Idaho Wilderness

The water is wide, I can’t cross over
And neither have I wings to fly
Oh, love is gentle and love is kind
The sweetest flower when first it’s new
But love grows old and waxes cold
And fades away like morning dew.


Campsite
Sept. 13

Before I forget again, I want to acknowledge the genuine hospitality
of Denny's Aunty Lois. We stopped in Butte, Montana to see her, and
she and her husband put us up for the night. She was concerned that we
would get cold, so she rummaged up an extra jacket for Denny and a
sweater for me, a warm wool sweater. I would like to return that
hospitality someday, but for now I just want to make sure I keep that
memory alive.

There was something special about being in the mountains, not just in
sight and sound, but also in body and soul. The weather had been
beautiful. It was a warm sunny afternoon, and I was sitting somewhere
west of the Continental Divide. Denny and I had found this place quite
by accident. Pretty much on a whim, in southern Montana, we had
decided to explore a wilderness area just across the state line in
Idaho. We found a place to leave the car, and then hiked up this
canyon. After about four hours of hiking, we camped. The mountains
were smaller here than in the parks, but the sense of the wild hadn't
diminished, in fact it had increased. With no people to worry about,
Denny let his dog, Jackson, run free. Jackson was Denny's constant
companion. Part shepherd, he was golden brown with a sweet
disposition. He was everybody's dog, but his bond was with Denny.

After spending our first night in the wilderness, Denny went fishing
while I went climbing. Animal signs were everywhere. I only saw one
cow moose, though. After a few hours of climbing, I reached a ridge
and followed it. As I was hiking, I was also thinking about how drama
had entered my life again. I realized that I was hardly in control
anymore. It was like being buffeted by a stormy sea. It's not that C.
S. and I were having problems. Things were okay. Things were just
okay. Maybe that was the problem.