Pablo Neruda

"We need to sit on the rim of the well of darkness and fish for fallen light with patience."

- Pablo Neruda from The Sea and the Bells

Hiked to Holly Lake

Holly Lake is a 13-mile roundtrip hike in Grand Teton National Park. A little tough if you're not in shape but definitely doable. Great views, some risk of running into black bears in the early fall.

Marmot

This yellow-bellied marmot was munching huckleberries in Grand Teton National Park in early September. He/she could not have cared less about the humans standing by taking pictures.

Nachos at Signal Mountain Lodge

After hearing for years about the legendary nachos Signal Mountain Lodge, I finally tried them in 2009. Twice actually. Three women made dinner out of this pile and had to leave some on the plate.

Gnomes at Home

Who can be sad when garden gnomes roam the home?

Weekend at Targhee

Two nights at the annual Bluegrass Festival at Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, Wyo., is a new thing for me. Great music, great company, great camping.

The little tent pictured below is the one I slept in. And that group of tents is the "community" that sprang up for the duration of the festival. Given the close proximity of one tent to another, I was pleasantly surprised at how civilized and considerate everyone was of their neighbors.

Volunteered at Snow King Hill Climb

Since I volunteered at a mountain bike race a month ago, it's probably stretching things to call volunteering at the Snow King Hill Climb today a "new thing." But it was my first time, so I think it qualifies.
Although the course is only 2.3 miles long, this is a foot race I'll never try. Runners start at the Town Square in downtown Jackson head towards Snow King. That part is a flat half mile, easy enough. But then it climbs 1.8 steep miles over alpine terrain and switchbacks, a path I don't find easy even just walking. I helped other parks and rec employees at the finish line up top, recording racers' bib numbers and times. Wish I could say I'd run the race, but volunteering counts for something, too, especially when it involves getting out of bed at 6 a.m. on a Saturday.

Attended an AMK Ranch talk

Mount Moran is my favorite peak in the Teton range. It was a cloudy evening when I took this picture, but the scene was so beautiful I couldn't resist.

I passed it on the way back from a science talk on "fluidity in gender" at AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. The talks are held every Thursday for eight weeks every summer. For years I've wanted to go and finally did.

I didn't bring my camera to the talk, so I didn't get shots of the ranch.

This herd of cow elk and their young were hanging out near Leeks Marina in the park In a month, the bull elk will be herding them into harems for mating. For now the cows can just eat, relax and enjoy summer.

Biking in Tetonia

The good thing about biking gear is you can post your picture on the Web without fear of anyone actually recognizing you.
From Teton Valley, Idaho, you get views of the Tetons that may not be as in-your-face as on the Jackson Hole side but are still pretty great.
Tetonia is a fun ride in July. Big blue skies, farm fields that are still bright green. There are a lot of what my friend described as "gently rolling" hills. Not so gentle: My legs are killing me.

Molly Marx

I hope they make this book into a movie. I picture Isla Fisher in the role.

Molly Marx is a 35-year-old New Yorker, recently deceased, who worked as an interior-design stylist for magazines. She and her husband, Barry, have a young daughter, and Molly also had a boyfriend on the side, Luke. The story is about Molly's life but also the mystery of her death. From the great beyond, called The Duration in this book, she watches her parents, husband, lover, twin sister, best friend and cute detective deal with her demise.

Sally Koslow is a wonderful writer. My favorite passage is when Molly tells her marriage therapist what she wants from marriage:

"I want to come first. We can count off my flaws from here to the Fourth of July but I want him to find at least some of them endearing. ... I want him to feel that the happiest accident he every had was meeting Molly Divine, that I'm in every breath he takes. ... I need to feel my husband is absolutely bonkers about me. ... "

Well put, Molly Mark (Sally Koslow). Seem simple .. but, ahhh.

Water crossing

After Cynthia crossed this creek in Grand Teton National Park, I fell in the water and got my camera wet. It looks like a little stream, but the current was strong and the rocks very slippery. I'm a city girl playing with mountain kids, and sometimes bad things happen.

