A Pioneer's Spirit

My Grandma is a woman with a pioneer'’s spirit, as is my Mom who took to the road with her husband, Lorne after retiring early, selling the house and trading in the whole kit and caboodle for a motor home and wide open spaces. My Grandma up and sold her house in Northern California where the conifers grow dense and tall, and moved to Northern Montana, up near Glacier National Park to the small town of Troy, where my Uncle lives close by.

Last week I received a parcel posted from Troy MT containing a wildlife photo book and a card from Grandma. Turns out the photographer is her neighbor there in Troy. Don, with his wife Tess, own the property next door. The beautiful book she sent me is also autographed, a wonderful touch. I hope to say hey to the Jones' when we visit my Grandma and Uncle in July.

Along with my Grandma's adventurous nature she has a very engaging way about her. She shines and sparkles and cries joyfully. Leaving me a message on the answering machine when I married Will, she was laughing /crying as she spoke, letting me know she was thinking of me. I called her back and she said to me that she remembered the day she married Grandpa. My Grandpa is gone now. He rests along the shady path on the bank of the great Sacramento River where he loved to fish. Will and I went back there during our Thanksgiving trip in 2004 to tackle the Castle Craggs. We lost the daylight before reaching the summit, but I got to say a silent hello to Grandpa as we passed the river on our way to the Brown Trout Cafe.

I look forward to the trip to Montana in the summer. To hitting the road and seeing what there is beyond my borders. I don'’t know what we'’ll see, but I know it'’ll be great. I know I'’ll not have seen nearly enough of what there is to see. But there will be future travels beyond our borders. Thankfully that pioneer spirit lies in me. And something along the way is bound to make my cry joyfully.