720 miles in a day is a new record for Fric and Frac, which is quite something considering our number one rule in the charter is to not make traveling a driving event. But the barn calls (Garden, that is), and besides, we're eager to prepare for our next adventure with nearly our entire family next week at my cousin's place on Priest Lake. We consider ourselves lucky to have the opportunity. We're also grateful for traveling mercies. We slept well, had a good breakfast, and the Cager managed a win this morning. We still pulled out of our slot at Cabela's at 6:05 A.M. Thirteen hours later we arrived at Sloway Campground just west of Superior, Montana. Our very good friends had stopped on their way home from Red Fish Lake to reserve a spot for us. Not only did they pick a "cherry" site, but they also had the makings of a fire prepared, a table cloth, flowers, and a surprise of two Dead Guy beers, a La Croix Soda, and a full bar of dark chocolate. I belly laughed with joy when I turned over a box to discover the found treasures. I talked some time ago about my world view. It comes in no small part from "lived experience". Our lived experience with our friends over the years has defined love. It has defined caring. It has defined us. We're part of the fabric of America that is great. It's a woven fabric kept together by common concerns, shared empathy, and a sense that no one is more special than the other. We're all special. We're all blessed with gifts that we share in the common good. I see this everywhere we go. At Little Eden I witnessed an entire family gathered around a story book. On the ferry across Lake Michigan, a man came up to me and asked where I was from because my Gonzaga Bulldogs shirt was the same mascot and same colors as his home town in Wisconsin. Hours upon hours of driving led us to NPR radio. On one show, we listened to a journalist couple who have scoured the country, mostly in places that have been hit with economic adversity, to see what makes their communities strong. Their book, Our Town, summarizes the notion that people in local communities put aside personal differences in the interest of what unites them. They're the direct opposite of the commotion promoted by cable news pundits and our double dealing Washington plutocrats who pretend to act in our interest but who in reality act only in self interest. For my part, I believe that life is about my local relationships. I try not to be sullied by power mongers. I live with those whom I love. I care for them. I nurture them. They nurture me. In this we are great together, and that, my friends, is why life is good, especially today.
Beelining as we were, we didn't have time to see this guy in person. Maybe another time.
The Cager wins (With humility).
We saw a sign in Wisconsin: Wind power is not the answer. These blades beg to differ.
The Bitterroot Mountains, an early sign that we're nearing home.
My view from the driver's perch.
Liz Ulmen left us a big hearted love rock.
Dave Ulmen and his trusty dog, Scout, prepared this fire, complete with instructions.
And they prepared our table.
I belly laughed when I turned over one of the boxes Dave carries wood in. Under was two beers, a soda, and a bar of dark chocolate. Talk about camp warming!
Here at Sloway, a mere 130 miles from home, we'll lounge, smell some roses, and relish the good life.
No comments:
Post a Comment