My meditation this morning dwelled on living in the present. Here is a little haiku thought for today.

Past gone forever.
Truth resides in the present.
Future is not known.

Soft southern breezes.
Mountains shedding winter dress.
Bonfires now smothered.

This week’s installment of Russell and Hannas’ adventures. Read the whole book by going to http://www.amazon.com/author/edwardlehner

I came to the end of Flathead Lake and kept on a southbound course, hit I-90 for a few miles, then turned off into Missoula. I pulled over in a shopping center parking lot to check for campgrounds, finding one south of town about halfway to Hamilton. I called and reserved a spot for the night. Still early afternoon, I drove around the town through older neighborhoods, eventually by chance, running into the University of Montana campus. I parked and strolled the campus, now deserted for the summer but for a few summer school students, a few grad students, and dedicated professors.

I felt a bit envious of the students and their freshness, remembering my undergraduate days. I was always working so hard, I didn’t take the time to really absorb what I was learning at the time. I could hardly remember most of the courses I took. What a waste.

I wandered into campus town and came across a bookstore. Along with the usual textbooks, they also had a good literature section. I came across a Hemingway novel, ‘The Sun Also Rises’. I remember having read Hemingway in sophomore literature, but couldn’t remember the title. I also found a book on the Native American Flute. Then I found one in the New Age section titled, “When You Wake Up, You can’t Go Back”. I remembered Hanna had used these very words with me, and a sharp pang ran through my heart. I bought all three and left.

California
magic gone everywhere.
Another season.

Aspen blossoms bloom.
Irrigation ditches burned.
Red tails circle slow.