Unita Mountains

We survived! Our first night in the tent in a storm with wind and waves of rain. Rex lay awake praying to Dog for no leaks or drips and that the wind would not topple over our rooftop tent. I crashed.

I remember nothing, but a soft patter of the rain whispering through to my dreams. Also, I managed to go another night without stumbling down the rooftop tent ladder for the loo. Legs crossed that this a new ritual for me.

First Morning Light

Rain, wind, and clouds seemed to be the theme for the day, just as yesterday’s theme was wildlife. But the inclement weather did not deter Rex. After zipping down our bedroom window, he found the light hitting a nearby mountain too good to pass up.

While Rex moved on to complete three more paintings that day, my mind wandered around the concept of time. As the day slowed down, I had a strange anticipation of loss to come. Only three days in, and I was already mourning the experience.

Yesterdays, Today, and Tomorrows

At what point do we live removed from the past and yet distanced from the future? Is that even a feasible concept? We work today for bills due tomorrow or student loans already spent.

I can feel the plein air bear sniffing at my feet. This is why we plein air bare—we try to leave the past and future in their respectful places and allow the present to have a turn in the game of life.

However, it’s impossible to walk into a day without all the yesterdays sleeping in our heads and bodies. Yesterdays are everywhere and have earned their keep in the present: the fallen tree limbs of yesterday’s maelstrom or the overturned rock of yesterday’s hungry black bear.

In contrast, the future can be that pestering younger sibling that is so anxious for a go that it yells and demands unrealistic expectations. But tomorrows can also serve as a reminder of its presence. Tomorrow highlights those who hope to feel the sun, smell the pine, and experience the inherent value of our beautiful wild spaces.