……lots to be learned…..our conversations kept going back to points to ponder….

Arrived in Yellowstone for the sunset……greeted by grizzlies. BEAR JAM! Lots of photos and feeling the chill of the Yellowstone dusk reminded us to move on to the Yellowstone Hotel to meet up with Bonnie and Ken. Bonnie is a dear friend from college and Ken is her darling spouse. The lobby of the Yellowstone is a great place to have cheese and crackers while watching the setting sun over the water, the distant valley of the Thoroghfare and the changing hues of the snow covered Absorkas.

The view from Elephant Back

A great view of the hotel and lake is the loop hike up Elephant Back.
This is a great break-in trail for hikes in bear country…..”Hey, Bear”. Great views, a good sweat and off to take in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone…..water run-off is still quite high….and is impressive.

A 4:30am start from Cooke City provide us the rare opportunity to see wolf pups….a new pack starting in the Soda Butte section of Lamar…..

Redwood Fossil Tree

The Yellowstone area is home to the largest fossil forest in the world….so we hiked to one of the exposed sections….UP!….the centerpiece of this hike is the remnants of a redwood……..

Descent from the Fossil Forest

Beargrass

Then off to Glacier……no visit to Glacier is complete without Beargrass and a stay at the Sears….Judy is a wonderful host and often we chatted with other Glacier “folk” about how charming it is…….

Glacier Cable Bridge

We used the Sears as a base for a family hike around the lake…..starting with a boat ride….our very own…..Ken took the mic……lots of run off through fast moving streams encourages the Glacier NP staff to put in cable bridges….one at a time, please……Mom is a trooper!

How's the view?

Bonnie, Ken and I then prepped for a three day backpack over the Dawson Pass Trail, Triple Divide Creek (One divide is to Hudson Bay) and on to St Marys…..Goats, ravens, snowfields and marmots…….I often thought…..”An engineer, a scientist and an artist walk in to the wilderness……..”……..there are many punch lines……some have to do with the engineer and measurements, “a little over a mile”, the scientist and the ingredients of the meals…….and some are just visual…..all are memorable and majestic!

Ken crossing the snowfield to Triple Divide

The view from Mt Morgan

We then all met in Waterton, Alberta, Canada for some more hikes and celebrations…..a hike to Boundary Bay had us eating lunch on the 49th parallel…..the swath is humble and grand…..much like our relationships with each other.

Sunset over Waterton

Hike in to Bertha Bay

It was a slow departure from Waterton….we HAD to do the photos at the Prince of Wales……we had to do stop action….we had to hug each other again…..we had to leave…..we HAVE to RETURN…….

Jump if you love mountain air!

Thank you for Today

Every day is an adventure. Every day is an opportunity to learn something.
This post covers about two weeks……and what quality!…

Dad polished the truck (to help with the gas mileage) and then I posed for a few “sleeper” shots to help orient people to how I use the SAV (Summer Assault Vehicle)….it was 98 degrees and, yes, I would be comfortable serving on a sub.

Wax on. Wax off, Daddyson.

Alien Nest

On the road – this country is amazing……traveling in convoys…..making way for others to merge….amazing what happens without the spoken word – elevator etiquette!

The midwest is experiencing a drought and a flood at the same time……hard to grasp….and then you find yourself gazing at a McDonalds to figure out what is different……you should see the drive-thru!………this is near Sioux City.

I'll have the number five with sandbags, please.

I arrived in Montana the same day as my Mom (two and a half days)…..but she on the West and me on the East……Picked her up on Friday….and off we went to the Continental Divide……got in a nice 7 mile stroll that night and we called it a night burrowing in to our 20 degree bags……we “remembered” the heat.

The Continental Divide trail is a much younger sibling to the Appalachian Trail……some places it is a route with, or without trail markings……..I have become very good at route finding. A trail blaze, mark or sign is always something to celebrate!

At least ONE other person has been here

Always new stuff to see…..Fun guys….(fungis)…. flora and the biggest coyote I ever saw!….and then it was suggested to me by the local fire ranger that it was a grey wolf! Beautiful!

Beauty underfoot

In this region is the third largest known caverns in North America…Lewis and Clark Caverns….it is a very “involved” tour….requires an exposed hike…upward, at least 900 steps down and an otter like slide down a formation…..Mom is a trooper!

Chama Mama Llama enjoying the caverns

A regional culinary  delight in this area (Butte) is the pasty (past-ee). My Mom keeps calling it a Paste-ee (I told her that’s something else….and I don’t want her ordering two of!)…….I ordered a frozen one for a long day hike…..and then tried to think of what it reminded me of……….TOURTIERE!……..yum……these have turnip….Pepere would have been impressed.

