I am falling in love with all the beautiful shades of grey, tan and brown in the natural materials around me. I’ve been picking up broken twigs and stems, and other things I find on the ground and creating little collections in my living area and I just absolutely love how they look. As someone who is more used to lush redwood forests, this has been a wonderful discovery. I’m not going to be able to bring any of these home since I’m flying, but I’ll enjoy them for the time that I’m here. I don’t know what it is about the quiet fragility of them that attracts me, maybe it’s the fact that they’re even able to stay intact in the cold and wind here. The sage plants are half dead and half alive and still have a wonderful smell when you get up close to them. It has been wonderful just to wander around and look at nature.
The ever-changing sky has fascinated me as well, especially when I’m walking the labyrinth or up the hill and I can see how quickly the horizon changes during the sunrise.
The other morning as I made my way around the labyrinth, I happened to glance up at the hill and saw a group of deer standing stock still staring at me. They were obviously trying to figure out if I was a threat or not, so I just stood and let them get comfortable, and eventually they bounded away up and over the hill. What a beautiful sight. I’ve also done a few evening labyrinth walks, there’s just enough light that I’m able to find my way around. Even on a really windy evening I’ve enjoyed the meditative turns.
I went to the local rec center for a swim in the pool as well as a dip in the hot tub and the wet and dry saunas. It’s a massive complex and very affordable – another way that the community is supported by the local government. I also went to the Pardners Café in the library for a muffin and coffee and a chance to do some reading. There was an old guy playing the guitar and singing cowboy songs, I guess he comes for a couple of hours every day to entertain the patrons. The café is staffed by adults with developmental disabilities who are learning how to run a café and being supported by paid staff and volunteers. It has a wonderful positive, happy vibe.
The woman who used to own and run the retreat center, Daphne Grimes, was an Episcopal priest, as well as an artist who worked in a variety of mediums. In every room of every building, there are paintings or sculptures and other examples of her handiwork. Even out on the grounds are large sculptures she created. I want to learn more about her life, she seems like such a fascinating person.
I went out for a walk near a local lake with Rebekah and Abigail. Abigail showed me a snake made out of painted stones that people are encouraged to add to along the pathway, she also pointed out the geese on the frozen lake. The trail we took was a braille trail – a smooth pathway that has paving stones where there are mounted placards in braille explaining the different sights, sounds and smells along the way. I’ve never seen something like this before, I am just so impressed with all of the amenities that are here for residents and visitors alike. This area tends to be one that mainly locals come to as it’s off the beaten path.
Yesterday I was invited to a brunch with a group of women most of whom are recent transplants to Cody, including two women who volunteered at the retreat center through work-away about a year after I did. They are all in love with the beauty and pace of life in Cody. One’s originally from Seattle, another St. Louis and others from different parts of Kansas and Colorado. It was a really enjoyable morning, and we even spent time putting together flower bouquets! After that, I went to the bluegrass music at Rawhide Coffee, then drove out to Meeteetse, stopping at the Meeteetse Cholcatier of course. I discovered this place the last time I was in Cody. The truffles are incredible, and such a surprising thing to find in a town of only 309 people! He’s the cowboy cholcatier apparently. The views of the snow covered hills were just gorgeous, I wanted to get out before the predicted snowcame in tomorrow. It’ll be interesting to see how things are transformed. I discovered a couple of cassette tapes in the car, including Huey Lewis and the News Sports! I was surprised that I remembered almost all of the words to every single song – I know I had this cassette in high school and listened to it a lot. It was so bizarre to find that specific album here in Wyoming, considering the cover was shot in the 2 AM Club, the local bar in Mill Valley. So I sang along loudly in the car as I sped down the almost deserted highway. Absolute heaven!
Each time I walk the labyrinth, I pick up a small stone and set it on the pedestal in the center as a marker of my journey. I’ve been taking pictures each day as I don’t know how long the stones will stay there, whether someone or something might move them. I was surprised after a very, very windy evening that they were still there. We will see what the collection looks like at the end of my time here. So many beautiful stones, but you can’t really notice their individual beauty until you stop and look at each one. Together they make their own collective art piece, but each individual one is also gorgeous in itself.