That's why this is the only photo from a nice bike ride on a beautiful day. I would have liked to have pictures of the old bison we had to wait out while he lingered near the trail, the herd of cattle we had to shoo away and the great views of Mount Moran we had the whole trip.

Oh well. At least my camera and phone dried out. From now on I'm putting any electronics in baggies when I'm recreating outside.

Volunteered at a mountain-bike race

Except for location, these photos have nothing to do with my volunteering at the Cache Creek to Game Creek Mountain Bike Race on June 24, 2009. But I forgot to bring my camera that day, and I was busy enough that taking pictures would have been difficult anyway.

The 11-mile race starts in one canyon (Cache Creek) climbs a divide and descends into another canyon (Game Creek). My race-day responsiblities consisted of setting up tables and a tent, putting out food and water, handing out bananas and visors, admiring the athletic bodies, etc.

Yesterday, my friend Cynthia and I hiked the race route at a leisurely pace. The temperature was perfect, there was just the right amount of sunshine, and thanks to all the rain we had earlier this summer, the wildflowers were out in great variety and beauty. After walking the short, steep, rocky portion of the route that climbs the divide, I have new admiration for the men and women who not only biked the whole trail but did it quickly.

'In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.'
- Edward Hoagland

Ate a home-grown salad

Yes!!! A fresh crisp salad of home-grown greens. Heirloom lettuce and red romaine grown in pots from starters purchased at a local greenhouse.

I've never eaten something I've grown. These lettuce varieties were crisp, delicious, fresh and pesticide-free. I'm totally sold on the whole growing-your-own concept.

Happy Fourth of July

A Fourth of July hike to Goodwin Lake in the Teton National Forest. Spring flowers at the bottom. Snow at the top. Stormy enjoyed the snow and the water. These are the things I like about Jackson Hole ... and dogs.

Said goodbye to a friend

"Fate chooses your relations, you choose your friends."
- Jacques Delille (1738 - 1813) French poet.

One night a week ago I had a phone conversation with my friend Christa, who I met in Chicago about 18 years ago. Our conversation was only so-so, but i just chalked it up to fatigue or bad moods and figured the next one would be better. Ten hours later I got a call from a friend that Christa was dead. So there's not going to be another phone conversation. It's a good lesson to never take anything for granted. We all hear that, at least I know I do, but rarely pay attention.

Christa's very excellent good friend Ron Berg wrote a beautiful eulogy. This is part of it:'

"Christa, I won’t use the term Free Spirit to describe you . It is cliché and overused. I will simply thank you for teaching me to roller skate, ,,, in the living room ... after midnight. I have learned the lesson that just because you are dressed for work, you can still do cartwheels. I will never forget that a summer downpour is a call to run out on the sidewalk and dance. You taught me that it is always better to go to a bad street fair on a ninety degree day than to sit home and watch TV. We discovered that a bad play at a storefront theater can be the most wonderful time if you want it to be. Christa, you have demonstrated courage to me time and again, by being the person who is the most terrified to fly and the most traveled. I thank you for standing by me and being my friend for all these decades."

Inspiration Point

My friend Cynthia and I took a short walk up to Inspiration Point in Grand Teton National Park.

It's been years since I did this particular excursion, and I'm happy to say the rain and clouds lifted and gave us three sunny hours.

Must learn to use camera and then get a better lens to get good photos of little critters like this chipmunk, marmot and mountain bluebird (the tiny splotch of blue in the trees). Meantime, I have no shame about posting these less-than-stellar shots.

Happiness quote

"At some point in your life you learned to beat down joy."

– Mark Obmascik, author of Halfway to Heaven: My White-Knuckled

– and Knuckleheaded – Quest for the Rocky Mountain High

Biked in Idaho

Another new thing on another bad-weather day.

I went for a bike ride in Idaho this morning with my friend Al, pictured here. At least one of us knows how to dress for cycling in rain and cold.

We started in Driggs, headed west and then south, turned in Victor and came back. About 22 miles in all.

