The Bohemian Review

“Off the beaten path” can be a choice or a reflection; it can be a moment in which we decide to follow the crowd or to adventure off on our own and take a chance; take a chance on finding a gem in the rough or take a chance that we are able to acclimate ourselves and enjoy the prospect of only finding a lump of coal.

In our latest excursion we were indeed fortunate and blessed, we found a gem …  we found Paradise.

Paradise Valley is a river valley located in Southwestern Montana just north of Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone River flows through the valley with several natural hot springs and other natural wonders. Wildlife is prevalent with elk, deer and eagles.

In finding Paradise, we experienced awe inspiring views and a glimpse at a lifestyle that is laid back and easy. It was a moment where time seemed to pause and reflect an earlier way of life.

The cabin we stayed in www.cabininparadise.com is owned by a local woman, Edie, who is well known and well liked by the residents of Emigrant, Montana. She owns only the one cabin and fills it with the little things that make it feel homey and full of love. There is an attention to detail in the simple décor and it is clean and welcoming and comfortable.

Finding this cabin gave us the opportunity to explore this area of Montana and to have a cozy place to return to. Our cabin was only a mile from the Chico Hot Springs Resort,  www.chicohotsprings.com, a mineral hot spring that has been used by local natives for hundreds of years and is now turning into a renowned spa. Here we were able to enjoy an evening of swimming, socializing and listening to local music before retiring back to our cabin.

The Chico Hot Springs are well know in Montana and nearby areas. They are mineral springs that are believed to hold special healing powers. Some people even believe that they are a “fountain of youth”  keeping users young and healthy by their therapeutic effects on skin disease, women’s diseases and arthritis.

As we left Paradise Valley, we ventured into Yellowstone National Park following the Yellowstone River to its oldest entrance in Gardiner, Montana. This entrance is framed by the Roosevelt Arch and holds the inscription made famous by Roosevelt when the park was originally dedicated to the people of the U.S.  in 1903.

FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE

~ Act of Congress March 1, 1872

We were surprised and also fortunate to discover that this would be the last weekend most of the roads inside the park would be open for the year.

It is always nice when things fall into place and turn into special memories; this weekend turned into one of these times. I will be forever grateful that I was given the opportunity to see and explore Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park during the winter. It is one of the things that most people never get the opportunity or take the time to do.

As we explored Yellowstone National Park we were able to see elk and buffalo in their natural surroundings. We saw  hot springs, canyons, waterfalls,  geysers and other unique geothermal features. We were able to leisurely travel and experience the quiet and hear the sounds of nature without the interruption of human voices.

We were able to imagine a time when the area was first being discovered by John Colter and Jim Bridger and the amazement they must have felt at discovering these incredible sights and natural wonders.

I often reflect on the audacity and motivation it took for these men of courage and vision to leave their homes and venture off into the unknown. I am reminded, however, when I gaze upon the incredible magnificence of the Rockie Mountains that sometimes we may feel a calling and a stirring in the soul to see what is over that next ridge or around that next turn. Whether we are seeking adventure or discovery,  some are not content to sit by and only hear about the wonders of this amazing world we live in. Some feel the need and desire to see all that they can see and experience all that is before them.

It is gratifying to step off of the path forged by others and to choose instead to find my own path and direction.

I am excited about the prospect of turning my own lump of coal into a gem… A gem that is more magnificent than I could ever have  imagined.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

~ Robert Frost

~ MEET ME IN MONTANA ~ Paul Davis  ~  Performed by Dan Seals and Marie Osmond

Traveling from Wyoming to California on the back of a Goldwing, I reveled in the magnificence of the western skies; I marveled at the colors of the trees in Colorado as their leaves began to change from green into the brilliant reds and golds and oranges that signify the end of summer; I was entranced by the beauty of  the red rocks in Arizona and the peacefulness of the cabin and campground we stayed at with friends in Sedona; I looked in wonder as the terrain changed from desert to mountain, progressing  from mile after mile of saguaro cactus into the hairpin twists and turns of the mountainous roads.

