MUD SLIDE

Spring is late this year. The daffodils are in bloom, but buds on the aspen, maple and other trees are still searching for warmth and sunshine. We did have a few days of brilliant sunshine and with the sunshine there occurred a horrific mud slide up the Snake River Canyon.

14 years ago we suffered a terrible mud slide in the canyon up near Dog Lake. It nearly put me out of business. It became a political nightmare.

Two geologists that were working on the slide stayed with us at the Nordic Inn. I learned many things from them. Before the spring run off had ever began high above where the slide erupted was an under ground lake inside the mountain. The lake was fed water from another open lake very high in the mountains.

When the spring melting of snow began the open lake could not hold all the water from the winter snow and it filled the hidden lake. The under ground lake erupted and began what is known in mother nature as a BRAND NEW RIVER!
If there had not been any humans in the area the mud slide would have opened a new artery into the mighty Snake River and branched off into many other streams and over many years there would be many new rivers, creeks, lakes. The creative process seemed endless over hundreds of years creating new water ways...

Well, this current mud slide is many times greater than the slide 14 years ago. I walked up the canyon this afternoon. The river is raging... very muddy with lots of run off water carrying trees, huge boulders and natural debris down the river at a fast tempo.
Nice to walk without any traffic... only the sounds of nature.

Nature rules. We must accept the fact. The natural disasters the past year have been shocking. But are they really? We forget we are very much a part of this planet, the cycles of nature and it's many blessing of magic and wellness.

I shall never forget what a little Japanese lady said to me in Queenstown soon after the earthquake in Japan. She would come to St Peter's daily to hear me play Chopin. After the horrible earthquake I asked her if she had lost family or friends in the disaster. She smiled, paced her words very evenly and said: "Young man, you must always enjoy the sound of birdsong, the white clouds against a blue sky and most of all hold some kind of secret peace inside your heart..." Having been to Japan a few times over the years as well as all of South East Asia I sensed her stoic and most amazing reply. Emotions are to be felt INSIDE not OUTSIDE. (I have one hell of a time with that concept! I seem to scream, cry, dramatize beyond imagination)

I reflect where I was two years ago. Full of cancer, E coli, besides too many physical problems to imagine at the present moment.

I will watch the sun set over the western mountains and silently one by one within the infinite meadows of heaven watch the lovly stars, the "forget-me-not's of the angels....... after all our bodies are made of dust? MUD! our spirits are made of light!

Back in Wyoming...

What an amazing adventure getting from QT New Zealand to Auckland and from Auckland to LAX.

The jet that was to fly us non
stop to Auckland hit a bird before it landed in QT. The inspectors had to check out everything on the plane before take off.
It took over and hour for the inspectors to give the OKAY TO FLY. I did not mind. I would much rather be safe than falling out of the sky because of another flying object called a dead bird.

As we sat on the plan I began to organize thoughts about how we would be able to connect with the international flight to USA.
NO WAY. So, I decided we would simply wait in Auckland until the next flight into America and then re book the flight into Utah.

We landed in Auckland and had exactly one half hour to get from the Domestic Terminal to the International Terminal. We jumped into a cab and drove like hell. Jumped out at International. The staff was amazing. They took our luggage... found a wheel chair for Anne... she is 93 and has dementia... we ran to the customs area. I was sweating like a pig ready for the moment of death. The woman pushing Anne's wheel chair, said: "fill out what you can on the departure forms... I could not even get the passport numbers written out. They ran us through the arch which checks for metal, objects of mass destruction and we ran down the ramp onto the plane. It was packed. We had our carry on pieces. Simply got into our seats and it was TAKE OFF!!! Our luggage could not be put on the plane but would arrive later.

Believe me this would not have happened in America! It was a smooth flight. Landed in LAX, and once again a long run to get from International to South West. Once more my body began sweating like the pigs body I seem to be living in. Talk about a wake up call telling me I did not work out enough at the gym the past 5 months! We made the flight. Landed in SLC and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Spent 5 days and nights with my parents in Clinton Utah. Celebrated my parents 65th Wedding Day celebration at the Lion House in SLC. Saw family members I have not seen in over 30 years!

Seems like when we at my parents Michael ends up doing nothing by fixing problems in the house... The kitchen taps were leaking tons of water. Needed a completely new faucet etc.
then there were other minor things. We got on the road for home early afternoon on the 3rd of May.

The drive to Evanston, WY was beautiful. From Evanston to Cokeville WY was heaven to me... wide open spaces, sage brush,
clouds of every possible shape and you could watch some clouds blessing the land with rain. Stopped to see friends
before we drove into Alpine. Stopped at the grocery for basic items, milk, bread, butter, odds and ends, then drove up the drive way, past the business and HOME.

Today I walked into the national forest behind the house. The trees have buds about the size of pin heads. Mountains still covered in snow. Butter cups were smiling among the Oregon Grape leaves and Robins with beautiful red breasts were perched on branches of Cedar trees and pine.

The most blessed moment was touching my wonderful piano. It held it's pitch amazingly well. I love this instrument. It chose me a few years ago. I did not chose it. It's voice is the voice of my soul and spirit. I placed my favorite piece of art on top of it.
"Walking Wounded"... I played for over an hour. My hands were straining because of the altitude, my breathing is labored for days after I return to the mountains...

I filled the room with pine boughs and sage brush... it smells heavenly. Happy to be back where I belong.