A few years ago, some friends contacted us about visiting the Grand Canyon. They had never been, but were hopeful to take a trip in a few weeks to see it for the first time. We cheerfully complied in giving…
Only in Experience can we Capture True Color
In a 1965 interview, Andrew Wyeth (the painter) was quoted as saying, “I can think of nothing more exciting than just sitting in a cornfield on a windy fall day and listening to the dry rustle… If one could…
It is Practical to Love the Wilderness
I happen to be a very practical person. Which is probably why the facts and figures of how to hike a trail come pretty naturally to me, along with planning trips and even normal everyday life. Because of my practicality,…
The Waves and Wind Still Know His Name
There’s been a song going around for some time that goes something like this: Grander earth has quaked before Moved by the sound of His voice Seas that are shaken and stirred Can be calmed and broken for my…
Engaging my Heart with the Wilderness
I remember the first time the wilderness caught my heart. It was spring, and my family was on a long-overdue trip to the Grand Canyon. (We made up for that by visiting 4 out of the next 5 consecutive…
When I Fell in Love with the Mountains
I have a heritage in the Canadian Rockies. Our very first cross-country trip was spent there, along with a few American parks, like Badlands, Yellowstone, and Craters of the Moon. It was beautiful. Outside of the Alps, we had never…
God Gives the Creatures Life with His Breath
How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number – living things both large and small. There the…
Honoring the Artist via His Art
I’ve long heard it said that “You can’t say you love the artist but say that you hate their art.” Or, more recently, “If you insult an artist’s work, you’re indirectly insulting the artist.” These expressions can be turned around…
Refreshed in the Wilderness
In our everyday lives, we are constantly asked to give: to offer help, to work hard at our jobs, to give time and affection to our families, to take care of the myriad of tasks that never seem to end.…
The Sounds of the Wilderness
There are sounds in the wilderness that are found nowhere else. The sound of a bubbling stream in the stillness, the whistle of a bird in the forest, the crash of a wave against the beach, the August cicadas’ droning,…