dbushue's photostream  

"The American way of life consists of something that goes greatly beyond the mere obtaining of the necessities of existence. If it means anything, it means that America presents to its citizens an opportunity to grow mentally and spiritually, as well as physically. The National Park System and the work of the National Park Service constitute one of the Federal Government's important contributions to that opportunity. Together they make it possible for all Americans--millions of them at first-hand--to enjoy unspoiled the great scenic places of the Nation.... The National Park System also provides, through areas that are significant in history and prehistory, a physical as well as spiritual linking of present-day Americans with the past of their country." ~ Newton B. Drury

Thought I'd leave everyone with a fun, obviously photoshopped image from one of our previous winter trips to Yellowstone. This grand arch, located at the Northern entrance to Yellowstone, represents a number of things....to us, it represents our "coming home." Tomorrow we hit the road, headed west for our ninth trip to Yellowstone since the fall of 2005. When we visited for the first time, I don't think we ever imagined that we would fall in love with the park like we did...and each subsequent trip has been met with the same enthusiasm and excitement as the first time. Some have asked whether I will be posting while we are away....the answer to that is no. For us, vacation is a time to relax and enjoy and that means no computers; we even like the fact that cell phone service is so spotty....on the other hand, we do have lots of camera and video gear charged and ready to capture new memories :-)

Have a great rest of the month....I will catch up with everyone when we return in a couple of weeks. As always, I appreciate all your visits & kind words!!!!

© Darlene Bushue - All of my images are protected by copyright and may not be used on any site, blog, or forum without my permission.

Waterfalls are spectacular, simultaneously beautiful, uplifting, overwhelming and bringing such immediacy into our minds. There is no wondering about what the waterfalls were like yesterday, no way to know what they'll look like tomorrow. There will always be a shade of difference, a nuance noticed or not, but to see them right now, in this moment in their powerful splendor---that is the way to celebrate the present. ~ Author Unknown

Artist Point - Yellowstone National Park - May 2009

Another from the archives....and down to 2 days...yikes; busy week at work wrapping up things and then busy at home trying to get everything packed, so I can't promise that I'll catch up with everyone until we return in early June :-) Have a great Thursday, and as always, thanks for all your visits & comments!!!!

© Darlene Bushue - All of my images are protected by copyright and may not be used on any site, blog, or forum without my permission.

A brook can be a friend in a special way. It talks to you with splashy gurgles. It cools your toes and lets you sit quietly beside it when you don't feel like speaking. ~ Joan Walsh Anglund

Photographed near the Buffalo Ranch in Lamar Valley - Yellowstone National Park - 2010

4 days to go and not a bit excited...LOL!!!! Have a great Tuesday....and as always, thanks for stopping by to visit :-)

© Darlene Bushue - All of my images are protected by copyright and may not be used on any site, blog, or forum without my permission.

“Mountains seem to answer an increasing imaginative need in the West. More and more people are discovering a desire for them, and a powerful solace in them. At bottom, mountains, like all wildernesses, challenge our complacent conviction - so easy to lapse into - that the world has been made for humans by humans. Most of us exist for most of the time in worlds which are humanly arranged, themed and controlled. One forgets that there are environments which do not respond to the flick of a switch or the twist of a dial, and which have their own rhythms and orders of existence. Mountains correct this amnesia. By speaking of greater forces than we can possibly invoke, and by confronting us with greater spans of time than we can possibly envisage, mountains refute our excessive trust in the man-made. They pose profound questions about our durability and the importance of our schemes. They induce, I suppose, a modesty in us.” ~ Robert Macfarlane

Jenny Lake - Grand Teton National Park - 2010

5 days & counting...putting all the lists together and starting to pack :-) Hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day weekend; many thanks to everyone for your kind words, support, and encouragement on my Mother's Day post. Have a fantastic week, and as always, I appreciate all your visits and comments!!!!

© Darlene Bushue - All of my images are protected by copyright and may not be used on any site, blog, or forum without my permission.

Just wanted to pop in for a second to wish all my flickr friends and their families a very Happy Mother's Day. Hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow. We're busy, busy, so I will catch up with everyone soon :-)

And I wanted to post this in honor of my own mother who is no longer with us; this was taken last April, just two months before my mother passed. It's the last image I have of my parents & my three siblings all together. It's been a tough year for all of us, but thankfully we have each other and lots of wonderful memories to cherish. My aunt posted this poem to her facebook wall today, and I thought it was perfect for all those who have lost their mothers.

Your Mother
Although you cannot hear her voice
or see her smile no more,
your mother walks beside you still
just as she did before.
She listens to your stories and
she wipes away your tears;
she wraps her arms around you
and she understands your fears.

It's just she isn't visible
to see with human eye,
but talk to her in silence and
her spirit will reply.
You'll feel the love she has for you -
you'll hear her in your heart;
she's left her human body but
your souls will never part.
~ Irene Conner