What I Will Miss
Thoughts two weeks before embarking on the 2,627-mile journey to our new home.
The sweet scent of pine pitch
The tang of subalpine fir
The golden glow of fall larch
The dark crest of conifers on the ridge
The hollow thwock of granite underfoot
The sweep of jagged peaks, up up up
The raven croaking over a still azure pool
The pungent meadow ripe with beargrass, glacier lilies, lupine, paintbrush
The contented burbles of a meandering stream
The joy a ponderosa pine cone gives my dog
The exhausted afterglow of a strenuous climb
The stone shrines beneath the pine — cat, parakeet, three dogs — our beloved family
These are more senses than things, yet they tie me to the land
Will the string break, or will I still feel tethered to it from far away?
I guess I’m going to find out.
I've been catching up on Substack and wondered what you were up to and wow! Cape Cod--what a change! Your list of what you'll miss is too lovely that I can't read it, having left MT and my home of 50 years only a couple of years ago. Good luck in your new location--you'll come to love it, I'm confident!
Such a beautiful listing, covering memory flashes with the senses and emotions they ignite. You may end up thousands of miles away from your mountain life, but this strong a tether will never break. Thanks for sharing!