As we traveled and marveled at the scenery and terrain changes, the feelings of having received a rare gift stayed with me and the feelings of gratitude filled my soul.

It seems our lives are made up of journeys. Some of our journeys are physical but mostly our lives are made up of emotional, philosophical and personal journeys.

These journeys may take on many different characteristics and their value may depend on the moments in which they occur. They may come in the form of lifestyle altering changes or they may come in the form of our reactions to the different crossings by the people who revolve in and out of our world.

I am one who believes that we attract into our world what is foremost in our thoughts… our emotions give these thoughts the power to manifest.

We are like a sponge that absorbs whatever it is that we are around and think of on a daily basis. As we become emotional about these thoughts, our world begins to reflect where our thoughts have led us. Only by changing our thoughts can we change our world.

 By looking at the manifestations of our world we are able to determine what our foremost thoughts, desires and loves truly are. By asking, we receive and by receiving we believe and by believing more manifestations are possible. It is a circle that begins and ends at a central starting point - what we believe.

When we begin the journey of living our life to the fullest, this circle becomes a comforting way to embrace and live our life. As we live our lives with love and admiration and gratitude for all that we have and for all that we can dream, we are then able to truly feel inner joy and happiness.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

~Ernest Hemingway

As another summer winds to a close I remember…

I remember Bavaria.

I remember the boat ride along the Rhine River with the wind blowing in my hair. I remember gazing out at the passing castles and reflecting on the beauty that was before me. I remember how much I wanted to stay in this beautiful country and savor every moment.

 My European vacation was coming to a close and I felt deep in my heart that this trip was momentous and would be the beginning of a complete revamping of my life. We were aboard the Loreley, named after a rock along the Rhine River that marks the narrowest point on the river between Switzerland and the North Sea. It is also the name of a beautiful German poem about the enchanting Loreley who is betrayed by her beloved and is accused of bewitching men and causing their deaths.

I remember feeling the awakening in my heart and the realization that, although I was alive, I had not truly lived in years. There was a deep sadness in my soul and though I couldn’t quite figure out how to be happy,  I knew that there must be a way.

I began a realization that all my decisions and thoughts and actions had brought me to this point in my life and only by changing these thoughts would I be able to change my life.

This five year anniversary marks a milestone for me. I am extremely grateful that I am now surrounded by positive people who I love and who love me in return.  Amazingly, I do wake up every morning giving thanks for the wonderful life that I now share with these special, special people and know that I am truly blessed.

I am trying to adopt a  “joy de vivre”  attitude…  living life to the fullest and truly having an embulliency for life. I can’t think of a better way to greet each day. We are, after all, only given a small moment in time to make our mark.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.    ~ Albert Einstein            

As darkness is a passing shadow, and light
is a substance that remains, so sorrow is
fleeting, but joy abides for ever. Do not think your sorrow will remain;
it will pass away like a cloud. ~ James Allen

I believe in happily ever-afters, I believe that if I can have faith and believe, my dreams will come true.

I believe that love is truly the answer and I believe that our life is whatever we choose it to be.

Yes, I believe in magic and in miracles.

I wake up and look at the writing on the wall….

~ Live Simply ~

It is there to remind me ~ Never become so engrosed in material things that I lose sight of what makes my life a true blessing.

I am reminded ~ Blessings come in many shapes and sizes but are always there if I am willing to look.

It reminds me ~ There can be good stuff on the inside of us all ~ We can all be beautiful no matter what our outer packages project.

What a gift it would be if we could learn to see the inside of a life and forget about the outer packages.

With age has come realization… Realization that life is fragile, Realization that each day gives us an opportunity to fullfill all that is important to us, Realization that each day is one of a kind, Realization that no matter what the obstacles before us, we are able to learn and grow and enjoy and prosper.

