Steadfast Spirit

 Create in me a pure heart, O God.  And renew a steadfast Spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

Our Refuge

 God is our refuge and strength.  A very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

"I am with you always"

 "I am with you always, even to the end of the age"

Matthew 28:20

"Before the Mountains were brought forth"

 

Before the mountains were brought forth,
 or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world. 
 even from everlasting to everlasting.  Thou art God.
Psalm 90:2

Unshakable

 The mountains may shift, and the hills may be shaken, but my faithful love won't shift from you, and my covenant of peace won't be shaken, says the Lord, the one who pities you.  Isaiah 54:10 CEB

Seek and You Will Find

Luke 11:10  "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

The Moment of Creation

Beavers take dead branches, sticks, twigs and leaves and create a new purpose and breathe life into the decaying wood and debris. They are engineers as well as artists in gathering and building these structures. Creation is recycled and the beaver dams provide shelter and become a home for their young. 


Creating works of art fulfills you and is a positive uplifting outlet for your emotions.  Whatever the wounds that have to be healed, it is the moment of creation that assures us that all is well and that we are still in tune with nature and our surroundings. Creating something like a journal, poem, a drawing or painting, a splendid photograph helps me to work through grief and connects me back to something I enjoy. Photography is my artistic outlet and creating images of nature into wall art, cards, albums and blogging is my therapy. Like the beaver, I recycle nature into my own artistic creations.

The Earth is My Sister

"The earth is my sister.  I love her daily grace, her silent daring, and how loved I am."  The cycle of the seasons is alive with the promise of rebirth.  Creation is a mystery and so is death.  But there are promises, that we are the children of God.  "In Life as in death, we draw our power from the same source." 
Quote:  Martha W. Hickman, Healing After Loss

My mother loved the cycle of the seasons.  She knew about the death and rebirth of her garden and flowers every year.  She nurtured and watered her flowers daily. She had faith and believed in God's promises of everlasting life for those who believe in him.

"Streams of Water"

"As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, my God."  Psalm 42:1

Peace Like A River

It Is Well with My Soul

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to know;
"It is well, it is well with my soul."

   Tho' Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed his own blood for my soul.

   My sin - oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin - not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.

   And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend-
"Even so - it is well with my soul."

   For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live,
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou shalt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

   It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

By Horatio G. Spafford (1828-1888)

Far Over the Mountains

“He loved mountains, or he had loved the thought of them marching on the edge of stories brought from far away; but now he was borne down by the insupportable weight of Middle-earth. He longed to shut out the immensity in a quiet room by a fire.”


― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Snake River

“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”
 
― W.B. Yeats, The Land of Heart's Desire

What Are Men to Rocks and Mountains?

“What are men to rocks and mountains?”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice    

Call of the Mountains

The mountains are calling and I must go.
John Muir

Teton's Call of the Wild

It was an extraordinary visit to Jackson Hole Wyoming and The Grand Teton National Park.  I tried to give as much detail about my visit for those who are interested in visiting the park.  One thing I need to mention is the smell of sage is all over the meadows.  It is a wonderful scent and the wildflowers were endless.  The fresh cool air, mountain rivers and lakes, wildlife, the forest, the call of the wild is beckoning me to come back and I will again and again. 

Jackson Lake Lodge A Surreal Dining Experience

We had lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge and the view was surreal.  I have been at many restaurants where you get views of the ocean, beach, city lights, mountain rivers, etc. but we had a magnificent panoramic view!  There is nothing like it that I have ever experience.

Gros Ventre River

Kelly Loop starts at Antelope Flats Road, passes Mormon Row to the small town of Kelly.  The Gros Ventre Road follows the Gros Ventre River and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. We saw a lot of elk resting in the meadows and in the river.   

Two Ocean Lake and Pacific Creek River

 

It is always fun to take a side road adventure where most tourist usually will not travel.  We drove to Two Ocean Lake by turning onto Pacific Creek Road before we got to Moran Junction.  We were not sure exactly where the road would led but we wanted to see the Bridger-Teton National Forest.  The top photos are of Pacific Creek River and Ocean Lake and the photo right is the view at the intersection of Pacific Creek and Two Ocean Road. Pacific Creek Road is paved but very narrow and roughly follows the river and Two Ocean Road is an unpaved gravel road and is too narrow for two way traffic.  There are trailheads that follows the shoreline of the lakes and river.

Sawmill Pond Overlook at Moose-Wilson Road

 

Moose Wilson is a narrow and scenic little road that winds along the base of the mountains between Moose and Teton Village.  There is barely enough room for two way traffic and at several places it is only one lane.  It passes water falls, beaver ponds and marshy areas. The bottom photo is at Sawmill Pond Overlook which is known for sighting wildlife.

Cascade Canyon