Epiphany Light Shine - Missoula, Montana

Epiphany - what a lovely day to celebrate - the very name full of promise of new beginning, of life-light diminishing soul-darkness, of suddenly realizing life-altering simple somethings previously shadowed, just out of reach.

May the Lord’s kindness shine bright upon you and then through you. 

Small Facts - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

“Beside the grand history of the glaciers and their own, the mountain streams sing the history of every avalanche or earthquake and of snow, all easily recognized by the human ear, and every word evoked by the falling leaf and drinking deer, beside a thousand other facts so small and spoken by the stream in so low a voice the human ear cannot hear them. “ — John Muir (1838-914, Mountain Thoughts

Almost-Spring Brings Renewal - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

“Rivers have what man most respects and longs for in his own life—a capacity for renewal and replenishment, continual energy, creativity, cleansing.” — John Kauffman (1923-3014), A Look At Our North Atlantic Rivers

Looking Forward - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

"The water you touch in a river

 is the last of that which has passed,
 and the first of that which is coming;

 thus it is with time."
- Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Tree Shadows and Winter Ornamentation - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

“Indeed the river is a perpetual gala,
 and boasts each month a new ornament.“  -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), Nature

(Many thanks to the folks at the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System  for repurposing and corralling  a broadly inspiring selection of quotes ...and more!)

Winter Stream Song, Softly - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

“The stream sings a subdued music, a scarcely audible lilt, faint and fluid syllables not quite said....” — John Daniel, Oregon Rivers

Ice Sparkle - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

One rare sunny day during our latest bitter cold spell, I bravely bundled for a lunch walk and was rewarded with literal sparkling views along Grant Creek, which intersects the industrial neighborhood behind our offices. 

The crystalline intricacy is somewhat mesmerizing...next few posts will be of broader shore views, so y'all come back now, y'hear?

Walks Like A Duck - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

Last night's cold snap shifted the usual paddling exercise to a walkabout....Perfect for this gutsy song I've had stuck in my head for a few days - "Walking on Water" by Need to Breathe.
  And speaking of ducks, here's a little silly something to brighten this overcast day:

“...He takes a kitchen chair and sits in the yard and all the ducks come around. He holds up the cheese curls in one hand and caramel popcorn in the other and his audience looks up and he tells them a joke. 

He says: So one day a duck come into this bar and ordered a whiskey and a bump and the bartender was pretty surprised, he says, "You know we don't get many of you ducks in here." The duck says, "At these prices I'm not surprised.* 

And he tosses out the popcorn and they laugh. 'Wak wak wak wak wak...""

― Garrison Keillor, Truckstop and Other Lake Wobegon Stories

Reflections On Change - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

“We talk about “circumstances over which we have no control.”

None of us have control over our circumstances, but we are responsible for the way we pilot ourselves in the midst of things as they are.Two boats can sail in opposite directions in the same wind, according to the skill of the pilot. The pilot who conducts his vessel on to the rocks says he could not help it, the wind was in that direction; the one who took his vessel into the harbour had the same wind, but he knew how to trim his sails so that the wind conducted him in the direction he wanted. The power of the peace of God will enable you to steer your course in the mix-up of ordinary life.” 

-OswaldChambers (1874-1917), from “The Moral Foundation of Life” and “Knocking at God’s Door” (via Discovery House Publishers' “Peace” devotion plan in You Version app or www.utmost.org)

Slow Autumn - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

....odd to see an abundance of green leaves AFTER we've had our first snow! But the inevitable change is underway... 

 

Pathless Woods - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

Here's another tea tag saying to go with your cuppa (& I must say, it's a serendipitous match for this photo): 

"There is pleasure in the pathless woods."

 -Lord Byron (1788-1824)

Winter Contrasts - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

Being sick is NOT my cup of tea! But these past 5 days, I've been thankful for tasty tea while fighting off some annoying bleh-ness with sleep, homeopathy, and herbal concoctions (Throat Coat and Gypsy Cold Care teas - yum and good!). 
My main reading in between naps has been the fine print quotes on the tea bag tags, so that's what you get for deep pondering the rest of this week. That and some winter photos that need to get posted before they expire due to lovely sunshine melting every crusted snowflake in sight! 

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
 - Lao Tzu (6th century BC)

Courage To Walk In - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

"When we have the courage to walk into our story and own it, we get to write the ending.
And when we don't own our stories of failure, setbacks, and hurt - they own us."
-Brene Brown, Dare To Lead, p. 240

No jingle bells, but plenty of snowing and blowing up bushels of fun this week!
 

Winter Tranquility - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

"There's a sense of sovereignty that comes from life on a mountain, a perception of privacy and isolation, even of dominion. In that vast space you can sail unaccompanied for hours, afloat on pine and brush and rock. It's a tranquillity born of sheer immensity; it calms with its very magnitude, which renders the merely human of no consequence. Gene [my father] was formed by this alpine hypnosis, this hushing of human drama."

-Tara Westover, "Educated: A Memoir", p. 27

On Inspiration And Work - Winter - Grant Creek, Missoula, Montana

“Inspiration is for amateurs.

 The rest of us just show up and get to work.”

- Chuck Close, renowned artist, b. 1940

(Wishing you deep thoughts of how today's photo ties in with the quote....C.)