bright angel point | Close to the Ground: Living Inductively

Yes, I am at the Mirage in Las Vegas this afternoon. It seems like an accurate name to me: This place is just a mirage to me. The North Rim is what is real to me. I remember again the words of J.W. Powell in his The Exploration of the Colorado and Its Canyons:

Still farther east is the Kaibab Plateau [including the North Rim], culminating table-land of the region. It is covered with a beautiful forest, and in the forest charming parks are found. Its southern extremity is a portion of the wall of the Grand Canyon….Here antelope feed and many a deer goes bounding over the fallen timber. In winter deep snows lie here, but the plateau has four months of the sweetest summer man has ever known. (p. 102)

from Bright Angel Point

clouds and vegetation, North Rim

Deva, Brahma, and Zoroaster

from Point Imperial

Transept Canyon

Transept Canyon sunset

Transept Canyon from Widforss Point

Of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, our friend (and best man) Art says there are, “Absolutely no words.” I think he’s right, but I am going to sprinkle a few among the photos.

North Rim, AZ

Grand Canyon Lodge

towards Bright Angel Point

Roosevelt Point

Our friend Paula DeLancey–gone unto another plane these 30 years and more–said we were “lucky ducks” and so we were to live together there on the rim.

cliff rose

forest floor

butterfly and flower on the Widforss Trail

When I am at the rim, I think quite a bit about William Butler Yeats. Hard not to with the bee-loud glades in the sunny meadows among the ponderosas and aspens. Right now, I am thinking of “Easter, 1916” where Yeats lists those he won’t forget. Along with Art and Paula (above) and Sally (below) I don’t forget: Chef Floyd and Bertha of the pantry, Leah and Karen–the sisters, Bill of the Mozart horn concertos and Kentucky bourbon, Anita and Becky–cousins and my roommates, Terri–so earnest (one of my favorite character traits), Keith and Pat–hippies among the Mormons, Sue–courted in moonlight by a wrangler on horseback, Richard of the trail and pantry, Jim–sweet baker, Howard–dear friend, and all the rest. Thank you.

Kaibab ponderosas

Aspens in the Kaibab National Forest

This photo is for Sally, mule girl, friend, and maid of honor:

mule desk, North Rim

Yes, I said maid of honor. In three days, Tom and I will have been married 40 years. In that time, we’ve shared many lunches.

lunch

Lucky ducks, indeed.

Close to the Ground: Living Inductively

Lynda Terrill

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I Am in the Middle of a Mirage