Call of the wild

 

The storms have been blowing in and powdering our forests with snow... it's magical! I love to find the untouched paths that beckon to be explored. Today, there were snow drifts along the road, so though most of the drive really did not warrant 4-wheel drive, there were sections that most definitely did. I also needed 4-wheel drive while hiking, but I failed myself in that department.  

Between storms, the clouds come rolling in through the valleys and standing upon the hilltops gives a rather mesmerizing view of the whole scene. 

I stood in one place and looked toward the incoming storm on one side... 

And on the opposite side... 

Sunset Crater (in the background) was filled with snow and it's reddish hue totally covered in white.

Just surveying her kingdom. I love how she watches the mountain, like she sees and appreciates it as much as I do. 

The golden mornings. 

When I looked back at my tree in my descent down the hill, the bright blue backdrop of that sky with the moon took my breath away. 

Seeing the Mountains through the trees...

As the clouds rolled in, it created a thick fog. Declan found it completely irresistible. 

The road less traveled. I feel like so much of my life is on this road, figuratively, not literally. One reality in life is that we each walk a unique path; not one human has walked the path you walk, because you are uniquely you. You are not alone on the path before you, but the steps you take are yours alone. It is one of the reasons I think we need other people so much. Even when there are no footprints to follow, we have support and strength for the (many) steps ahead, no matter how deep it gets. 

The "family" tree. It is 5 trees intertwined into 1. Incredible.

The picture of a happy Paugie. 

The man, the myth, the legend... Lochlan James. 

Looks like several more days of snow are ahead for us, so you're quite likely to find us all hunkered inside, unless we can't resist the Call of the Wild...