Sunday, August 06, 2017
Once, this lifetime, to the Sun
Occasionally something happens in your life which, in retrospect really makes you go, "Wow".
A series of events leading to an amazing occurrence, one you know could never happen again the same way. When all the planets line up. When you hit for the cycle. A hat trick. But it started with a great loss.
We lost our Mom this year, after she had battled respiratory problems for years. We love and miss her, but she was ready to go and asked us not to hold on to her, to let her go. She was as fearless then as ever. She also planned her own passing, and allotted funds for the three of us kids to take her ashes and scatter them on the "Going to the Sun" highway leading up to Logan's Pass in Glacier National Park, Montana.
Mom was from Montana. She grew up in Missoula, went to Missoula County High School and University of Montana there in Missoula. She always had her heart there and in the high country, as I do, but she lived most of her adult life here in Houston, Texas where all of us grew up and still live.
We were going to be a party of five, potentially. Our Auntie Jean wanted to go but wouldn't know til the morning of the trip if she would be in shape to travel. She is in her nineties. Her daughter, Linda had made her schedule to be with us the whole way. Unfortunately, my sister Laura felt ill and couldn't travel with us. My sister Barbara, myself and our Cousin Linda Nye spent a week: traveling, communing, remembering and feeling close to Mom.
What will follow will be daily stories of the trip. I left on a Sunday morning, and came back early the next Sunday. Every day had amazing situations and unforgettable sights and experiences.
So starting with Sunday, July 9 and ending a week later, it was an amazing time and a wonderful trip my mom intended we take.
Here's a brief overview
Fly into SeaTac airport south of Seattle and am met by my sister who had flown up the day before and Linda. We immediately begin the trip east across the state, across the panhandle of Idaho and into northwest Montana enroute to Kalispell, Mt where our first night's AirBnB lodging awaited. We got in at almost 11pm.
Monday
Leave early for Glacier National Park. We pass through the gates predawn and the sky begins to lighten through the trees as we wind our way up. We find a perfect spot for Mom, we arrive at the top at the, again perfect time, and on the way down, after passing bumper to bumper traffic going up, we have an outstanding breakfast at the Lake McDonald Lodge by 9 am! We are exhausted though, and crash early.
Tuesday
We leave Kalispell early for Missoula, several hours south. On the way we stop and visit with Farmer Dan and Sheryl and their cherry orchard on Lake Flathead. Then we lunch and drive the rest of the way into Missoula. We seek the childhood home of our Mother and Linda's mom our Auntie Jean and find it on Gilbert street. The owners came out and invited us in to see the house. It was an amazing, spiritual few minutes as we toured the house, built by grandpa John, and soaked in the presence of our mother, and her whole family, their memories and the closeness of the current owners, longtime Missoulians, who had actually gone to school with Mom. We make our way to the next AirBnB arrangement, another exemplary accommodation Laura secured before the trip.
Wednesday
We travel back west to Seattle, through the mountains over Idaho and picturesque Lake Cour 'd Alene into Spokane to have lunch with an old buddy from school. It was also a special few minutes, then we continued across the Columbia river further west through more mountains and into the city. The first of several days of driving in Seattle. It is also picturesque. We did visit several places in Ballard, saw a troll under a bridge...
Thursday
Spent many hours recuperating and going over photos we had taken. We met Michael Nye, Linda's son for dinner at Outriggers on the wharf, walked through a park on Puget Sound.
Friday
Met Auntie Jean and Jim along with Paul Nye, our cousin, Linda's younger brother. It was a wonderful late lunch. On the way back, we visited the burial site of Jimi Hendrix. Another special moment. That night we watched a couple movies including Princess Bride and Babette's Feast.
Saturday
We three toured downtown Seattle, the Waterfront district and Pike's Place Market. The original Starbucks it was a fish-flyin' good time Suddenly our week was at it's end.
Sunday
Flew into IAH 530 am.
