For many years I have had my hair cut at Great Clips. For a long time, I had my favorite cutter, and when she moved from my neighborhood shop to across town, to Albany , to Woodburn, I followed her. Recently, I have been taking potluck at the shop in my new neighborhood. Crapshoot may be a better word than potluck. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. I just cannot bare to spend much time or money or have anyone say the word “product” to me at the clip joint.

Today I drove right over after signing in online and was immediately seated by Franz, whom I had never seen in there before. Actually, that shop seems to have a very fast turnover in employees. I showed Franz the picture of the cut I like, and he set to work. By way of making nice, I asked him whether he had lived in Salem very long. He said no. He had moved here about a year ago from Las Vegas for a new life. I told him I had moved to Salem for much the same reason. I asked him whether he had done this kind of work in Vegas. He said no. He had worked in construction. Sort of struck terror in my heart!

But you know what? I think this is the best hair cut I’ve had in a long time. Sometimes I ike living on the edge. Pictures later.

One of the options in the BCP in the Prayers of the People is this phase: “this fragile earth, our island home.” I bet every church chose to pray that option this morning.

And what is more fragile than a tiny island out in the middle of nowhere?

Briefly, I had the privilege of having a half-acre, mature, Hawaiian garden on Maui where I worked most days before walking down to the beach to swim. I often thought “that water is the color of my soul.” I couldn’t bring the water with me, but I still have a bowl of the sand from that beach.

I remember when the word ” holocaust” could be spelled with a lower-case H and refer to any conflagration.  That is the only word that comes to my mind today when I think about that beautiful paradise that was my island home for a very short time. 

”  .  .  . and all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home.”  

It’s been over a month since I’ve been back from my annual road trip to Montana.  Too amazing and too hard to sort through and organize all my pictures.  Besides which, readers of this site will know how sentimental I am and much of it was just too poignant until I was a few weeks out. 

My friendly maintenance men came to my place and loaded up the little red boats before I headed out.

Google maps suggested two routes.  I took the northern route. I sometimes come home the other way just for variety.

Over-nighted in Coeur d’Alene and arrived in Pray and the big sky.

There’s a reason Montana is called Big Sky.  One example presented itself shortly after we arrived.

Dolly made herself at home before I even got my bags unpacked.

After a good night, I had my morning coffee in the garden while Boo weeded, harvested, and planted.

Baby plants waiting in the greenhouse

Next, we tried out the little boats on Dailey Lake. 

You will observe more big sky.

 Next, we put in on Yellowstone and more big sky.  I tend to repeat myself sometimes but, just to remind you, the Yellowstone is the longest wild river in the country.

Boo and Gypsy

Next day, back in the garden.

Boo’s beautiful blue flax

And no.  The kitties and Dolly were not in the garden at the same time. Here is Jemima with Eleanor, the new Elderberry bush we bought.

After several perfect outdoor days, I got the cold, rainy day I had been hoping for, with a fire in the stove.

Which led to some cooking and eating. Here is the rhubarb, ready to be made into jelly.

Delicious salad with just-picked lettuces

We picked up a cake at our favorite bakery in Livingston to celebrate our 2023 birthdays.

We didn’t always eat at home. While in Livingston getting the cake, we had a Sunday lunch at our favorite Chinese.   We have a lot of favorite places in Livingston, but we couldn’t stuff in a cheeseburger from Mark’s on that day.

This is my favorite BBQ place in Emigrant.

It’s Gypsy’s favorite too.  The cook came around and asked if she could have a treat. Yes!  It was a big hunk of meat. No sauce.

Got a new cap in Emigrant too.  At the general store.  I swear, you can get anything in that tiny place. 

 Of course, we made a quick trip into Yellowstone even though Boo made sure I pretty much saw it all on my first trip a few years ago.  

Got to see some newborn elk babies.

I zoomed in on this shot.  I hate it when people get too close and disrespect the animals who live there. 

I did a mini-hike through the terraces.  

Lots of tourists even though everything in Mammoth is still pretty much closed up from the flood a year ago.  The plumbing in the lodge and all the campgrounds is still being repaired.

On the way home, we stopped to eat in Gardiner at a spot overhanging the river,

We noticed that the prices were about twice what they were when we ate there in the past.

Still pretty delicious, though.

Got to see the sun rise on the Solstice on my last day.  

Saying goodbye is sometimes is just too hard, so I stayed in bed until Boo left for work about 6.a.m. 

I did say goodbye to my beautiful Montana grand-dogs though, and, yes, I shed a few tears. Many years ago, Meg told me never to say goodbye to dogs.  They don’t get it and it makes you cry. Very true.

Stopped in Livingston to gas up and got yet another cap.

You have to anticipate there there might be problems when  you head out for a 2000 mile road trip in a 10-year-old Subaru, but what happened has nothing to do with my faithful car.

On the way, s big piece of gravel hit the windshield on the passenger side.  Had to get that fixed when I got home.  

And, as I left Montana and entered Idaho,  I knew better, but I was in the far left lane when I saw the small sign:  “All water vessels must be inspected for invasive species.”  A couple of miles on, I saw those blue lights flashing in my rear-view mirror. I pulled over to be quizzed by a very handsome, 12-year-old state trooper  (I have always been a sucker for a man in a uniform, which says a lot about my whole life, but that is a story for another day.)   I offered the lame excuse that I would not be putting-in in Idaho. He led me all the way back to the check station where the inspector pretty much waved me through.  

Early the next morning, after again spending the night in Coeur’d’Alene, and passing into Washington, I had learned my lesson, and stopped when I saw the sign.  Since I had lots of time and so did the young fish and wildlife woman, I asked her all kinds of questions.  I think it made her day .  She was a very good educator. Here is her visual display of zebra mussels.

Since I now know about all the problems these suckers can cause, I get it.  We do not have them in the Northwest and we don’t want them.

After that it was pretty much jiggity jig after another amazing time on the road.

Next day, I added a stone from the Yellowstone to my cairn.