Lions

Today was the day the Lion was supposed to come in. In Chico I always wondered about that. (We were in lovely weather usually by then.) Today was pretty sweet too, sunny and warmish without the fierce winds. But, from all accounts the Lion will be here by midnight with snow, low temperatures and wind. Happy March 1st! We skied for my desire to see a moose today. In Maine my friend Theresa told me how boorish it is for tourists to always be asking about seeing moose. (She gets them in her horse pasture.) I can’t help it. Even introduced and starving moose are exciting for me. Today we saw two strong looking cow moose very briefly before they melted into the darkness of the forest.

All I have to share is this (below.) It has been so exasperating. Clothe moose, wood, metal, ceramic, two dimensional… all manner of iconic exploitation. In one day we know the story. Huge animals struggling along up to their bellies in snow, living on willow tips and wisps of moss. Always moving, always sampling, trying to stay alive.
Speaking of alive. We saw ptarmigan, red grosbeak, chickadee…
One thing that worried me all day though was the pine bark beetle, the same that Canada has. The ranger at the State Park said it’s predicted that 90% of the pines will die. What will hold the water, hide the moose and feed the chickadee when they are gone with their firey tinder?
We need to have the best minds apply themselves to this problem. Wood needs to be stored. Plantings and fire suppression and habitat preservation all need to be addressed.
The Lion is at the door.
We got the Lion storm. It was a brazen journey to Steamboat Springs. Hot Tub tonight!