We had to start cleaning out the garage the other day because we’re hoping to sell the cabin this year and don’t want to wait until the last minute.  We’ve been putting off going through our junk for years now.  I was in charge of going through 20 years of paperwork we had stored in four filing cabinets. It was an arduous task that took two days to complete. I kept only the most important or significant documents.  Papers with social security numbers were burned, significant papers such as Deeds of Trust and first draft manuscripts were kept. The rest was hauled to the dump.It was a painful endeavor too as I was reminded of the most difficult financial challenges my husband and I had to face that would have split apart 90% of married couples. I kept a few tokens from my time as a manager for screenwriters. Letters of thanks from top production companies for sending scripts that they had to pass on.  A note from Norman Twain, a respected producer and gentleman, saying he wanted to work with one of my writers…Mark L. who ended up cutting me out of the deal entirely as will most actors and writers in Hollywood given the chance.The closest I came to any sort of success was after I stopped representing others and wrote my own screenplay.  I kept the contract with the production company, although the screenplay was never actually filmed. And I kept a copy of my screenplay for my posterity that no one will read. I suspect it really only has meaning to me.I found two manuscripts that I wrote…I kept those too, reminded that if you want to make money as a writer, become an editor. I read a page of each, and added them to my personal pile of memorabilia.I write because I love to write, whether or not I am ever good enough to get something published. The joy is in the creative process. I have to tell myself that, otherwise I’d still be depressed today, two days later.The only thing better off for all of our work, is the garage itself.  We can actually get our car, boat or trailer inside now.

We’re seeing a lot of moose on the river this year, maybe because we arrived earlier in the season. Last season we only saw one moose with her calf.  It was great watching her introduce her calf to the river. She led it into the water, stayed a minute to make sure it was ok and wandered back onto the bank and the edge of the trees where she grazed.  The calf wandered around, stuck its nose in the cold water, fell in and jumped up, terrified. She wandered back into the water, checked the baby to make sure it was ok, and led it back to the strip of meadow on the riverbank.  They were there for a few minutes and she eventually led him back into the water.  The calf was nervous, but she stayed with him until she was sure he had his footing and left him there again. She was never far away. ..A real teaching moment for the calf and something I still remember. We went through the park two days ago and noticed a group of tourists parked along the side of the road, looking through high-power telescopes. We knew immediately what they were looking at but surprised because it was already late morning.  “Must be wolves,” I said straining my neck to see. Wolf observers are serious about watching the elusive animals and they come fully prepared and outfitted.  Binoculars just don’t do the trick.  Ours are 7X50 and we can see a good distance, but these guys have the best money can buy.We pulled over and got out in the freezing cold to see what everyone was so excited about.  Someone directed us towards the action, but we couldn’t really see anything clearly.  After just a few minutes our hands were biting cold.  “What‘s happening out there?” we asked someone else with binoculars.“Someone said a pack is munching on a kill.”“Can you see them?”   If they could see them with their binoculars then we should be able to find them with ours.“No. I know where they are, but we can’t see anything clearly.”We stepped closer to a guy with a scope and he invited us to take a look. Wolf spotters are always very generous.  There they were, a pack of wolves feeding on a large animal. The tourists thought it was a buffalo at first, but the legs seemed too thin so they reconsidered. “I think it’s an elk,” they said.I didn’t want to take advantage of the generosity of the owner of the telescope so I just took a quick peek.  The wolf’s face was not the face of wolves I’ve seen on the discovery channel; Faces so similar to domesticated dogs like ours. This face was wild, haunting.  I pulled away quickly. Watching wild animals rip another animal apart is disturbing.  Fascinating, but disturbing.  A wolf observer’s ultimate ambition is to spot a pack hunting and bringing down an elk or buffalo.   Not us. We were glad we arrived too late to watch an animal being stalked and killed.Had we lived in the 1800’s this would have been a normal part of life. We wouldn’t be driving through  it from the comfort of our cars, watching life play out before our eyes.  We would have been hunting for food, competing with the wolves and bears just to stay alive. Coming here to the breath-taking Northern Rockies, observing the beauty and brutality of nature is primordial.  It makes you wonder if you could have survived out here in the Wild West.  Maybe that’s what is so appealing about this part of the country to so many of us. 

We've been up at our cabin for almost three weeks now. We left right after our beautiful daughter's wedding to a wonderful young man.

The good weather typically doesn't get here until late June. We've been "lucky" to experience four seasons of weather since we've been here. Yes, including snow. But we love it up here so much that we're willing to put up with some cold weather. Fortunately, we've had warmer days too. 

This morning after breakfast dishes were done I walked into the living room to watch the news and get online and came face to face with a beautiful moose. We were both startled. She jerked her head back when she saw me, and turned to run away. Can't blame her. I had placed my camera on the coffee table for quick access because two days ago another moose was in our yard with her yearling and her new baby calf. 

I love watching animals and because I didn't want to miss the threesome, waited too long to go for my camera. Didn't want that to happen again. 

So, I grabbed my camera this morning and got these shots.

We were also in Yellowstone a week or so ago. It was snowing. I got a photo of an elk in the snowstorm, and a buffalo. Neither came out sharp.

Island Park gets a lot of animals visiting the area. It's just breathtaking here. Hope you can make it up to this area soon.