Our Mountains

THEY INFLUENCE US

They Influence Weather

they catch our water

WALLPAPER:    OUR MOUNTAINS

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.. In this new year, as we sort through the things around us, our mind comes to rest on our mountains. They are but a small part of the Rocky Mountains yet they are ours.

COLD TODAY

.. They are just down the road. They divide the western continent into separate drainages.
.. They block some weather. They push some weather. They harbor the species of our neighborhood: plants and animals. They contain the geologic record of our past  --  AND, the past of our neighborhood. They are playgrounds and refuges for all things living.
.. They are inviting and dangerous. They are beautiful and menacing. They push and pull in so many ways.
.. Right now they are pushing weather toward the eastern expanse of our continent. They shelter us from tornadoes and hurricanes and the like. They provide fuel for fire and a barrier to it.
.. They give us sunsets and clear skies. They roil the clouds and divert some snows. They stop some clouds and squeeze out some moisture.

SMALL COMPARED TO THE SKY

.. These are the mountains that capture our precious water: the water that nourishes the nation.
.. As the water leaves us it nourishes our fish and bison and bears and voles and wolverines and trees and grass and flowers  --  AND  us.
.. These very mountains, our mountains, hold the headwaters of mighty rivers like the Snake River, the Madison River, and the Gallatin River. These rivers feed the Missouri River, Mississippi River and of course the Columbia River: our mountains.
.. Along its way to the Gulf Of Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean, the water nourishes farms and wheat lands and alfalfa fields. It waters orchards and gardens. It creates small streams and giant rivers. These are the waters from our mountains: millions drink from it!

CLOUDS OVER OUR MOUNTAINS

.. Each year about this time we are drawn to the treasure that is being deposited in our mountains.
.. We watch the snow accumulate. We take note of it's moisture content. We speculate on it's depth in the nooks and crannies that are removed from the data gathering stations.
.. We wish for deep and wet snow in the playgrounds of our mountains.  We enjoy the view from our little village. From afar we squint toward hunting camps of our past. We envision the frozen and buried 'secret' streams that will give us the pleasure of quiet fishing and catching and wandering.
.. There are trees and trails that disappear in the green and black and white collage that is our mountains. We know them but can't see them.

ICE OUT BENEATH OUR MOUNTAINS

.. We are pleased to be near to our mountains.
.. Our village is fortunate to be so close to our mountains. We drink from them in many ways: not just the water.
.. Come springtime we will worry about runoff and floods and erosion.
.. Come springtime we will plan our visits to our mountains and their waters. For now, however, we bask in the knowledge that they are there and we can see them and their treasure.

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WALLPAPER:  FRENCH OMELETTE WITH HAM