Brad Pitt, Small Things and Raging Fires

This morning, finally getting a good internet connection, I am stunned to see that it is two months since I wrote anything here. It has been two months filled with friends leaving and new ones coming, smoke, flames, limbo, more fire, more limbo, delightful hikes by the light of the full moon with wonderful young people, camping trips with more of the same, wolves, bald eagles, impressive encouragements of mediocrity in the work place, phone conversations down at Mary Bay with Family and Friends in which Transitions, Surrender and Heart Openings have been prmary themes. So, how have you been?

Walking out onto the loading dock one morning when the smoke hung inside and out (the fire raged a mile away), I said to the head waitstaff, "Wow, do I feel in limbo!" (Everyone was on the alert to be evacuated at any hour).She, in her wraspy, "lived through a lot more than I remember" voice, replied with conviction,"Well, you ARE in limbo!"

"oh, good. That validates my feelings."

The fire, seemingly like everything else here, became one more color on the landscape of life at Fishing Bridge General Store. The second time the fires flared and filled the area with smoke it was hardly even mentioned, not worthy of comment.
Jane from Maine says "this place is a microcosm of the bigger world". There is the best in humanity coming forth everyday and also the worst, dumbest and sometimes cruelest all crammed into this one little place called Fishing Bridge General Store. I often feel I am having some crash course on truly staying present, being conscious of what is and not jumping the gun (emotionally speaking, in particular) and most suredly taking NOTHING personally. I call it boot camp for the human being wishing to BEcome Human.

The homestretch of this stay is in sight with six weeks left before the winter snows become so heavy and cold that only the wilderness remains here. The Bison are on the move with mating on their minds, the elk are beginning their mating dance with bugle calls filling the air and Autumn came weeks ago to this place of pristine beauty and raw natural wonder. What is next is still a mystery other than visits with Family and dental work to be completed. Life is good.

Oh, yes, two more things--The slide show (Soon to be shown below), "Small Things of Yellowstone" came into being due to the nearly overwhelming immensity of beauty that is contained here. I had to bring my focus down into a more intimate relationship with what is around me. Please enjoy it when you have time to just sit and watch.


The other slide show will be(I won't even begin to go into why I can not put it on at this time!) of a camping trip with Kelly, Jessica and Bonnie from Taiwan (obviously not their Taiwanese names--we Americans it seems need to be accomodated) where we were on the Shashone River.
Early in the a.m., I walked down to the shore and turning left recognized the familiar. After a moment's contemplation, I realized that the view was right out of the movie, "A River Runs Through It". The store sells the DVD with a shot of that exact spot on the cover.

A few moments later, I heard the girls behind me, talking excitedly in Chinese, "Chi haung, cha..."A River Runs Through It"...Cha, ching,ho!!!" (my sad interpretation of what Chinese sounds like to me). We stood there in delighted awe for not only was this the spot where the movie was filmed, it was also a spot where "Chi, cha...BRAD PITT!!!!!...HO!" stood!!!

Oh, my goodness, as you can imagine after a few moments set aside for individual thought on the subject, :) we each gathered a special rock that twenty years ago HE may have stepped on what now seemed to be hallowed ground.(I brought two rocks back for Jane from Maine who immediately put BP on their undersides, "Not many in Maine have a BP rock!")

I am going to go take a walk on the beach. Love and Blessings, Emily
Emily A. Easton (c)2008