“Does Thou Love Life? Then Do Not Squander Time, For That Is The Stuff Life Is Made Of.”  ~ Ben Franklin

“That Man Is The Richest Whose Pleasures Are The Cheapest.”    ~ Thoreau

“We Do Not Remember Days, We Remember Moments.”        ~ Cesare Pavese

I recently became a Grandmother for the second time, what a true joy to know this unconditional love. As I think of all the things I want to share with my grandchildren, it is the walks throught the woods, the sunrises, the sunsets, the days full of laughter, bliss and happiness that I most want them to experience and to teach them to appreciate.

It is the long, lazy summer days spend skipping rocks or fishing or wandering around with no destination in mind; It is the autumn days with the cool breeze in the air, wondering about the leaves changing colors, camp fires and sleeping  in tents, fishing in streams, admiring the mountains in the distance and venturing to meet them;  It is the cold winter mornings spent drinking hot cocoa, stomping in the newly fallen snow and realizing that no two snowflakes are ever the same. It is the springtime days spent picking wildflowers, flying a kite and having a picnic. It is the mornings snuggling with their parents and the nightimes falling asleep to a bedtime story.

My wish for them would be the opportunity and courage to live a lifetime true to themselves and their passions. The confidence to follow their heart, find out what it is that they love and persue it with all of their soul. I wish that they would learn to appreciate and admire the simple things in life.

 Today I am reminded -  The Simple Things Truly Are The Best Things.

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups!  The happiest people don’t have the best of everything… They just make the best of everything.

Live Simply. Love Generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly

The beautiful Colorado landscape is being scarred by a raging wildfire that is engulfing thousands of acres and destroying hundreds of homes. In the midst of it all is Poudre Canyon, a narrow canyon approximately 40 miles long. In my opinion, this stretch of land, on Colorado Hwy. 14 along the Poudre River,  is one of the prettiest in the world.

Hwy 14 is currently closed due to the devestation caused by the High Park fire. To date over 56,000 acres have burned and close to 200 homes have been lost. At this time the fire is only 45% contained with no rain expected in the near future.  This fire is now recognized as the largest and most devastating wildfire in Colorado’s history. It is of small conciliation but is noted however that this fire was started naturally by lightning instead of, as once feared, by human hands.

I was fortunate enough this past Fall to take a ride down the breathtaking Poudre Canyon on Colorado Hwy 14 from Walden, Co. to Hwy. 287 near Ft. Collins. This ride was absolutely amazing and the scenery was incredible.

During our trip we stayed in a small, rustic cabin along the Poudre River http://sportsmanslodgecolorado.com/. We then enjoyed the day hiking, riding, stopping along the river, enjoying the views and inhaling the freedom of unencumbered happiness.

We enjoyed breakfast along the Poudre River at the Mishawaka http://themishawaka.com/an amphitheatre/restaurant, and are looking forward to attending an open air concert there this summer. I have learned that, at this time, the Mishawaka is still standing but the concerts have been postponed until the end of June.

The people we met of the Poudre Canyon were open, friendly and absolutely lovely. It was a pleasure being a part of their world, if only for a short time.

In watching the residents on the news, after the devastating losses they are experiencing, I noticed that they were optimistic and thankful, thankful for their blessings and thankful to have been given the opportunity to live in such a remarkable, beautiful area.

I am full of admiration and respect for the people who have made their homes in these areas. I am ever appreciative for being able to enjoy this area before the fires swept through and though it may take years for the land to recover I am convinced that with the spirit and courage of the residents the love and reconstruction will return much sooner.

The small towns in Colorado have always inspired me with the openness and amiability of the people who call this area home. Their outlook on life is admirable and their values seem to be reflected in the areas they choose to live in and by the things that they place importance on.

 Imagine having the opportunity to wake up daily seeing the beautiful Rocky Mountains, the rolling waters of their many rivers and streams and the chance to make this area your home. I ask myself… could there be a more satisfying life than living amongst some of these most amazing sights and sounds?

Today I count my blessings for having had the opportunity to visit this beautiful area and meet these brave, honorable people.

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”

~ John Muir