Sunny Bridge Walk, Missoula, Montana

A happy hello from sunny Las Vegas! I've crossed over to the warm side of the country, albeit briefly.
But, in case you wonder, the photo is 100% Montana.
For a few days, I get to stock up on:
   1- the organic, original Vitamin D source, and
   2 - lots of sister time!
A long-time friend remarked to my husband, "I know what  she's doing down there: reading!"
Yes, the four books in my bag took up almost as much space as my clothes. And  - bonus! - my sister selected several of her favourite volumes for my guest room side table.
So, after sleeping in and dilly-dallying to recuperate from yesterday's 4:15 a.m. wake-up alarm, I read a sister-selected article by Steven Kalas for today's devotional reading. I was inspired, so am sharing the wealth.
"...If you pull the word "faith" out of its traditional religious confines and place it in a wider, existential view, it's no longer an invitation. It's unavoidable. Non-negotiable. You can't not have faith. That is, it's impossible not to live as if something is true. Every last one of us shapes and chooses a worldview. We decide what's essentially true about this life, and then we live out that truth.
Joseph Campbell (1904-87) said it this way: "Choose your myth, and live it with passion."
....The choice is not whether to have or not have a worldview in which you place faith. The only choice is whether we are willing to be conscious of that worldview. To choose it with intention, clarity, and commitment. When our deepest beliefs about self and life are conscious, then we have choices.
...What do you believe deeply? The next question is, how do those beliefs serve you? And, then, the $24 million question: Is it time to believe something else?"  -Steven Kalas, 10/21/2012
(Click this link to read his full article.)

The "live it with passion" quote provoked a visceral response.
I don't think of true passion as necessarily flamboyant, but I do consider it as abiding, committed, meaningful enough to influence the increments of my every day. And therein lies my dogged prayer, and a great challenge of faith.

Feel the Love, Missoula, Montana

Ahhhh, Valentine’s Day…. the perfect opportunity for a practical joke! Love is in the air and even hardened cynics let down their guard.
The pictured “secret admirer” gift magically appeared at our front desk today - I particularly love the smoochy lipstick kiss on the envelope! It might take a village to raise a child, but a decent prank can be nurtured along by just a few committed individuals and a willing cast of extras to provide ad lib harrassment.
On the positive side, the gift was actually something our victim really, really wanted. But since he has thus far evaded packs of wily women and match-making mamas, it was a perfect opportunity to see his ears turn red.

Winter River Bank, Clark Fork River, Missoula, Montana

“The times are nightfall, look, their light grows less;
The times are winter, watch, a world undone..."
 - Gerard Manley Hopkins, from "The Times Are Nightfall"

Winter Slough, Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge, Stevensville, Montana

Ever act upon a great idea and then wonder, "Why didn't we start doing this months ago?" A recent personal discovery of this kind is that the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge is a great halfway meeting point with my dearest friend, to meet, walk, chat and laugh non-stop.
(A prescription for heart health: Repeat as often as possible, including in the spring when all the red-winged blackbirds will be full-throatedly chirr-chirring in the cattails. Any variation of scenery will suffice, as the key ingredients are friendship, chatting, and laughing.)

U of M Bridge View, Missoula, Montana

Backdoor mountain scenes are often touted as perks of living and working in Montana. One would hope this view en route to the nearest grocery market would inspire young minds at the University of Montana. Sadly, it won't pay the rent, so sharpen your budget skills before relocating to Big Sky Country.

Making Tracks, Clark Fork River, Missoula, Montana

I wonder - do squirrel and bunny mothers warn their young of the typical winter dangers?
"If the ice breaks and you fall in and achieve hypothermia, don't come crying to me!" Or, "I'm trying to explain the concept of cold and metal to you, but if you lick that pole at the forest edge, plan on staying overnight!"
(Of course I made these up! What rational, loving, furry forest creature would say such things to their offspring?)

Winter Nest, Missoula, Montana

Things can be blown hither and yon from disparate beginnings, yet wind up cozily nested.
This puts me in mind of treasured friendships. Kindred spirits, in Anne of Green Gables speak, may grow up next door to each other, or they may start out lives in whole other countries only to wind up with hearts knit tight as those of the best kind of sisters. One of my favourite promises is that God puts the solitary in families. He designed us to be a part of warmth and love much bigger than we can manufacture on our own. Often we have to break out of lonely comfort zones to see that happen. Sometimes we find family when we reach out to someone else who is alone.
My mother was a great one for enlarging the family boundaries. She never hesitated to say, “Join us!“ to those hovering on the fringes. Christmas and Thanksgiving were the ultimate occasions to press into service all the dining table leaves and add some version of a table on the end, all united by creamy tablecloths, lace layered over solid. And there was always plenty of both food and laughter to go around, regardless of the economy at home or at large.

Seasons Intersect, Pattee Canyon, Missoula, Montana

It’s a mystery why this cluster of leaves remains as the lone grouping left over from autumn. Whatever the reason, it provides a colourful interlude amidst a repetition of snow and pines. And I was in the perfect place at the right time to enjoy the contrast.