Category: 2011 Out West Tour

  • Glory to God

    Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (photos by Steve Lasher)

    “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

    The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters” – Psalm 29:2-3.

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  • Are you really listening?

    “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion” —Proverbs 18:2.

    Do you know anyone who jibbers on and on barely taking a break between sentences? Being on the other end of the conversation all I need do is interject a few monosyllable responses in between and this talker can carry on a monologue indefinitely!

    I, too, have been guilty of talking continuously, not really interested in what the other person has to say about the subject. I must say once the conversation concludes I am not any wiser. What a surprise! Proverbs 18 calls this type of expresser a fool. Ouch!

    Ever catch yourself only half listening to a conversation and mostly calculating in your head what you plan to say next? I’ve caught myself doing this. Just waiting until the person takes a breath or pauses so I can interject my words of wisdom.

    God, help me to be quick to listen and slow to speak my mind. I realize there’s much to learn from another’s wisdom when I tame my tongue and open my heart.

    I need to remember how frustrating it is to be a part of a conversation where someone monopolizes. When I listen and am listened to, I feel respected and my opinions and worth validated.

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  • Day #17

                                                                                                                                       

    Steve and I rode the Lake Express from Milwaukee, Wisconsin over to Muskegon, Michigan.

    Lake Express docking station
    Steve waiting his turn to board the Lake Express
    Lake Express - Muskegon, Michigan
    Lake Express – Muskegon, Michigan

    I knew we were in trouble when I saw white caps on Lake Michigan and the first thing the stewards did was hand out sea sickness bags!

    Fortunately, neither Steve or I had the occasion to utilize the bags (however I was close).  Motorcycle in Lake Express holdAs we neared the ferry dock, we spotted a couple of tall ships docked also.  

    Bob, Vicki, and Angie, greeted us upon arrival at our marina in Muskegon—our own private welcome committee. They handed us a cold drink before we even climbed off our motorcycle. LYH Marina Welcome CommitteeHow’s that for service? If that wasn’t enough to be thankful we were home again, they prepared steak and fresh corn on the grill for dinner that evening.  Sure is great to be home again!  

    Muskegon Lake Lighhouse
    Hello Muskegon, Michigan!

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  • 1st day home again

    Home again, home again! My body longs for normalcy, consistency, rest, and yet I am thrilled to venture out and see new sights and experience other locations and meet new people.

    How do I balance the two…make sense of it all? Maybe the key lies in the word “balance.” A bit of both: normal and new is required to equalize the scales. Too much normal leads to boredom. Too much new causes me to not appreciate new when I do see/live it. 

    “My insides are turned inside out, specters of death have me down. I shake with fear; I shudder from head to foot.

    Who will give me wings; I ask “wings like a dove?” Get me out of here on dove wings; I want some peace and quiet. I want a walk in the country. I want a cabin in the woods. I’m desperate for a change from rage and stormy weather” (Psalm 55:4–8).

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  • Day #14, 15, & 16

    Nana and Liberty tubing

    Left Bismarck, ND and headed for Sartell, MN.

    Kids (and Nana and Grandpa) all excited to be together again. All looked forward to our dinner boat cruise and picnic on the boat. Went tubing with Liberty as we screamed when the big bumps hit us. For the first time, I tried a wakeboard behind the boat. I fell the first time, but was able to pull my weight up on the board, strap myself in and hang on for the ride of my life!

    Liberty whispered to me before bedtime, “I’m gonna wake you and Grandpa up in the morning!”  Nana wouldn’t want it any other way. Sure enough, in came Liberty followed by her younger brother, Elijah, up on the bed before we were awake.

    Activities included (but not limited to):  Thomas Train Memory game (Libs beat me pretty bad), Frisbees outdoors. Enjoyed coloring with Libs and Elijah using crayons and colored pencils. Whenever I color, it always brings back fond childhood memories—I should color more often.

    Liberty got to ride with Grandpa on the motorcycle from one end of the driveway to the garage door. She thought that was real special! All three kids got onboard our motorcycle for a picture. That’s when I got the brilliant idea of how to get them all back to Michigan!

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  • Day #13

    Leaving Miles City, MT; headed for: Bismark, CO.  9:30 am/75° and 91° before noon. First marker I saw for the day: “Bad Route Road,” wondering if that is a bad omen.

    Praying for cooler temperatures today. Strong winds buffet our bike and trailer. Steve needs to maintain his focus to keep our bike on the road. Frontal and cross winds very stiff! Dusty, dusty, dusty everywhere!

    We walked around our motel to see what we could see and stretch our legs. Grasshoppers ruled the dry, brown vegetation. They were everywhere! Green spots only showed up where sprinkler water touched. Otherwise, no water=dead and brown. Even while zooming down the freeway, one landed on my knee on the motorcycle until I swished him away.

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  • Shoshone Lodge – Yellowstone, Wyoming

    “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,” (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

    One evening, Steve and I were privileged to join in the singing, dancing and making merriment with guitars, spoons, and voices! There was a special hoedown 80th birthday party for Jack. Jack lives at Shoshone Lodge and works there for free because he loves the area and the people so much.

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  • Addendum to Day #8

    We met “Ranger” Alex in the Buffalo Bill Dam parking lot. He was wheeling around in his padded, shaded golf cart. With his initial offer to take us for a spin to the other end of the lot to the visitor center, I knew he enjoyed his job. Most of my family and friends (well, probably all of them) would tell I’m not the bashful type, so I immediately began to talk with “Ranger” Alex.

    “Alex, are you a real Ranger?”

    “No, I just like the hat, so I wear it. Used to be in the military, but I retired. This is my Forest Gump job, and I’m loving it!”

     “Ranger” Alex supplied us with much information coupled with his own sense of humor. He’s the right man for the job! I think he’s found his niche. The dam was completed in 1910 (started about 1905) and stands a staggering 353 feet tall, 200 feet wide and 108 feet at the base. Simply amazing sight!

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  • Day #12

    Day of endurance: Left Shoshone, Wyoming (3 miles from Yellowstone) this morning at 40 degrees – arrived in Miles City, Montana this evening. Long, hot, weary day – saw 102 degrees. Big Horn Mountains w/the snow – beautiful (plus, loved the cooler air!)  Sweltering, hot and not much to see once left Big Horn. Wind blew sideways although didn’t cool; only more hot breeze.

    Shopped in Cody, Wyoming for blue turquoise and ate at Hotel Irma where Queen Victoria donated the cherry bar. Hotel built in 1902 – very cool décor.

    Loved staying in one place for four whole days and nights at the Shoshone Lodge. Delectable food, great out-west service, and a successful horse ride. Doesn’t get much better than that!

     “In quietness and trust is your strength…Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:15b–18).

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  • Day #11 – out west tour

     

    Dusty, dusty, all is dusty!  Rubbing my thumb and forefinger together—dust is always there. Dust covers the pages of my journal. Vehicles drive by, people walk by, dog, deer, even the wind whips up and dust clouds instantly appear. There’s no relief from layers and layers of dust!  

    While touring Canyon Falls (part of Yellowstone National Park), we saw bison walking right near the road. Traffic slowed to a stop and there we were out in the open with no protection should the huge beast decide he didn’t like us staring at him. Fortunately, he continued to meander along the grassy edge near the pavement and we were able to power up and move on quickly when the vehicles ahead moved.

    We witnessed many crazies in the park:  

    • Vehicles in a big hurry pass on drastic curves
    • Whole families out of their car and taking up-close photos of a large bison resting
    • Group of people step over guard railing, climb down near falls, dangle their bare feet in rushing waterfalls, and then climb up a large rock—all for a picture!

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