School has begun.  I was a little concerned about meeting the requirements of teaching and the needs of the kids this year - nothing new really, and I zoomed off to a conversation I had with Nate's dad when we were in Delta for the Fourth of July.  He was talking about his dairy experiences and where it had led him and he said, "that's just what I do."  I'm a 2nd grade teacher, "that's just what I do."  It's been a good career, full of challenge, accomplishment, frustration and every other emotion that I've become acquainted with.  I'll give it my best shot this year and make a difference in the lives of these kids.  

This is one of Valerie's pictures from Zion.  It instantly connected with me and I put it on my desktop.  I study it quite often as I meditate on my life.  I know everyone was disappointed when we didn't get to hike the Subway.  The Right Fork was a mediocre hike at best, but it brought us together for a moment in time.  In my "olden days" I was always seeking for glimpses of the divine as I hiked along pondering my life's potentialities.  Now I look at these crumbling cliffs and rock-strewn shores and feel a sense of my inner self.  I tend toward disorganization and find myself in endless cycles of improvement and renewal.  Sometimes I throw out the old before I begin the new, but not very often  - thus clutter collects.  

We've been moving rooms.  Nathan moved into Erica's room, Josh moved into my upstairs room, I moved down to Nathan's old room and Erica moved to Grandmas.  I've spent a lot of time going on trips to D.I. and the dumpster.  

Denice pointed out that under a tree, on the right, there is a Bigfoot creature sitting on a log.  Bigfoot and other illusions stalk my landscape at times.  We nurture the ideal and the big, smelly, hairy beast of reality tramples on it.   So many of my ideals were formed in Zion as I hiked through red-rock canyons, stained black from seeping water.  There is a sense of eternity here.  Time slowly chips away at the vain and unnecessary elements of our lives, helping us identify and  realize our fondest hopes and dreams.   

Zion has just the right balance of colors.  They complement and contrast with each other - always pleasing to the eye.  Yellow has always been my favorite color - it's bright and enthusiastic.   The past few years green has been creeping up on me and eclipsing yellow.  Green is the color of life and has so many shades.  Color is one of life's greatest blessings and joys.  It's just there, everywhere you look, beckoning you to pay attention and enjoy the ride we're experiencing on Spaceship Earth.  I didn't get to the sky and water, but those ramblings will have to wait for another post.