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There are nights that sleep dances around me, never really settling down next to my mind. Last night was one of those nights. How precious is our sleep that we long for it, need it, love it and treasure the nights it comes to us. I lay there wondering if I should just get up and get on with the waking hours, yet it is only 2:30am…..not really breakfast time….right! Many thoughts travel around, giving you just enough thought to keep you awake but not providing answers to settle you. Other thoughts come to you as ideas, you investigate them in detail, wondering if it would work or not….a change here, a tweak there. Then there is the “to do” list….all the tasks I want to get done, but the moments slip away like a single drop of water disappearing down a waterfall never to be seen again from where I stand. 
Well my friends…the music has stopped and sleep will lay within my mind tonight….sleep tight everyone. 

Recently I ordered a panoramic print from a photo I took. Actually I ordered three prints total, the panoramic photo, and two standard photos. I shot the panoramic and one other and Dan took the other. We decided to have these three enlarged for our living room.  As destiny would have it, the company is associated with a new “sell your photos” program. It is still under beta (test mode) but I am really excited. Right now I am uploading some of my favorite shots and putting them in a “gallery” portion of the program. Selling my photos has been something I have been encouraged to do from one of my daughters, Jamie, and other friends. I have no expectations of selling any photos but it would be fun if I did. I have viewed some of the other artists and photographers work so I may be out of my league but oh well. I don’t know when the program will take off for sure….beta can be a long process….but I’ll keep you posted. Maybe some of you can look at some of the photos and give ideas on if I have them in the right “gallery” section, I am always open for ideas, feedback is always helpful.
Anyhow….we shall see how this plays out. Another adventure in life and life lessons. 

As the sun begins to peak its eyes open, Dan’s diesel truck roars to life. The truck wheels anxious to start rolling down the highway. Dan is off to his big elk hunt. He will meet up with other guys, which is why I’m staying home. 
It is true I will miss him, but hunting is a passion with him and I’m glad for him to have time with the guys. So, I sent him off with a hug, kiss and “I love you”. It will be my time to have “me” time….watch chick flicks by the truck load. Do some writing like I am now, some beading if time allows. I plan to purchase and plant some spring bulbs. Dan and I have picked out three photos we have taken, two I shot and one he shot, to have blown up for art to hang on our walls. You know, all the general activities we women enjoy when we have time to ourselves. He will be gone for the rest of the month….give or take a day. 
But the truth of it is, though I like to be alone, I will miss him terribly. As I’ve said before, he has become my missing piece and I am not complete without him. I will miss sitting down in the evening to watch a show, me stretching my legs out and Dan rubbing my feet. Or having him grab packages of Smarties out of the candy jar and tossing me a couple. Reaching out to touch him as we quietly chat about whatever is on our minds. His side of the bed will be empty and cold. Normally I wake through the night to hear his breathing which tells me we are both safe, that piece will be missing. I gave up everything to be here with him in Colorado, and I am blessed to have found him to be the man he showed me he was. He is a provider, protector, my moral support, a shoulder to cry on and a comedian to make me laugh….he is my best friend. We have our good days, and our bad days, though the later is few, it is a part of marriage we still muddle through learning even at our older, more experienced age. 
I wish him a successful hunt, good times with the guys and a safe travel back into my arms. 

As I sit in the camper watching the rain turn to snow, Dan rests his eyes. We headed for the mountains for a little R&R. Set up a tent to stake his spot for his elk hunting trip. The quiet is amazing and gave me a few minutes to put my thoughts on paper. Here are my ramblings for the day:

Marriage

As we travel the road of marriage
we learn patience, timing and love
We have just mastered another trail
when life shows its variety
We want to ride the wave without getting wet
but that is not reality
The joy in marriage is knowing
who you are riding the wave with
and taking time to dry out together

