ABCs of Our Summer

Amphibian Atrocity

Going out west has so many charms and notions of wonder in my mind that I often forget about the little adventures involved in achieving the grander goal of "A Road Trip out West". You have the big sky, the vast plains, the ability to see for miles and miles. We were charging out there with 250 horses (or the equivalent thereof) and breathing in the Nebraska plains after our family dinner at Perkins. We could see an entire thunderhead leading the approaching cold-front covering the sky like a mom shaking a blanket out over her child and allowing it to softly nestle into every nook of her child's curled up body. We began to see light flashing in the massive cloud at varying intervals. The herds of Black Angus were being led away from their grazing to shelter. As the sky grew more ominous we began to hear thunder coursing through our ears and overtaking the senses. The sun was setting behind the storm and rain pellets pummeled our van adding to the orchestra. Then we felt these bumps in the road and upon closer inspection we could see thousands of white spots on the road all caught up in their very own game of Frogger!!!!! We were witnessing the last split seconds of thousands of froggy lives!!! My hand instinctively covered my dropped jaw while the smell of death arrived. Death had replaced freshness. Horror had replaced awe. And we still had 2 more hours to think about the little creatures we had just sent to heaven. :)





BISON
I have noticed something about cows. They don't exercise very much. They don't seem to be the kind of animal that is just looking for some excitement while working on their grazing duties. They can be fun to look at the first couple times you drive by them, but then it just becomes another juicy steak in preparation. I only came upon these observations when we recently spent a couple of days observing Bison in Yellowstone. Bison move! They not only walk a lot more often, but they spontaneously break out running with or without reason. The herd is in constant motion and during mating season, when we saw them, males will frequently charge other males as they compete for territory and/or a partner. It is amazing to observe this behavior at those very convenient pull offs and they the herd is half a mile away. There is something about a single log barrier placed around only ten parking spaces that provides an enormous sense of security. We discovered, however, that Bison do not necessarily feel the need to remain only on green pastures, and a black road is no barrier in their eyes. We were stopped on the Yellowstone loop as a small herd of Bison decided to cross the street and do some of their bickering at the same time. We watched a full grown male flip over on his back (as if he was a feather) and ferociously rub his back on the ground kicking up a sand storm that can only compete with sand storms I have seen in the Middle East. Then he flipped back to his feet with the grace of a ballerina and started stomping the ground with his front hoof while looking through his brow at the road. There was a wide camper in front of us. My imagination was running. What could a Bison do to a vehicle? What should I do if someone gets hurt? How fast could our car get out of here? This mass of muscle was easily as tall as my six foot four inch husband. Did you know that a full grown Bison can run up to 30 miles per hour! Those things are athletic beasts! When we saw another full grown male running away on the other side of the road we were able to come to the conclusion that there was some territory protection happening. Just as we were catching our breath from that event, another male was walking beside our vehicle, a younger male. His head was still as wide as a standard front door. He had a "little" lady friend with him and decided to try to impress her about 6 inches from the back row of our van, where I was sitting. He started throwing his head around like a rock star on his guitar solo and got so excited he bucked his hind feet in the air. I could see he was about to throw his back to the ground or charge at any given moment and could only stand up in the van and yell at my husband to get this car out of here right now! It was either yell at my husband or somehow use that van to fight that bison! Mama Bear was about to be loosed!

Chevrolet

I have very fond memories of climbing into the back of my grandfather's 1940 Chevrolet for a ride. I remember how bouncy the seat was and thinking it would be an awesome bed to jump on. I remember the rush of fear I would feel at the fact that there were no seat belts in the car. I remember the sound of the engine cranking over as he turned the key and how he shifted the gears from the steering column. The old smell and the perfectly waxed paint. The round headlights and never ending curvatures, and yes, the suicide doors.

My grandfather still has this car, and it is still in awesome condition. While we visited I asked him to take my boys and Jay and I for a ride. He rolled out of his garage, pushed his aruuga horn, opened his suicide doors and and we rode simply for the sake of enjoyment.

Long Distance Relationships

Living far away from someone I love is a dreaded foe of mine. There are so many obstacles in keeping the relationship going. Time changes, schedules, other relationships, etc., etc., Some people are very good at it I've noticed and make a great effort to make phone calls, send notes and pictures and so on and so forth. Still, it's so much more wonderful to be a part of someone's life when they are with you and you with them...

My husband and have experienced this phenomena once again over the last couple of months. A girl I used to babysit when I was a teenager has just completed her traveling the world journeys before she begins her college studies. We had the privilege of hosting her for 2 months of our lives. I loved it as it has made the reconnection with her family even stronger and I actually got to know her as a young woman. Two months of a person living in your home really gives you a solid chance to know them on much more than a superficial level, which I just deeply relish to my core. They also have the chance to see the real you, and how you really live and what kind of a wife you really are and what kind of a mom you really are and how your family really operates...core stuff, but usually there are elements you'd rather not share with the outside world. I didn't mind so much in this situation. I already loved this girl even though I didn't know her personally. Her parents had a tremendous impact on my life and were there for me through a lot of my teenage turmoil, her parents dearest friends are also some of my dearest friends, so an automatic bond existed before she ever arrived.

I remember one day she came with us to do some government business, and one of my husbands friends came along as well. I think I talked to her nonstop the entire morning. My husband's friend said I was hungry for someone to talk to. She listened so graciously to my goings on. I just really love young people. I love teenagers and college students and I love how exciting their lives are at this age. There's so much ahead of them, so many important decisions. Not just what degree should I go for and where should I go to school, but What do I believe? What do I think is important in life? in people? What are my values, goals, dreams, aspirations, desires, fears, roadblocks, hurdles, etc., etc. So anyway, I just really like and love talking with them about their lives. And it's always an added plus if I actually have anything to contribute to their lives....so my 19 year old girlfriend got the brunt of this love. hehe

She was so great around the house. She did my dishes way too many times. I didn't even try counting as I would be so embarrassed to know how often she actually did them, but in my third trimester state of pregnancy I didn't fight her very much, because I hate doing the dishes anyway. And she so loved my boys, and they fell in love with her immediately upon arrival. The fact is, we bonded and now....well....she's gone. Now I have another long distance relationship to contend with. Another person that I long to be even more a part of their lives than what has been granted me. I've missed so much of so many people's lives of people that I still love. I know the Lord is exhorting me to pursue loving relationships even if you miss out on some things, because it is worth for His Name's Sake. He will always reward those efforts in pursuing relationships for His Name's Sake.

The house feels empty. She became a part of our life, our family. Anytime she comes back (and I am expecting her to come back and bring at least 4 women with her, cackling women are preferred....major hints here) I know it will be as if she never left. Goodbye tears sting. But the promise of a future hello dilutes the sting and makes it tolerable....for now.