Golden Almost-Twilight, Missoula, Montana

To gain a pleasing aspect on the waning day’s golden glow, I stepped through grass bunches down the hillside, carefully alert for dog poop. Being shod in Five Fingers Mary Janes, random leftovers were a concern. 
In the quiet focus of framing my shot, l leaned in to calming sounds of urban nature - wind swishing through late leaves, happy dog barks further up the trail, a rhythmic rustling clicking in the grass - wait, what was that clicking thing? Are there snakes up here? Hmmm, these might be the wrong shoes for the terrain. And this trail is in the Rattlesnake Valley …. I really have no idea what a rattlesnake rattle sounds like - except for those stupid trick envelopes labeled “Rattlesnake Eggs“ ….Time to go! 
Swinging my monopod golf-club-style through the grass, I made it safely back to the civilized path and breathed deeply to disperse the paranoia. 
Moral of the story: Nature is not always calming, but the odds are higher if you plan - and stay on the trail.

Red Leaves, Missoula, Montana

"There is not wind enough in the air
To move away the ringlet curl
From the lovely lady's cheek—
There is not wind enough to twirl
The one red leaf, the last of its clan,
That dances as often as dance it can,
Hanging so light, and hanging so high,
On the topmost twig that looks up at the sky...."
- Samuel Coleridge, from "Christabel"

Faerie's Rest, Missoula, Montana

Sometimes
If you move carefully
through the forest

breathing
like the ones
in the old stories

who could cross
a shimmering bed of dry leaves
without a sound,

you come
to a place
whose only task

is to trouble you
with tiny
but frightening requests

conceived out of nowhere
but in this place
beginning to lead everywhere.
　
-- David Whyte, excerpt from Sometimes
from Everything is Waiting for You

Shelter, Missoula, Montana

I adore my husband - and rightly so. Tuesday morning, I went to start my car ten minutes prior to my typical pedal-to-the-metal departure for work. And what to my wondering eyes should appear but: a car, parked - I kid you not - right in front of our driveway, blocking in both our vehicles. Unbelievable, right? So, I stand there in the living room with my wet hair, flailing my arms and ranting: who would do such a thing, especially when there’s an empty full parking length along the curb RIGHT BEHIND THAT CAR, and what if they’re still there when I have to leave in 10 minutes because you know how I am - when it’s time to go, let’s go! Yes, he calmly says, I know how you are; they'll prob'ly be gone in a few minutes. And I rant some more - all this drama encapsulated within a minute, please understand. In my miniscule pause for breathe, TBHE interjects, If they’re still there when you have to leave, I’ll just move their car, since it’s running. 
Oh. Well, that was simple. 
Instant calm, perfect solution. Am I a fortunate one, or what?
We could clone him and be rich.

Chasing the Light, Missoula, Montana

The wide expanse of these golden hills at Missoula’s north end remind me of Wesley’s

great tumbling line from The Princess Bride, “Aaaas… Yoooou….. Wiiiiiish!”.

Invitation, Helena, Montana

“A real conversation always contains an invitation. You are inviting another person to reveal herself or himself to you, to tell you who they are or what they want.” - David Whyte