From YaYa to Myself

I've been home two weeks now, and I'm noticing that when I'm here, I'm myself, M. I play lots of roles: mom, friend, sister, grandmother, organizer, homeowner, gardener, decorator, and on and on. When I was on the right hand coast, I was "YaYa." That role was the dominate one in my life there, as well it should have been, as that was the point of my time there.

It feels good to be my complete self, to be more completely in my life, rather be an adjunct to other lives.

My Charges this week

Miss R W, age 8.

Miss S W, age 6.

Sisters visiting their daddy and MI. I get to play "Auntie Nanny" for them this week.

We've been telling stories, drawing, and visiting the park.

HOME

I'm home! Settling in will take some time; my bed feels great. Hello to all of you on the left hand coast!

Glacier National Park

We drove out of our way to experience Glacier, and it was everything we had hoped.

Gorgeous gorges:

Scary construction projects on the "Going to the Sun" Highway that cuts through Glacier.

These are sheer cliffs, and the workers are on the outside edge. We followed a pilot car around the construction on our way to Logan Pass.

At this stop we saw the only glacier visible from the Going to the Sun Highway, Jackson Glacier.

The old open top busses continue to transport tourists.

The ranger explained the formations of U-shaped valleys cut by glaciers.

The uplifts are caused by the San Juan plate pushing against layers and layersof sedimentary rock. The glaciers that are left in the park are predicted to be gone by 2030.

Glacier lilies pop right up as soon as the snow melts at Logan Pass.

Here's Blanch in the parking lot. Even the cars have a view!

On the west side of the pass, Avalanche Creek. The west side is more forested.

Walking through a cedar forest surprised me. This mini weeping wall demonstrates that there is water aplenty to support the cedars.

Great Falls Lewis & Clark Museum

The whole expedition of Lewis and Clark is detailed at the museum in Great Falls.

The falls of the Missouri River created a need for a portage.

Depicted here, you can just feel the difficulty of this journey.

Did you know that in many places men from the group waded in the river to pull the boats upstream?

A great museum; an amazing trek.

Toy Drop in Montana

Ugly Isaac loves trees: sitting in trees, climbing trees, looking at trees,

enjoying their delightful scent.

J and I dropped Ugly Isaac at a little trail head in Glacier National Park today.

I hope someone who also loves trees will find him. He's waiting!

Driving: Wyoming to Montana

Wyoming becomes Montana. The scenery doesn't change much. We stopped today at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument:

I was reminded of the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg. Custer made his last stand on this site; he had fought in the Civil War along with many of the 7th calvary of the US Army. History surrounds us. The Lakota were defending their very way of life; the Calvary were attempting to open the country to western expansion. That's the simple version!

Tonight we are sleeping in Harlowton, Montana. Tomorrow we drive to the eastern border of Glacier National Park which is still in Montana. Get prepared for more photos!