Today more than made up for yesterday. Most mornings, as I have mentioned, I ask the Lord what He would like me to notice that day. Today it was as if He was saying, “Look at this!” Over and over again. All day long. Two themes dominated the day: wildlife and geology.
We spent the night in the National Elk Refuge in a room with a view across open grasslands. When we awoke this morning, we were greeted by a friendly moose grazing just across the road from our porch.
And before we left for breakfast we spotted a herd of elk. (My iPhone does a better job with close up photography, but I did manage to capture a few black and tan dots…)
After breakfast, a lovely mule deer doe met us near the Visitor Center in Jackson Hole…
..along with a couple of ducks…
…and a cute little ground squirrel.
And then we drove into Grand Teton National Park. How can I even begin to describe the beauty of this place? There simply are no words. The action of tectonic plates shifting thrust up these mountains with a magnitude of force I can’t even comprehend. My college geology classes taught me the theory. But the reality is…well…beyond description.
We were so absorbed by the majesty of the Tetons that we nearly missed the herd of buffalo grazing on the other side of the road. I’m so glad we thought to turn around!
Sometimes we can be so consumed with the big stuff that we can miss what is right in front of us. (Isn’t there a life lesson in there somewhere?) We nearly missed the ground squirrel who was standing sentinel by one of the scenic overlooks. He was a curious little guy. He would dart into his hole, but kept popping out to see what was going on.
As we left the park we were commenting that we had seen three of the big four animals in the Tetons: moose, elk, and bison. We thought it would be a wonderful thing to see a bear, but we really didn’t expect to since bears are not as common here as in Yellowstone. But then it was as if God said, “You want bear? Look at this!” And we came upon a mother grizzly bear and her two cubs romping in the snow.
We crossed the Continental Divide in the late afternoon.
And suddenly we were in a whole new world. Volcanic rocks gave way to jagged peaks of sedimentary rocks.
In no time at all, we were in a gentler (but still dramatic) landscape of weathered sandstone.
And then we came to Dubois, Wyoming and encountered some mule deer…
…and a couple of giant jackalopes! Yes, apparently they really do exist!
The road took us through a canyon of dramatic red rock formations where signs warned us to be on the lookout for bighorn sheep. We missed the sheep, but the rocks were stunning!
Suddenly, we were back in the sagebrush desert, and the pronghorn antelope came out to play. We saw these guys (and gals) by the dozens, all the way from Dubois to Casper, grazing alone and in herds, by themselves and right alongside cattle. (Funny thing, though. We saw no roadkill. Are they smart enough to stay out of the road?)
About 40 miles west of Casper, we came across Hell’s Half Acre, a geologic oddity for sure. It is a canyon covering about 320 acres filled with caves and rocks eroded into strange shapes, as one might imagine on an alien world. In fact, it was used as the location of the planet Klendathu in the movie, Starship Troopers. I can see why!
Eventually we arrived in Casper, Wyoming for the night and had a chance to reflect on the day and all the incredible things we had seen. God spoke to us through His magnificent creation over and over again. He showed us wonder after wonder. Despite all of mankind’s ingenuity and all the technical marvels man has devised over the millennia, no one has ever come close to replicating the wonders of creation.
These words from Job pretty much sum up how I am feeling as I retire this evening:
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds of the sky, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.”
—Job 12:7-10