Necessity of miners

Days of hiking on the Divide, touring and relaxing…….yes, it is not all work……we make time for the “cultural events” of the area. Evel Days in Butte (Evel Knievel was born there), a visit to the M&M bar (24 hours….the door is never locked….the six egg omelette was recommended….we passed)……panning for gold in Virginia City (Eureka!)……and star gazing (we needed Peter!). With the celestial Great Bear above us to the NorthWest…..the Tobacco Roots to the SE…..the Bitter Roots to the SW……..and miles of BLM land to ourselves…….we reluctantly get up from our bed rolls to retire to the tent and……as is our custom…..thank each other for today.

Thank you for today.

Tobacco Root Range

Old is new again

It is a week for birthday parties!

She's in there somewhere!

Another torched cake and this time the view was limited! To see Camille with her cake…..one has to zoom in on either of the other cameras in the shot! A shot of shots…..

There she is!

Elaine, Rebekah and Keisha stopped in for a visit and to play with Camille……and teach her some tricks……something new every day!

say, "ahhhh"

A hot humid July day with water, bubbles and playtime.

American Gothic, a cultural icon……we have now made our own!

American Gothic....Revisited

Sprinkles!

Candles, Cupcakes and Sprinkles! Oh My!

A beautiful day for a wonderful family celebration with birthday wishes for many. Memere even has sprinkles in the reflection of her glasses….Happy 99th Memere!

Sprinkles

Birthday cupcakes came after breaking bread with family……..and group photos!

Dad's "secret" recipe from Memere

Happy Birthday to All!

Birthdays are for Beginnings

Tools of the Trade

This July, I start my 47th year “around the sun”…..Camille her 2nd……and Memere…..her 100th!
….party pictures tomorrow!

Where is it?

July is a good month……and…..I finished packing my classroom on July 7th at 12:34am….a special moment……as I was now able to leave the building that did not have any running water for about two weeks….. interesting…… woohooo……off to wide open spaces…..with fresh air!

A special thanks for the help packing….Dick, Mom and Dad!……..

Taking care of errands in MA….didn’t feel very well…..and the next thing I know…..my Mom is off to the store to pick up some fluids and foods to help settle……..and she left her cereal and cottage cheese behind!…..a gift…..the gift of a Mother…to drop everything…just like a bear and a cub

The Gift of a Mother

Digital Divides

Skyping from the Tent

Connecting.

I love to connect with nature…….it rejuvinates and clears the mind.

This morning I find myself on the Eastern side of the continental divide and we are making our way “downhill” to the Mississipi. We will visit some sites on the Shoshone Indian reservation (Wind River) and learn more about a very special woman, “Sacagawea”.

My Mom has been doing a lot of reading about her and is truly inspired – who wouldn’t be!

Our campground has highspeed wireless……so we got in a Skype session….I love the screenshot with Woody (he is apparently the brother I never knew I had).

Walking on the Divide

Temple Pass in the Wind River Range is the highest point on the Continental Divide Trail. I had a beautiful day (after passing storms) and route finding was easy (go up). Great views of the Cirque of Towers (looking down on Jackass Pass) and then moved on to the solitude of Little Sandy.

The Winds are amazing with granite peaks, wild flowers and rushing waters. Lots of history here…….glad to make some of my own.

The next hike brought me to the famous Thoroughfare of Yellowstone Valley. The most remote place in the lower 48. Lots of wildlife and great company from Kentucky and Bozeman!

The meadows are beautiful with lots of tracks from moose, deer, wolf and bear. Even spotted a hare and cottontail.

Warm winds from the SW changed over to the NW which brought bright, clear, cool days for hiking

Two beautiful camps on Yellowstone Lake topped off six beautiful days of hiking. Only two grizzly encounters (when I was hiking with people!) If you look closely………my clothes are on the beach!

Bathtime!

A great afternoon of catching up on Yellowstone adventures, drink and appetizers in the Yellowstone Lake Hotel and we are ready to part, with many beautiful memories and a longing to return…….again.

Mountain Power

Spending a wonderful night and day with my parents in Jackson WY. It was such a hoot to see them dancing at the cowboy bar and my Dad sitting on the saddle (bar stools). Great hiking in the Gallatins and Electric Divide is divine. No bears….though lots of signs….Gardiners Hole is heavily populated with bear. Sad and sorry to hear about the tragedy at Soda Butte….reports will be interesting. Preparing for a couple of days in the Winds. Big Sandy to Temple Pass.

Soaking it all in

Sportsmans Lake - YNP

The Most Beautiful Sound

Auntie Suzie, you're keeping me from the lunch counter

“What sound do you want to hear now?”, my mother asks as I anxiously wait. “The sounds of the “T”, the wind in the Montanna krummholtz?”

” I want to hear a baby cry!”, I interrupt, replying instantly.

My sister Christine was going through a pretty rough labor and delivery…………did I also mention long?

Well……….after some surgery…..we have good news to report on all ends! Everyone is doing well and looking marvelous.

Camille, born at 8:05am, July 15, 2010, is 8.4 lbs and very strong!……..she is already trying to roll over!………..The new proud parents are enjoying these moments together……….and we are all thankful for the cry of this newborn……a sound I will reflect on during my next cross-country flight……..a sound I am now grateful for……….The most beautiful sound.