Even though the road we took was only a few minutes from our house, we quickly entered another land, one where magic seemed entirely possible. Christian soon fell asleep but Tes didn't take her eyes away from the scenery rolling past her window. Everywhere we looked were pine trees reaching towards the sky, aspens in full fall splendor, and the promise of wildlife at every turn. About a half hour into our drive a small herd of elk ran across the road in front of us. It was clear we had entered heaven.
When Nick stopped the car to run down and shoot a grouse he spotted, Christian woke up. The kids were excited to see the grouse and both agreed they wanted to eat it for dinner. We continued our journey until we climbed above the timber line and into a meadow with views in every direction.
Nick ran off with his camera and the kids and I went hunting for a good tree to sit under. We found one and snacked on goldfish and an apple until nick returned. At lunch time we built a small fire and roasted hotdogs for our mountain feast. The kids faces reflected the joy I was feeling. It was perfectly peaceful.
After we had cookies for desert we watched Nick cut down a nearby tree, which was already dead and destined for our fireplace. We yelled "Timber!" as the tree came crashing down, and the kids looked at their father with admiration.
As we were preparing to leave I walked towards Nick and he wrapped me in an embrace. He smelled of woodsmoke, sawdust, and home. Christian was on one side of is in a chair, talking to the falling leaves. Tessie was dancing in the sunshine, grouse feathers tucked into her braids. For miles around us the forest stretched in every direction. I was overwhelmed with all the beauty in my life, but especially in this one, perfect moment.
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