Can't believe I've waited this long to do this.

Rode Grand Teton National Park bike path

The bike path in Grand Teton National Park, an 8-mile stretch between Moose and South Jenny Lake, officially opened today. Just for bragging rights, I made a point of riding it on the first day. It's great.

Unfortunately, I didn't go in the morning when the weather was gorgeous, but instead waited until 5:15 p.m. There were no crowds to contend with as there probably were earlier in the day, but it had clouded over, so the scenery was a notch below spectacular.

The Thing on the King

It looks like a wierd take on Stonehenge, but it's actually a "Snowtorium."

The Center of Wonder molded it out of snow on Snow King and plans to use it to for exhibitions and to play "soundscapes" from around Jackson Hole.

This morning I hiked part way up the mountain and went inside the structure. Very cool.

Ally

"We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet: and, amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog, has made an alliance with us."

- Maurice Maeterlinck

Set your thermostat

"Set the thermostat of your life at the temperature that suits you best, and let those around you dress in layers."

- Claudia Trupp, criminal defense attorney and author of Hard Time & Nursery Rhymes: A Mother's Tales of Law and Disorder

Mountain biked in Jackson Hole

Fifteen years ago, I took a mountain-biking lesson in Durango, Colo., but as I was living in Chicago at the time, I never pursued the sport.

Embarassing to say, I haven't mountain biked during the 10 years I've been in Jackson Hole, though it's a hugely popular sport here and the conditions are perfect for it.

Saturday I did actually do some mountain biking. A friend and I started along the elk refuge road and continued along Flat Creek Road into the hills.

It was a beautiful ride, but I'd better implement some kind of weight training program and build up my strength. Also, note to self: Apply sunscreen to arms and legs as well as face.

Planted lettuce

Someday these lettuce leaves will sitting on my dinner plate covered with croutons and blue-cheese dressing.

Given the economy and the growing emphasis on eating locally grown foods, my friend Jane and I decided to try growing lettuce. Due to a lack of garden beds, we're trying container gardening.

I've never grown a vegetable before. Perhaps using "starters" is cheating, so I'll also plant seeds.

Buddies

River plus tennis ball equals new friends.

This is Stormy (the blond), Jane and Terry's dog, with a lab he'd just met on the Snake River dike.

Big orange bag

One little section of field along Highway 89 was littered with cigarette butts, packing peanuts, car parts, squares of styrofoam, a surgery cap, a dirty diaper, cigarette butts, MacDonald's cups, a skoal can, lots and lots of plastic bags of various sizes, cigarette butts, bottles - soda, beer, water, gatorade - and bottle caps. Oh, and some cigarette butts.

Now it's all bundled into this orange trash bag waiting for someone from public works to pick it up. My contribution to the annual Spring Cleanup here in Jackson Hole.

One man's trash is another man's .....trash.

Democrats doing good

I spent two hours picking up trash with the Teton County Democrats during the annual Spring Cleanup here in Jackson Hole.

The day turned warm and sunny, which made the job more pleasant but also meant I had to take this coat off.

Don't open that envelope

Why is this dog smiling? Because he doesn't know what a 401(k) or IRA is.


I made a point of not looking at any investment portfolio totals in April.

After a quick glance today, I'm doing the same thing in May. Life's too short.

Another sign of spring

For the first time this year, Revlon's "Really Rosy" polish is out of the bottle and onto my toenails. If it doesn't snow, I may wear open-toe shoes to work tomorrow.

This picture makes my foot look cadavorous. Yikes.

Biked with a baby

At only 4 months old, Desi is already a true Jackson Hole girl, hitting the bike path with me for an after-work ride on a sunny spring day.

It was Desi's mom and chauffeur, Johanna, who did the heavy work, namely keeping her wheels going with this side-cart contraption attached to her bike and a brisk wind hitting head-on.

I'm thinking of buying Desi a beret, a long scarf and aviator sunglasses to wear whenever she rides in this side cart.

