A Long Way To Go

The fresh morning air fills your lungs. You are out of the mountains. you are surrounded by meadows. You spot a herd of deer in a meadow. The green meadow grasses tickle their bellies. The tall pines reach their shadows across the ground toward the deer. The sun is starting to rise above the eastern hills and mountains. The rays gently warm the air. The deer stand in the light rays to get warm. Every deer has their head down, munching away on the grass that is covered in dew.

You drive past the lush meadows. There are horses that are basking in the sunlight. Their coats shimmer in the early morning light. It is a beautiful sight to behold. The trees fall away and sage brush start to take center stage. Their branches fan out from their stems. They look as though they are also reaching for the sun warm rays. You follow their directions and the path the road leads.

You stop by your grandparents place shortly and take off again. The winds help the yellow weeds to wave good-bye. A storm swells up and blocks the sun's rays. It chases you through Idaho. The sagebrushes wave as you pass by as if they are trying to escape the pending storm. You don't see animals because they are hiding from the storm. You can feel the pressure dropping slowly. A creek carves a path next to the road twisting and turning in the fields out of control. The water flows with you. It is crystal clear and you are able to see the rocks and sand at the bottom. Eventually the twisting and turning directs the creek to somewheres beyond what you can see.

The green grasses are again invaded by sagebrush and weeds. The dirt turns grey and the dust abrasive. The wind picks up again. The gusts blow the semis and RVs sideways. The headwind makes all of the vehicles on the road traveling this direction work harder. The dark grey clouds fill your mirrors. The pressure drops faster now. The first rain drop hits the windshield. Then another hits and another. The storm swallows your family's vehicle in its wrath. The land around you is covered in a grey veil of rain. The rain storms shields you from the setting sun, which you don't even notice.

The darkness of a stormy night swallows the mountains and their valleys, the animals and the plants. Everything is unseeable in a matter of minutes. You continue on until you get to Laramie. It is starting is cool when you step outside to stretch. You take a little walk before you hit the hay.