¶ 5:04 PM
Occasionally something happens in your life which, in retrospect really makes you go, "Wow".
A series of events leading to an amazing occurrence, one you know could never happen again the same way. When all the planets line up. When you hit for the cycle. A hat trick. But it started with a great loss.
We lost our Mom this year, after she had battled respiratory problems for years. We love and miss her, but she was ready to go and asked us not to hold on to her, to let her go. She was as fearless then as ever. She also planned her own passing, and allotted funds for the three of us kids to take her ashes and scatter them on the "Going to the Sun" highway leading up to Logan's Pass in Glacier National Park, Montana.
Mom was from Montana. She grew up in Missoula, went to Missoula County High School and University of Montana there in Missoula. She always had her heart there and in the high country, as I do, but she lived most of her adult life here in Houston, Texas where all of us grew up and still live.
We were going to be a party of five, potentially. Our Auntie Jean wanted to go but wouldn't know til the morning of the trip if she would be in shape to travel. She is in her nineties. Her daughter, Linda had made her schedule to be with us the whole way. Unfortunately, my sister Laura felt ill and couldn't travel with us. My sister Barbara, myself and our Cousin Linda Nye spent a week: traveling, communing, remembering and feeling close to Mom.
What will follow will be daily stories of the trip. I left on a Sunday morning, and came back early the next Sunday. Every day had amazing situations and unforgettable sights and experiences.
So starting with Sunday, July 9 and ending a week later, it was an amazing time and a wonderful trip my mom intended we take.
Here's a brief overview
Fly into SeaTac airport south of Seattle and am met by my sister who had flown up the day before and Linda. We immediately begin the trip east across the state, across the panhandle of Idaho and into northwest Montana enroute to Kalispell, Mt where our first night's AirBnB lodging awaited. We got in at almost 11pm.
Monday
Leave early for Glacier National Park. We pass through the gates predawn and the sky begins to lighten through the trees as we wind our way up. We find a perfect spot for Mom, we arrive at the top at the, again perfect time, and on the way down, after passing bumper to bumper traffic going up, we have an outstanding breakfast at the Lake McDonald Lodge by 9 am! We are exhausted though, and crash early.
Tuesday
We leave Kalispell early for Missoula, several hours south. On the way we stop and visit with Farmer Dan and Sheryl and their cherry orchard on Lake Flathead. Then we lunch and drive the rest of the way into Missoula. We seek the childhood home of our Mother and Linda's mom our Auntie Jean and find it on Gilbert street. The owners came out and invited us in to see the house. It was an amazing, spiritual few minutes as we toured the house, built by grandpa John, and soaked in the presence of our mother, and her whole family, their memories and the closeness of the current owners, longtime Missoulians, who had actually gone to school with Mom. We make our way to the next AirBnB arrangement, another exemplary accommodation Laura secured before the trip.
Wednesday
We travel back west to Seattle, through the mountains over Idaho and picturesque Lake Cour 'd Alene into Spokane to have lunch with an old buddy from school. It was also a special few minutes, then we continued across the Columbia river further west through more mountains and into the city. The first of several days of driving in Seattle. It is also picturesque. We did visit several places in Ballard, saw a troll under a bridge...
Thursday
Spent many hours recuperating and going over photos we had taken. We met Michael Nye, Linda's son for dinner at Outriggers on the wharf, walked through a park on Puget Sound.
Friday
Met Auntie Jean and Jim along with Paul Nye, our cousin, Linda's younger brother. It was a wonderful late lunch. On the way back, we visited the burial site of Jimi Hendrix. Another special moment. That night we watched a couple movies including Princess Bride and Babette's Feast.
We three toured downtown Seattle, the Waterfront district and Pike's Place Market. The original Starbucks it was a fish-flyin' good time Suddenly our week was at it's end.
Sunday
Flew into IAH 530 am.
¶ 5:04 PM
