MUSINGS IN THE MOMENT

Canadian Rockies to WhiteFish, Montana

Day 1

Truly I would say that my vacation feeling started the night before on April eleventh.

Friends of mine who are well adept at being nomadic travellers, managed to hitch their way out to Canmore - the gods favored them with timing that lined up for us to be able to hang out before I left for a 3 weeks. We broke bread, ate cheese ( the saucy kind) and shared some homemade wine together. It is a blessing to see these wonderful people when we happen to be in the same area. I value greatly getting to be able to spend time with them.

But after socializing, it was time to finalize packing and try to sleep.

I always find it difficult to sleep the night before an adventure due to the energy of sheer excitement. I did manage to get a few hours in but my eagerness had me naturally bouncing out of bed at ungodly hours of the morning.

I use the extra time to treat myself to some self care at my second hand vanity (That I got for free - of course).

The day's agenda for my trip included a pit stop across the border to pick up a few supplies. Then, head to Whitefish to check in to Grouse Mountain Lodge.

And so the Adventure begins!

Grouse Mountain Lodge is part of the pursuit collection thus I saveth the moneyth a-la mouldy purse style.

Along the way the route through BC, in Radium, I saw a lot of big horn sheep. All I could think about was my sister when we were in the Yukon together and that she just really wanted to see one of those curly horned. It looks like She'll just have to sacrifice herself And enjoy some hot spring soaking in radium with me so that she can see some curly horn sheep up close.

I had thought that perchance I may have gotten a photo of them curly cues as I had set up my camera for a time lapse while driving out of Radium.

However of course the camera time lapse snapped intervals rather than video and so this was the best shot I have.

Lesson Learned to not timelapse but video instead.

I was really amused when hitting the border crossing for the United States at how many roaming wild turkeys there were....I wasn't expecting that.

My first stop was in Eureka, Montana to pick up some supplies.

I definitely could feel my muscles clenching over confederate flags being around..

I try to hope that the business i supported were not the ones hanging up that stuff as they share a building, but my intuition has sinking sentiments.

Onwards to Whitefish!

I arrive to the Hotel and check in.

I am blessed with what I see as a lucky room number! Good Juju awaits me on this trip!

Also, holy geez - It's April and it's already Banff Summer Weather here! I think I may have packed clothes that are too warm for this Trip.

No rest for the wicked; for Day 1 I booked myself a seven thirty ticket to a theatre performance put on by the Whitefish Theatre Company.

" Silent Sky - The True Story of Women Who Mapped the Stars."

" When Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she is not allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in “girl hours” and has no time for the women’s probing theories. As Henrietta, in her free time, attempts to measure the light and distance of stars, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love. In this exquisite blend of science, history, family ties, and fragile love, Silent Sky follows the true story of a passionate young woman who must map her own passage through a society determined to keep a woman in her place."

I have to say that I am so glad that I attended this opening night!

I haven't been in a small intimate theatre like that in a very long time. It brought me a lot of sentimental value & nostalgia.

Handmade sets, proximity to the stage, actually painted scenes! At my ownArts institution, a lot of theatre work is being pushed into 3d printing, collapsible sets, or no set or painting at all ; entirely 3d mapping projection. While those in and of themselves have their own values and merits for labour, I really value seeing those old school art forms still existing in theatres. That eople still get to work in those other domains. I know all of it comes down ultimately to money. But they are certainly different feeling qualities to them all.

Honestly, this show was extremely well written. Not just myself, but the whole audience laughed a lot. I was moved to tears several times not just from laughing so much but also because of the deep emotions that were brought up in me. (And you know I hate being emotional public.) Uncontainable public emotions are truthfully one of my gauges for exceptionality in a work. To me, something is so good that I cannot keep my emotions from spilling outward.

I wrote most of this day out by voice to text because the show ran till 10pm. By the time I got back and cleaned up, admittedly, I was very tuckered.

Let's look forward to tomorrows adventures!

This is definitely the sky that would exemplify the statement: "Winter Is Coming"