Friday in the valley

I'm backing up to last week's trip to Bozeman. This was the view on the tarmac as we waited in line to leave Salt Lake City. The sky was so blue, the mountains dusted with snow ~ some on the ground, too ~ and the air crisp and cold.


By the time I returned three days later the snow had melted except for at the very top ridges of the mountains. Too warm to last. In Bozeman, too.

Then there was Ike, a gigantic 8-month old "puppy" weighing 65 pounds. Full of energy, ready to romp at the jingle of the leash, live entertainment on four legs.

We took him out for long walks every day. There are a couple of open meadows close by; Cait lets him off the leash and he is in dog heaven for an hour, sniffing everything and flushing creatures out of the long grass. He is also a remarkably well-behaved dog, thanks to the training skills of his owners.

We celebrated the election on Thursday evening with friends of Cait's, then she and I went out to dinner on Friday to a great little place, Over the Tapas for a tasty tapas feast. The place is small, warm and friendly, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. In fact, the entire town was smiling and jolly. That's not particularly strange in Bozeman; it has always seemed to be a very congenial spot. It just seemed more so. Or perhaps that was me; I haven't been in such a good mood for eight years!

Back home on Sunday to start the great clean-up/pack-up for departure in two weeks. So much to do that it seems overwhelming. The more I try to get organized the messier things get. What calms me the most is my morning walk with Gina and her two dogs. Here it is, mid-November and it is 72º out. This morning we walked by this beautiful gingko tree along the greenbelt.

Such a beautiful sight lifts the spirit and affirms my resolve to make some progress today. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just lock the door and get out of Dodge, but someone is coming to live here in our absence so I have to make the house livable for her. Perhaps I'll finish packing up the bathroom. Perhaps not.

66 days until 1/20/2009: End of an Error