I love the state of Montana, but I’m not nearly as hardy as these folks ice fishing on Clark Canyon Reservoir. That’s why we travel.
In the dead of winter, in a city that hadn’t seen sun since November, a road trip seemed like a good idea. (Of course, as soon as we left, the sun came out.)
It took almost three days to reach Death Valley, our first destination. It was quite a difference!
One of the things we noticed right away, was the seeming lack of wildlife. On our way south, we’d seen numerous deer, antelope, elk, hawks, eagles, and even a badger. In the place with the least amount of rainfall and hottest temperatures in California, critters were more difficult to spot.
Everyone kept talking about the wildflowers that covered the valley, compliments of the massive rains in October. We trekked the length of the valley. For us, the flowers were nice, but not really worth the 40-mile trip. But then, we’re a bit spoiled by the riot of flowers in the Montana spring, no matter how fleeting it is.
However, the journey was worth it. New country always is. For me, different places present me with different perspectives, and I look at my life and my work in a different way. I become more grateful for what I do have, and the amazingly beautiful place where I get to live and work on a daily basis.
We finally did get our critter. As we drove south, this small coyote trotted up the road. We have them in Montana, of course, but see our fox more frequently. We were happy to see that something thrived in the valley.
We live in an amazing country, with major contrasts that bring new vision to our lives. All you have to do is look for the difference. What have you seen recently that has made you look at something in a different way.
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