Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Travel Tales Part 4

While in Montana (Chico Springs which is in Pray, Montana which is about 30 miles from the mouth of Yellowstone) we stayed in a sweet lodge two nights and rustic cabins for two nights.

The lodge had enough room for the group of us and a refrigerator and stove. That was really nice since the rest of our five nights' meals came from the cooler and camp stove.

Pictured is the outdoor view of the lodge, the cabin and "the incident."

While we were all unloading and "moving" into the lodge Rob made a comment about a crooked elk head on the wall. Mere minutes later, there was a crash...a mighty crash. A couple of people came running expecting to find a family member with a broken bone.

But. That's not what they found. Rob had "straightened" the elk head only to have it jump off the wall and "land" in his arms.

Toad-boy rushed to help his father while I snapped pictures and laughed.

Rob had lots of people stare at the "war" wound that the antler made on his forehead as the Elk jumped into his arms.

Only one woman asked though. A shopkeeper, with a sense of humor, and a fabulous picture of a bison waiting patiently outside her door for the after Christmas sale. Paradise Gallery (I made up the post-Christmas sale...it might have been Black Friday.)

So we told her that Rob had an "encounter" with an elk. (This is not as far fetched as you'd think....there are LOTS of warnings about animal encounters in Yellowstone and lots of people who think rules apply only to others.) We went on to share the actual encounter and had a good laugh. She then mentioned that a family member worked at the resort and that she'd need to pass that story along. Ha. Ha. Good times. (Rob has fully recovered, except for a little pride, but, hey, he hardly ever reads the blog, he'll be fine. : )....

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.