Bugle

I hear a sound as majestic as the animal himself
I am reminded of the strength he carries
as he summons his mates home
or states a fact – they are his
They are regal in their stance, powerful and handsome
The majestic elk bull bugles
His cows moo in response
Carrying music to my ears

Golden
Snow falling against the background
of golden Aspens
Their white trunks camouflage in this weather
The wind catches the leaves and I watch
them dance in the air like falling
flecks of gold to meet the white snow below

I just got back from the my first hunting trip. Though the freezer did not get filled with new stock of elk, I wanted to share what I experienced because it was much different then I expected….not to say I really knew what to expect. We went to Dan’s second favorite unit (term for areas they get their license in)….here we are in this big field….no one was there but the cattle. You see, Colorado is a “free range” state so cattle roam around anywhere they want. I’ll post some pictures later, but I wanted to share what I felt going through this experience after I explain Dan’s routine a bit.
Opening day was two days out so the first day was setting up the camp, including the infamous barrel stove. The second day was spent just enjoying the weather, taking walks, enjoying quiet conversation, especially as my cute husband does his jokes around the barrel stove each night…my one man entertainment show…lol. The next day was opening day so we were up at the break of dawn and on the trail by 7am. We were dressed in our orange vests, orange head gear to stay warm, and orange backpacks…did I mention orange is NOT my color but regulations are to be followed for safety reasons….so I’m stuck with orange. We headed up the mountain about another 1000 feet higher than we already were at our camp, taking about one and a half hours to climb to the spot. Once we got to the area we would stay, we unloaded our backpacks and set up our area.  Just as I scanned with the binoculars we spotted three mule deer bucks with amazing racks. It wasn’t what we were licensed to hunt but seeing such beautiful animals just does something to me. They move with grace and style that says God knew what he was doing. I was able to get one picture, not of the biggest one….but at least I got one. It was a majestic moment….both of us experiencing our own thoughts and appreciation for the animal. We watched in excitement and awe. This is the routine you do every morning at dawn, take a break mid-day and then hike up again in the afternoon until dark.
But what I experienced had nothing to do with hunting. What I felt was the new morning with air as crisp and clean as a new baby’s breath. It reminded me of those early Spring mornings in Washington when you leave for work and roll the windows down to enjoy the new air…..taking a couple extra minutes when you park at work to walk in the early air, listening to the birds welcome the new season. In the mountains the smells, sounds and sights heightened my senses with a passion to push through every step it took to get to the top. The quiet defines your moments with God to a new understanding. It was so quiet that as the birds flew overhead you could hear the movement of their wings in the air…..it is a beautiful swooshing sound I will remember forever. If you have ever fished, you understand the calm that embraces your mind as you sit and wait….watching, listening and taking in the sites given to us by God to enjoy. The hawks calling out to each other, the hummingbird that visits for quick seconds intrigued with the color orange. The honey bees so filled with nectar they can barely move. My eyes scanning the mountain side, taking in every movement of life as it woke up to embrace a new day, or put a close to their day as we spent the late afternoon posted in our spot. Hearing the coyotes and then spotting one come into the field we are watching….finding something that intrigues him for moments before running off again. When we hiked, we look for elk tracks, every word between us is a whisper, every movement mentally gaged to step as carefully and quietly as possible. On two occasions, Dan went on his own so he could work more treacherous areas. He would be gone for about four or five hours…..leaving me to keep the fire going and spend some “me time” to read, think or organize and clean our home away from home. Just the cattle and me in the quiet. You could hear the creek the cattle frequent or the occasional hawk, but I would look around the vastness and beauty and you are suddenly in peace. I love being alone so treasured these times with nature, but the smile that covered me as I see his orange vest coming over the hill made me feel at home again….the missing piece was back…my husband. Enjoying life in the mountains filled with amazing sites and sounds brings contentment to my soul but even more when it is shared with someone who appreciates it and loves it like I do. Who understands what God gave us, and who enjoys every moment with as much love and respect as we share with each other.