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We had just arrived at the condo we’d rented for a week in Estes Park and were chatting with the older woman in the unit next to ours. Several elk were roaming the area around our new little home away from home including this huge bull. Elk begin the rut in September and we knew from a prior visit how thrilling it is to encounter these magnificent animals almost anywhere in the Estes Park area. So to see one in the parking space behind our condo, well, let’s just say it was pretty amazing.

The bull was surrounded by several females and this guy was certainly protective of his ‘girls’. They were approximately 20-30 feet away from where we stood unloading our car. The male started toward me. Instinctively ( and foolishly!) I raised my camera to take yet another photograph but when he came a little faster, huffing and snorting in a manner indicating his apparent displeasure in our proximity, I moved around to the other side of our vehicle.

It happened just so fast. The whole episode felt surreal. There she was, our neighbor – who we had met just fifteen minutes earlier – lying face down on the pavement next to the driver’s side front tire with Mr. Elk standing over her. His head was down, his massive rack lowered as if ready to strike again if she presented any additional threat to his harem.

Not likely, as she was bleeding profusely from above her right eye and under her chin. Her shirt was soaked in blood. My husband raised his arms, yelled and hit the hood of the car to get the elk to run off. Eventually, the bull tired of the game and turned around, calmly walking away and back into the woods.

I grabbed some napkins from the glove compartment and Bill went next door to retrieve her husband. We helped the woman up and then they left for the ER. Her injuries required stitches in both places and she also suffered a jawline fracture. She could have been blinded or killed and was extremely fortunate the elk had not injured her more seriously.

There are signs located throughout Rocky Mountain National Park advising visitors to maintain a distance of at least two bus lengths when encountering elk. Duly noted, RMNP. Duly noted!

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We navigate our lives with arms stretched out before us, unsure of what lies ahead. We find our way, we learn, we grow. Soon, we are enmeshed in the familiar, the sameness, the comfort of what’s known, providing us with the warm satisfaction of safety, nesting and contentment. But this same familiarity can often lead to stagnation, boredom and restlessness whether or not we are aware of its impact. We require change and challenges if we are to grow.

So, if we are to enjoy continued reawakenings – those grand feelings of awe and self-nurturing – we must recreate ourselves. New mantles undertaken with enthusiasm, perhaps tinged with caution and restraint, are key to exploring new realms of what we are capable of becoming. Climbing those mountains, learning new skills and acquiring new tools for living, touring exotic locales, opening ourselves up to infinite possibilities are all positive and exciting facets of lives not just well lived but truly, truly lived.

Daily Prompt: Recreate

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I’m rocked
by your splendor.

Tears gather strength,
seeking release.
A choke in my constricted throat
as I’m overwhelmed
(and humbled)
by the raw power
you exude
at every twist and juncture
of this crazy road
as higher
and higher
we drive
into a world
and a creation
as alien and sparse
as Jupiter’s landscape
to wandering Neptunians.

You enthrall
and terrorize me.
I’m captivated
and frightened.
I’m bewitched.

Switchbacks
and drop-offs.
Cold feet
amid hairpin turns.
My four chambers
ratcheting wildly.
Nothing else matters
at this moment.
You make me aware
of what it means to be alive.

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My twenties were hard. I was alone and unsure of myself. Feelings of inadequacies at times were overwhelming and simply stated, I just wanted to be loved, to know love, to have someone to share my days (and years) with. As much as I struggled during this time of my life, I was sure of one thing: Moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other just as I did when I walked dusty gravel roads each day to clear my mind and (try!) to keep extra pounds at bay. That has been my mantra over the years and it continues to sustain me. I’ve expanded my self/world view even further with new words of encouragement: RSG, Baby. Reach, Stretch, Grow!

Really, it’s the only choice we have.

Daily Prompt: Continue

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I woke yesterday morning to the stirring, welcome sounds of a late summer storm. My trees and grass and flowers were, I’m sure, quite grateful as it’s been a rather hot, dry season here in the Heartland. Added bonus: I didn’t have to water my container plants as Mother Nature gloriously provided sustenance for the day! Thanking her for that…

We watched CBS Sunday Morning with hot drinks at hand (coffee for Bill, tea for me), always a soothing combination. After showering and making ourselves presentable, we drove to The Jordan House, a local historical site I’ve been wanting to visit for some time now. We were not disappointed. The home and its furnishings, its ode to the history of both the Valley Junction area of West Des Moines and the role it played in the Underground Railroad and our lively and engaging tour guide satisfied my eagerness to see this place, finally, for myself.

After a brief Starbucks pit stop – yes, more hot beverages – we returned home. I threw in a load of laundry while Bill resumed self-tutorials on learning Lightroom, a new tool I think I will need to employ as well. With just a few clicks and minor adjustments, photos really POP and without some of that overdone post-processing I see far too often with some photos on Facebook and elsewhere. A little sure goes a long way!

My sister texted me to say she had some sweet corn and zucchini if I was interested so I drove over and spent some time visiting with her and her husband. She has several chickens – love this handsome fella! – and they are always fun to watch.

In addition to the zucchini and corn, she gifted me with okra and green beans. I’ve never had okra before and welcome recipe suggestions. Someone on Facebook strongly advised against steaming it. Duly noted!

I was pleased to discover when I got home that the books I’d ordered from Amazon had arrived. The package was sitting in the chair by the front door. It seems strange to me that deliveries are made on Sundays – this is the second time this has happened – but I’m not complaining. More books to read – my winter will runneth over!

We rounded out our day catching up on the results of last week’s America’s Got Talent, our annual summer TV fare, but not before enjoying sissy’s sweet corn for supper and cranberry-oatmeal cookies I’d baked – fresh from the oven!

Yes. It was a good day. Nothing fancy, nothing ‘wow’. Just – nice. Weekends and life, just the way I like it.