Caldera Sunrise and Traveling West

The sun rose over the mountains of Yellowstone. After 34 days of camping in the Grand Tetons, I broke camp; we were headed for British Columbia and the Wanderlust Yoga Festival.

The mist rose over the caldera, hot pots of mud bubbling and boiling while animals stirred.

A golden eagle swooped down to the river talons out. The river gurgled and the air was cold and frosty.

Lodge pine and the crystal clear Lewis lake appeared, a sign read continental divide 8390 feet.
 

 
 

 
A black bear lumbered onto the road and I swerved to the shoulder to avoid her and stopped. She ignored me, moving to the guard rail, pawing at it tentatively. A porcupine appeared to my left. Large quills and pointy face, he paused by the roadside. The bear sniffed and snuffled the ground finding nothing and slipped into the woods.
 

 
Again the continental divide, another mile, the continental divide again. 

Driving on this live volcano of boiling mud, geysers, and shifting land mass gave me pause.
 

 
Nature is constantly shifting and changing. Life is constantly shifting and changing. The land mass here is 50,000 years overdue for a large scale eruption, yet life doesn’t wait but flourishes, thrives and does its best despite the very clear and present danger of death.

We are living in very clear and dangerous times as evidenced by mass shootings and outcries of great suffering. Whether you cry out with hatred or declaring “we must love”, all of nature is bubbling and boiling under feet, watching, listening and waiting. Nature is a great equalizer. Camping in Wyoming for the last 5 weeks has shown us that regardless of political views, we all want the same things: our children to be safe, to have a home, to play, rest and eat in a way the we enjoy and sustains us.

I woke up Robbie to see the bear. Wow mom! Wow! He gazes at the mud pots and bursting mini geysers, steam hissing along the roadside. 

Robbie: Mom, will the volcano blow while we drive on it? 

Mom: No, I don’t think so Robbie. We have technology that has developed over the last 30 years that allows people to measure movement under ground. It’s called seismic activity. When there is an increase, and other changes, usually it occurs several months ahead. 

Robbie: (He sighed) mom, nature is the most amazing incredible thing. People are incredible because they can think a movement and then get to where they want to go. But nature is amazing mom. It is beautiful.

Mom: yes baby it really is

Robbie: what is continental divide mom?

Mom: it’s where the plates of the earth come together. 

Robbie: oh

Mom: we have just crossed over 3 different divides in less than 10 miles!

Robbie: (silence)

Mom: we are more than 8500 feet than where Daddy is at, over a mile up. 

Robbie: (silence, gazing out window, thinking, taking it all in). It’s all amazing mom, that’s all.

And that’s the thing, it is all amazing. Life is amazing. Any bit of us that can move, see, feel and relate has the potential to create harm or happiness.

Let us come together and celebrate what is working, what is amazing and appreciate all of what is below our feet, above our heads and all of what we can do. 

I appreciate you. Thank you for being here.

Namaste