Oh, look…there I am…well…my shoulder…

Well hello there my loyal 5 readers! I am sure you have all been on the edge of your seats just waiting for my next entry…well…here it is.

First…what an incredible 3 1/2 months so far!!  I mean…WOW!!  And, us locals (that would be me now) are just reveling in the shoulder season.  Which means..theres no one here.  Oh…don’t worry..that will change soon enough.  Which is fine (I guess).

So…I also need to tell you that my sweet momma and baby moose are back!  I was so damn excited to see them I almost ran into the yard…then my senses kicked in and I stayed inside…when you see the pictures, I think you’ll understand….

Momma..outside my dining room!

Sweet Baby!

So, the picture of the momma is taken from my dining room…yup..she’s just hanging out checking on her baby!  I wanted so badly to go hug her!  Then, I put my wine down and came to my senses!  It seems the wildlife wants to hang out with me.  I mean, I get it…I’m sooo cool and interesting.  I guess they just feel that!  🙂

Just a sweet beautiful Elk wondering what I’m doing…

And these sweet babies I got away from the road on a walk home from dinner…

So, now my heart if full knowing my wildlife is safe!

Now…lets talk about stalking.  So, funny story of my stalking ability.  Have you ever heard of Tom Mangelsen?  If not…you MUST look him up.  He is an absolutely incredible wildlife photographer here in Jackson. We had gone to see his exhibit  at the wildlife art museum and it was stunning.

Ok..long story short…my cousins and I had been snow shoeing and then got some food in town. Well…my nephew, Hiatt (aka aspiring photographer), saw Tom (of course we’re on a first name basis!!) driving by.  Soooo…what do I do??  Well…watch him park and see where he goes, of course!!!  I lost him…clearly my abilities are rusty.  But, that’s ok…because every good stalker knows the car!   So, the next day we’re in town doing some shopping and we spend A LOT of time in Tom’s gallery in town.  I am telling you..the pictures are STUNNING…they make you feel like you’re right there.

Sooo…Hiatt spots his car!  I go into stalk mode!  Low and behold….he has “stock library” across from his gallery.  My first thought is “maybe I can afford a stock photo!!”…second thought is “hmmmm maybe he’s there”…so, I walk to the office.  (with 5 very embarrassed people in tow!).  I walk in and the sweet lady int he front is a bit baffled.  I ask about stock photos, what they are…can you buy them…and then an absolutely beautiful dog comes walking out from behind the desk and I am reduced to idiocy!  I’m on the floor loving on this sweet baby!  When I come to my senses, I stand up and explain that I can’t afford anything in the gallery…so I was curious about the stock library…I turn and BAM…Tom is standing right there.  Well, hellllloooooo!  I introduce myself and tell him how much I love his work.  I introduced my family and Hiatt….he was sooo nice!!  I got to tell him how I saw Grizzly 399 2 years ago with the same cubs she just came out of hibernation with this year!  I feel like we bonded over that..(remember..this is my world..not his!)

Anyway…he was incredible.  He brought us back to where they were editing some new photos and trying to decide which ones to put in the gallery.  His passion for wildlife conservation is palpable.  ***warning…shameless plug****

Look him up…google him…follow his wildlife pics on facebook.  Join the fight to save these beautiful creatures.  Oh!  Watch his 60 minutes piece done by Anderson Cooper.

Ok..now that I know my stalking abilities are still in tact….and that my sweet momma and baby moose are ok…I can relax for a bit…that is until I go out to run and realize once again how out of shape I am!  But, oh well…I’m breathing, right??

So, I will leave you with a picture my sweet husband took on a walk a couple weeks ago.  I absolutely love it and I want to put it in our neighborhood…enjoy…

That said, my friends, until next time!

STAY WILD!

As you all know…I LOVE to learn…and what’s better…observing to learn.  And, MOST of y’all who know me, know that I tend to learn things the HARD way.  It’s true.  But, also…at least the lessons are VERY ingrained!!

For example…I have decided to run the Grand Teton Half Marathon.  Looks sooo good on paper, right???  Beautiful course, nice cool temps….my mountains…..I’m so excited!  Well…I have only been cranking out 4 miles here in the altitude.   And, that is just now that the snow is melting and I can actually run on solid ground.  So, begins the training…now, the scenery is stunning…check this out…

I mean…who couldn’t run forever looking at this…well, that would be ME…yup…me.

And, looking at this…and running along this should keep my legs moving…yea, well, not so much.  BUT!  Never fear…here is where the hard lesson..comes in….

So, after a nice training run of 4 miles….who wouldn’t take their bike to the park and ride…for hours….(no smart ass comments please)

Don’t get me wrong…I LOVE being outside…anything outside.  But, what I neglected to acknowledge is that we have been skiing… ALOT…I have been hitting the gym with regular leg workouts and I’ve been doing yoga.  Add all that up and you get VERY TIRED LEGS!  But, no biggie…let’s load up the bike and hit it….so, I did….

Isn’t that stunning??  so…I just keep riding…after all, it is breathtaking and the sun is out…I’m so happy…Until I realize I have ridden 11 miles out…and now, I have to ride back…ummm….my butt hurts…..Well, damn…pretty sure my legs lost all feeling by the end and my butt will never be the same.

If you notice in this video…I am going much slower than before.  Yup..that’s because I am on my way back…but, worth every single mile.

So, here are my lessons and observations…use them…or learn the hard way..

1.  Don’t ride 22 miles on your bike after skiing for days, hitting the gym AND running that same day.
2. Invest in either those padded bike shorts (but really only acceptable on the Tour de France). or a wonderfully padded bike seat.
3. Enjoy every ounce of the outdoors..no matter how much pain you may be in…and trust me…it may be painful.
4. Acknowledge your limits…yea…like maybe do an easy 5 mile ride…
5. Pay attention to where and how far you are going…..it’s all good to get caught up in your thoughts and lose yourself in the beauty of nature..but PEOPLE…you gotta get back somehow!!!

And, the best lesson of all…SCREW the LESSONS!!  LIVE!!  LIVE OUTLOUD…LIVE WILD…LIVE EVERYDAY…LIVE…JUST LIVE… and ENJOY IT!!  Don’t feel guilty LIVING!!!  Yes, we have responsibilities…yes, we have to adult most days…but, doesn’t mean you can’t LIVE!!

So, with my very humble lessons…it really boils down to LIVE.  Be who you are…who your soul WANTS you to be.  You know what that is.  Mine?  Well…I’m a little crazy, a little country, a little redneck, but, I am full of LOVE and HOPE and FAITH…and I annoy people but, hey!  I’m me….and I’m messy and authentic and REAL!!  There it is…now, go live WILD!!

Here’s to LIVING….Keep it up peeps…you’re doing AWESOME!!