Jackson Hole

Hello from Jackson Hole!
I am so grateful to be here, not simply because Jackson Hole is such a stunningly beautiful place (which it is), but also because I am so grateful to be attending the Jackson Hole Writer's Conference, which begins in a few hours. I don't know what to expect, but what I hope for is inspiration, motivation, and some direction in getting my writer's life in a better gear. So, thank you, Westminster, for the opportunity to be here!

"Here," for the moment, is a pretty sweet place to be. As I walk from my motel room to the coffee shop where I am writing this blog, I stroll past the spectrum that you find in a glitzy mountain resort town like Jackson--rusty pickup trucks with gun racks and bumper stickers that say things like "Wyoming is full. Go home" and "Wolves: smoke a pack a day." Then steps away is a bistro where the least expensive thing on the menu (if the menu includes prices) is the fois gras. 

I learned something really interesting yesterday on my out-of-the-way route to get here. As I was driving through Grand Tetons National Park, I stopped at one of the turn-outs to take in the magnificent view and read the interpretive plaque. What I learned is that the geological forces that formed the almost unbelievably steep and dramatic Tetons was not volcanic or even simple uplift. It was a combination of the plate on one side of the fault rising up, and the plate on the other side of the fault diving down, supercharging the rising up of the other. In fact, the plate that took a dive (creating Jackson "Hole") fell four times more than the mountains went up. You would never guess it by gazing at the majestic peaks towering over the valley like the Eiger. Sometimes it's the sinking that creates the rising. But however it happened, the result is stunning. 

Thank you to those who have read my other posts about my trip to Africa. Presuming that you are still interested (which may be a big presumption), I want you to know that I am not done with them. I hope to post a few other things this week. 

Finally, the thing that makes this day so special is not the grandeur of the Tetons, but the life-changing event that happened 21 years ago today in Casselton, ND, when Mary and I were married. The gift of grace that she is to me is far more spectacular than all the Rockies. Thank you, Mary, for being the wonderful person you are. And thanks for letting me be here today. I'm looking forward to celebrating with you in person! I love you with my whole heart.