Wanderlust

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;

'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far

and Grace will lead me home.

John Newton 1725-1807

Walking through tall grass, I felt drawn to them - compelled to get closer, study their intricate detail, admire their beauty and fragrance. They came in all colors, shapes, and sizes; I raised my eyes to take in the larger scene and they stretched as far as I could see.

Purple vetch - obviously an escapee from cultivation - painted many of the hillsides a pale blue.

Lupine, lavender asters, bright yellow blanket flowers, others I couldn't name filled in spaces between.

The beautifully translucent, porcelain-like prickly pear blooms reminded me of our time in Texas and my experience of making prickly pear jelly from scratch. So many memories associated with wildflowers raced through my mind.

I was overcome by the beauty of the setting - of huge sky, rugged hills striated and carved through eons of erosion.

The mighty Snake River lay far below, winding and rushing through it all. In between exposed rock, unseasonably heavy precipitation had turned much of this harsh landscape green. Wildly euphoric and totally at ease, I felt comfortable right where I was.

I wondered why I did. Seventy miles upriver from where we boarded the boat and miles from any road, we were pretty far removed from civilization. No Television, cell phone signal, or hot water. Still, I loved the place; even more, I loved that we traveled to get there. So many of us travel these days and seem to enjoy it, it set me to thinking - WHY?

Part of the answer, I believe, is that human beings have always traveled. Since the dawn of creation, some have needed to - for hunting and gathering food; finding materials for clothing, tools, housing, and utensils; escaping disaster or other dangers; finding mates outside of their immediate clan.

Although early travelers needed to be acutely aware of their surroundings and probably appreciated the positives and negatives of those, some undoubtedly simply reveled in the experience. Of those, we know for certain through history, some chose to continue their travels simply to find what was 'out there" beyond the realm of what they were familiar with.

For some of us, that continues today. Still, in the distant past and now, most of us are glad to have a place to call "home".

But I also think that not everyone in the past needed to travel. Those fortunate enough to find themselves in a location with a moderate climate, abundant food and materials, and other groups of people living not too far away obviously had no need to travel. Many of those people were content to remain where they were, sometimes for centuries, unless (or until)  war, the climate, natural disasters, or their numbers changed drastically forcing them to move in order to survive.

Content though they might have been with where they'd always lived, travel they would if need be. My family, and very probably yours, ended up where they now are because someone in the past was willing to pack up and GO - probably more than once.

I could not stay among the wildflowers in Hell's Canyon, beautiful as it was. We packed up and headed back down the Snake, over several mountain passes, through sun, dust, rain, hills, plains, and mountains, 39 to 98 degree days, four states, and nearly 2,500 miles. We packed well, carried our lunch, and tried to be prepared. The scenery was terrific, the company good, and we had a great time. 

Still, it's good to be home!

the LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121: 8

For more information on Hell's Canyon:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Canyon

http://www.hellscanyontours.com/

**THANKS Captain Dan, Bill, Mary & Jimbo

for making this an

UNFORGETABLE experience!!**