Bought a road bike

The economy is in the toilet, my job prospects are bleak, the totals in my stock-and-bond portfolio give me the willies. So what to do? What else, but go out and buy a road bike.

Here it is, a brand new Jamis (a company I'd not heard of until I walked into Fitzgerald's Bicycles this morning) Satellite leaning against my nine-year-old Ford Focus wagon, a vehicle whose age and model prove, I believe, that I'm not really materialistic, even though some material things do indeed give me great pleasure (like my Kindle).

But I do love the bike. I took it for an inaugural spin this afternoon in Grand Teton National Park. The mountains were so beautiful, the snowy sage flats so clean and bright, the sky so blue and my bike so speedy. ... For therapeutic value alone this bike was worth it. I feel like a million bucks right now.

A new thing? I've had a handful of bikes: a three-speed as a kid, a 10-speed as a teenager, a hybrid in my 20s and 30s, a mountain bike in my 40s (which I still use for transportation in spring/summer/fall). But I don't believe I've ever bought a road bike.

Sign of spring

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” -- Henri Matisse

Despite a couple of days of snow, this brave little crocus popped its head up on April 17.

Carl Jung

Being part of the Great Books Discussion Group here in Jackson Hole forces - or should I say, encourages - me to read things I'd otherwise avoid. Often the selections are a pleasant surprise.

This week I struggled with an excerpt from Carl Jung's "The Stages of Life" until I came across some great quotes about middle and old age.

"... We wholly overlook the essential fact that the achievements which society rewards are won at the cost of a diminution of personality. Many - far too many - aspects of life which should also have been experienced lie in the lumberoom among dusty memories. Sometimes, even, they are glowing coals under gray ashes.

... Thoroughly unprepared we take the step into the afternoon of life; worse still, we take this step with the false presupposition that our truths and ideals will serve us as hitherto. But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life's morning - for what was great in the morning will be little at evening, and what in the morning is true will at evening have become a lie."

Interviewed a famous author

Photo by Tara Murphy

"Eighty percent of success is just showing up," Woody Allen once said.

And to that I'll add, opportunities sometimes arise just because you're around when somebody else isn't.

The arts reporter where I work went on vacation during a week when an interview with author Alexander McCall Smith was offered to our newspaper. Smith will be speaking here in Jackson Hole on April 23, so I got to interview him (by phone to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he lives) and write a story previewing his appearance.

I've read quite a few of the books in his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Isabel Dalhousie series, so I felt pretty comfortable talking to him. He's smart (obviously), nice and well-spoken. And prolific. He has two books at a time going and fortunately for him is one of those people who can write on planes and trains.

One thing he said that particularly struck me was that when he writes, he doesn't have a picture in his mind of how Precious Ramotswe, Isabel Dalhousie or any of his other characters look. Even now that Jill Scott is playing Ramotswe in HBO's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, he still doesn't "see" the character.

This was one assignment that didn't feel like work. And it's nice to know people can achieve fame and fortune without turning into jerks.

Tasted single-malt whisky

Once, 20 years ago, I drank some blended Scotch one evening when (1) I had consumed other types of alcoholic beverages and (2) I was on one of the worst dates of my life. Halfway through the evening, my date said, "You have flaws. I like that." At the end of the evening, when I was (mercifully) home alone, I got very sick. Was it the Scotch? Was it the other liquor? Was it the man? Or a combination of all three. Who knows, but I've steered clear of Scotch since.

Then, on April 4, 2009, I lifted the self-imposed moratorium on Scotch by attending a whisky-tasting at Spring Creek Ranch in Jackson, Wyo., with the Wyoming Highlanders, a Scottish-American organization. The four single-blends pictured above on the bar of Spring Creek's restaurant, The Granary, with the Tetons behind, initiated me into the world of high-end Scotch.

I enjoyed the first two, found it hard to get through the next two, but ended up (1) not sick and (2) with a new beverage in my repertoire. I can't say single-blend whisky will ever be my first choice, but now I have another new thing: If someone asks if I like single-malts, I can truthfully, sort of, say yes. It seems so sophisticated.