To Simply Be

The lake is still

No wind disturbs its surface

The reflection of the mountains beyond

Forms patterns of color

That appear to descend to its depths

Dragonflies dart and dance

Their iridescent wings shining in the light

Flies buzz around, never stopping

Voices drift across the lake

Squirrels chatter from high in the trees

And falling pine cones hit the ground

I hear a jet pass far above me

But I am removed from that world

At this moment I am at peace

Content to be at one with my surroundings

And finding joy in simply being

Written on 8/25/15

A Retreat from the Smoke

The state of Idaho has been hit by numerous fires.  It is hard to escape the smoke.  A few days ago we had 2 days of a red alert—it was unhealthy for anyone to be outside.  My eyes burned.  I coughed.  I had headaches and when I walked outside my chest tightened.  It was difficult to breathe.

My husband and I had planned to go camping but the question was where to go.  Could we escape the smoke?  Should we just stay home—inside with the AC running?

I was busy with an event I’m working on so it became Bob’s job to find the spot.  He decided that Trinity Lakes would be the perfect spot because they are at a high elevation and only 2-3 hours from our house.  Bob even called the ranger district to make sure the campground was open.

We loaded up the car and left late afternoon.  We took the freeway to Mountain Home and then drove up Highway 20, turning left onto Anderson Ranch Rd.  Soon we hit a dirt road which wound around the reservoir.  It was a narrow but decent road and gave us great views.  After a while we turned onto Falls Creek Rd.  There was a sign saying the road was not recommended for passenger cars.  People need to take that sign seriously.  Bob was driving our 1997 Rav; it’s not 4 wheel drive but does have a high clearance.  It does not have heavy duty tires.

The road was quite bumpy but Bob is a retired geologist and used to driving on back roads.  It was slow going.  No other cars passed us.  And then it began to really go up.  This is where it became more goat trail than road.  I think I could have walked faster.  At one point Bob had to stop the car and get out to move some rocks.  He had difficulty getting the car to move again—this was where I was grateful for his experience.  As we slowly bumped up the mountain my mind went to what we would do if we got stuck or blew out a tire.  There was no cell service and nobody around.  Luckily we made it to Trinity Lakes.  Bob wanted to stay at Big Trinity Lake Campground so we headed in that direction.

We were lucky to find a great campsite next to the lake—it even had a big supply of wood.  Only one other campsite was being used near us.  The sun was close to setting so we hurriedly set up the tent and I made a sloppy joe dinner.  Bob pumped up the air bed and started the fire. 

We noted that the air was definitely clearer but that our campfire was putting out a lot of smoke that blew directly on our table.  After eating our s’mores (of course), we crawled into our sleeping bags and were able to gaze at the stars above us through the netting at the top of the tent.  Confident that we’d have no rain overnight, we left the rain fly off.  I’m so glad we did—it was beautiful.

Late this morning we took a hike on a trail that begins just across the road from our campsite.  It got steep quickly so we took frequent stops to catch our breath.  We’re not used to breathing at 8,000 feet.  What we did notice was how clean the air is here.  I can take deep breaths without choking or coughing.  Unfortunately, there are many burned trees here from a fire a couple of years ago.  As we climbed we also noticed how dry everything is—some bushes had already died.  This seems unusual for late August.  In spite of this we did see a number of wild flowers, most of which were past their prime but still pretty.  The trail continued to climb and got steeper.  The trail was rocky in places and the soil unstable; we had to step carefully.  When we turned around we got a great view of the area and noted that we are just above the smoke.

We continued to climb and it got even steeper.  I nearly slipped a couple of times but managed to keep my balance.  Once we reached the ridge we got a view of Trinity Mountain and its lookout tower to our right (10,000 feet).  Below us lay Green Island Lake.  That was intended to be our destination.  However, Bob declared he was not hiking all the way down and back up again.  He had a point.  It was steep.

Once we returned to our campground it was time for lunch and relaxation.  It is so quiet here—just the sounds of the wind, and the various critters that are sharing their home with us.  (We’ve already had a squirrel in our car.)

Tomorrow we will be heading for home by midday.  However, we will NOT be returning by the same route.  Bob had told me that there was another route but it was longer.  I should have been suspicious; Bob is known for his shortcuts.  What he didn’t tell me was that the other route was the recommended one.  Of course it was.  I’m sure it’s faster.

I hate to leave our little retreat so soon but there are things to do at home.  It is good to get away, even for a couple of days, and especially when it allows you to breathe easier.

Written on 8/24/2015

Remembering Kozmo

It was 2 years ago today that our sweet dog, Kozmo, took his last breath.  We lost him so quickly; he was gone just 10 days after the vet told us he had an inoperable tumor on his liver.  It was a tough time for us and it wasn’t until this past June that we adopted another dog.

Kozmo was a rescue dog.  Like all our pets, he came from the Idaho Humane Society.  He was 2 years old when we adopted him.  Apparently in his previous home he spent a lot of time on the couch.  When he first arrived we would reprimand him when he jumped onto our couch.  (Our previous dog, Frisbee, was not allowed on it.)  When scolded for this he looked confused and upset.  He couldn’t understand what was wrong.  After a while we gave up and allowed him on the couch.

Although he came with a name, he didn’t seem to know it so our daughters renamed him Kozmo.  He was pure white with big brown eyes and the cutest little white eyelashes.  The information we received said that he was American Eskimo and his coloring definitely indicated that.  His coat was short like a lab—and he definitely shed like one.

Kozmo love to go for walks.  He picked up on the cues quickly.  If my husband put on his shoes and grabbed his hat, Kozmo would go crazy.  He tended to walk with his head looking up, but would stop to smell interesting things.  Kozmo had an aversion to water.  He would walk out in the street to avoid a sprinkler that was hitting the sidewalk.  When we stopped at the river he would drink but not step in.  When other dogs passed by we would have to pull him in because we never knew if he’d dislike the dog and be aggressive.

Kozmo was a squirrel dog.  He would want to chase after them while on a walk.  In our yard he would chase them up trees and just sit and watch.  One time we left him in the unfenced area of the yard because we knew he would stay and watch the squirrel—he must have sat there 1-2 hours until we called him in.

Kozmo wanted to be a good dog.  If we yelled at our other dog, Piper, he would worry that we were mad at him.  You could see it in his face.  He loved to walk out with us to get the paper in the morning.  Most of the time he would stay right with us.  If he started to wander too far off, I’d call him back.  Sometimes, I’d take him in the car with me if I wasn’t getting out for long.  I would tell him we were going in the car and he understood—that’s where he would go.  He was smart.  He did have moments where he was disobedient.  If he walked down the street and got too far away, he would pretend he couldn’t hear us.  However we knew otherwise because he’d have one ear pointed back. 

I really miss the dog choruses.  Kozmo was a howler.  The howling was usually brought on by sirens.  Piper would join in by barking and they would have a sort of rhythm going, like a song.  How I wish I could hear that again.

Kozmo is buried out in our yard along with another dog, Frisbee, and our cats, Mandy, Pixi, and Bandit.  Thinking about him now may still bring tears but mostly I smile at the memories.  What a great dog he was!

Written on 8/10/2015