Upperclove, NV. June--Russia Journals 2013

What is the nature of a place? Ralph Lewis, a favorite professor, once made the statement; wherever I have traveled in this world the Pacific Northwest is imprinted on me somehow. He would continue to say our souls are always drawn to environments that remind us of our childhoods and as we grow older the magnetism only grows stronger. He would often tell stories of his childhood in Packwood, Washington with an equal mix of disdain and fond recollection. Maybe Ralph was a little out there, well in hindsight I’m certain he was, but that just comes with growing up in remote logging camps on the edge of the wild. Ralph wore his professor and “house in the city” persona like a bad suit that could never completely hide the values of the child raised at the foot of Mt. Rainer amongst rough men and women who long ago transcended into American mythology.

My Visa and Passport hit a snag. I have been in the Great Basin for over thirty days and I have spent a few of those days horseback. So I have had a lot of time to think about place. I feel good when wet morning sage fills my nose. I take great solitude in watching my nieces and nephews chase, catch and marvel over Horned Toads and Grasshoppers. The Great Basin in a raw place, a vast place, that holds its mysteries close and gives away little. Time trudges forward differently on the cold dessert and allows generation after generation to share common experiences that surpass many of the moments of modern trappings. Like Ralph, my mind can’t help but filter the world and my experience through the lens of my childhood. Those of the cowboys that mentored me, my parents, who pushed me and my grandparents who always had a well-timed story to put problems into perspective. So many early life lessons were tied to the thread of place and my orientation amongst the rim rocks and alkali flats. Ralph was right, its unshakable bond and like many of the best things in life, it is an impression that only gets richer with age.

Looks as if getting back to Kaliningrad is only a week or so away, I’m rested up enough now and I’m getting anxious to get back to work and starting the process of getting the cows and calves shaped up so that this winter will be a little better than last. I’m also excited because I will be traveling back to Russia with my two newest crew-members Bolt and Lighting--two McNab pups. Bolt, I’m sure will embrace the adventure and Lighting will simply comply because, well, he doesn’t have a choice (He feels strongly that his place is also in the Great Basin).