What is it about some weeks?  I just spent the past three days tending to life maintenance and experiencing what my friends have been calling very-rotten-no-good-bad-luck.  Mostly everything is sorted out now, except for my camera lens replacement, which is in need of replacement because my camera was blown off a cliff shortly after I took the above image.

Alright, so the crap hit the fan here this week, but let me tell you what, I managed to soldier through all the sordid life details, fix what needed fixing (except the irrigation, I’m still tinkering with that, and the broken law mower), run a small business like a son of a gun, work in the studio with such a thankful and happy heart and I fed myself, great, summery, robust meals.  The problems of this week were meltdown inducing but I don’t remember crying or being self indulgent enough to freak out and wallow in crisis.  I simply gritted my teeth, worked from dawn until dusk and beyond, every night, and slowly the ship began to right itself.  Though I felt terribly overwhelmed, I didn’t feel angered by my circumstances or self-pitying; my focus was not on myself, it was shooting off in fifty different directions.  Stuff happens and you have to find a way to make the most of it, iron out all the wrinkles and build momentum again.  The sooner you do these three things, the sooner you get your groove back.

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Last night I ran a cutie pie fifteen mile trail run that was truly the very definition of magnificence.  I chugged that run so smoothly, dropping into low gear as I traveled, step by step, miles and miles straight up the West bench.  I was joyful as I ran, seeing deeper into the landscape as I went, feeling the air thin as I climbed.  I ran through the curves in endless switchbacks, tall grass brushing at my legs and hands, the dogs romping about with glee while tripping on their tongues, the cool of the scrub maple stands, the quiet of the aspen groves, the good company of the stately douglas fir and the views, the views were life altering.  I came down the same way I went up, creeping around switchbacks, scuttling over volcanic rock rubble, sun on my shoulders, empty water bottle in my waist belt, sweat drying in the wind.  I ran myself hollow and then step by step was filled up with only the very best Creation has to offer.  It was that kind of run, marked with the wildness that is restored when a human is reduced by the land and sky, made humble, made empty and so, transformed and filled to brimming once more.

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It has been lovely to be at home, here in Idaho, in my little farm house, gardening in my spaces, harvesting the fruits and vegetables of my yard, hanging out with my girlfriends, reacquainting myself with my trails and my mountains.  After arriving home from New Mexico, the very second I sat down in the studio and picked up my jewelers saw I felt stabilized, energized, brimming with impetus, forceful and calm.  It is with a morsel of regret that I am packing a bag for a trip to Wyoming today, but only a very tiny morsel of regret.  I travel, once more, to be with friends and my younger sister, to a state that is a stalwart sibling of Idaho and magnificent, to boot.  You’ll not hear any complaining from me!

The road is calling and I must go!

Until we meet again, be well.

X