Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Travel Tales Part 3

"Encountered" critters in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Iowa....

Some pictures could fall under the wishful thinking category, or the best I could do with my 4x zoom. My daughter-in-law had a 10x zoom that made me pretty envious. But she'll share her pictures so I'll give you something better to look at when I get em.

I had a snake picture but somehow lost it. I hope it doesn't sneak up on my like the actual snake did. Yes. I saw two snakes. Very small, and fortunately, not of the rattling variety. One was far enough away that I could control my emotions enough to take a picture. The second one was close and roiling and slithering and I made a scene. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The squint real hard pictures include a mule deer, prairie dog, a bluebird, and mountain goats.

We saw hundreds of buffalo and dozens of elk. (An elk story to follow..) Somehow I did not actually take any buffalo pictures, but my daughter-in-law did. And the running girl is a picture of her possibly snapping a picture of a bear and running back to the car...not because of the very, very far off dark object's slight possibility of bearness but because of the freezing drizzle. And speaking of bears...

Our group (the others who met us in Montana) had a grizzly bear encounter. I don't have those pictures yet. But this is significantly creepy because a man was killed the day before we entered Yellowstone by a mama grizzly. My niece mentioned that people were very foolish around the bear she saw. One person even took a flash photo, flashing the bear in the eyes. We drove past the closed bear attack area the following day. The man was only a mile and a half in, just off a busy road. We hiked further and deeper than he had at least twice. I was sobered and spooked about it. A sad thing.

And the picture of the girls was taken the morning we left, they were sad, they knew we were leaving them. They had a good week, though, and are glad we are back.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Travel Tales Part 2

Montana Flora and Fauna

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Travel Tales Part 1

I just returned from quite a trip.

Miles and miles of road. About 2600, to be exact. A small SUV....one that held five adults almost comfortably, lots of luggage, camping equipment and food for one full week, and, well, five adults.

Four states. Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana and then the reverse through two times zones.

Fun. Moments of irritation. Laughter. Adventure. Critters. Amazing scenery wrapped around winding roads, hairpin turns and switchbacks.

Let me share....

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Cut the Crapola Lesson 10

Life survived or tolerated or wished away while waiting for big events isn't really living life at all. It's a life put on hold, a life in limbo, a life lived skinny and shallow. My "burdens," my "calling," my "passions" shouldn't be identical to anyone else's. Because God prepared for me, before the foundation of the world, works for me to walk in. He gifted me uniquely with a one-of-a-kind way of looking at the world, one-of-a-kind set of fingerprints and a one-of-a -kind recipe of spiritual gifts, quirks, talents and locks that can be opened by my obedience to His workings in my life.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Cut the Crapola Lesson 9

I want to be a wise servant whose investments multiply by double or triple digits. I don't want fear to drive me to bury what I've been given, or selfishness to cause me to waste it, or foolishness to tempt me to cast it onto the streets to be trampled and made worthless. The six months clarified a little of what that needs to look like in my life.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Cut the Crapola Lesson 8

I want to minimize my regrets.

At the end of my life I don't want to look at the "crop" I've grown and know that it was fake or impure (like genetically modified seed that produces the "real" deal with a few "characteristics" that belong to entirely something else.)

Or that I let fruit I should've shared rot on the vine.

I want my yes to be yes and my no to be no.

I want my life to reflect Jesus and the true me in Him.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Cut the Crapola Lesson 7

Commitment is only as good as the choices I make that show my level.

I committed to several things in the six month Cut the Crapola thing. I reassessed and reconsidered some and stuck like glue to others. In the six months of prayer for six people whom God laid on my heart, I missed two days and spent some shallower days not knowing what and how to pray. But I prayed. And most of the time it was heart-felt, burdened prayer.

I won't be running a 5K next week. I didn't lose 20 lbs. But I am healthier today that I was a year ago, and five years ago.

I won't be playing at Carnegie Hall, but I did pick up the violin and squeak out notes that almost resemble a song and my fingers are remembering, a little bit, about the violin.

I reacquainted myself with knitting and spent hours on the task...not making intricate sweaters...yet...but I made several gifts and rediscovered the pleasure of multi-tasking with yarn.

My books aren't done. I have more outlined, though the book is not ripe and I'm content to let it ripen, and I put my toes back in the water with the one that I'm writing with my friend. I finished a project that was hanging over me, too.

I spent time reading books on the Christian life, focused on health and abundance of life, and what I've taken away from those can be summed up in Matthew 6: 32-34.

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Seeking God is my primary need, and it's the commitment I need to measure all my other commitments against.