Dandelion “Snow”

My son and I had an interesting experience when we were walking out of the hotel room to breakfast during our trip in Alaska.  White tufts were floating in the air, similar to what we see during the scant snowstorms in Texas.  It would seem that Alaska has another kind of “snow” that falls in the spring, which is the white seed tufts from dandelions and willow trees.  It was pretty, yet it was not snow.

It is interesting that everything is not always as it seems.  It seemed to be snow, yet clearly was not. My daughter had said she hoped to see snow during this summertime trip to Alaska.  Thus far this is as close as she has gotten.

Later on our hike in the woods we saw many dandelions and willow trees with seedheads a plenty, and my mind went back in time when I would blow dandelion seedheads and make a wish.  I was impressed how hard it was to blow all of the seeds off of the seedheads with one blow.  My family and I had fun trying.  I even took a picture of my husband and kids all blowing the seedheads together, creating their own tuft of “dandelion snow.”

These simple things can easily take us back in time to the innocence of childhood, and remind us to marvel over the glorious details in the Earth’s creation.  What a blessing to be a tiny part of it. 

Here, Kitty Kitty

During our final hike in Denali National Park, we did a trail which was known to have some muleshoe hares and lynxes.  We knew seeing wild cats is a very difficult thing, as they are very sly and agile.  There also are not very many of them, and Denali National Park has 6 million acres for them in which to roam.  It is unlikely to see one in the middle off the day, yet there are only 3 hours of darkness in Alaska in June so we had hope of seeing one out and about during the day.  We traversed the trail quietly and focused, intent on seeing a lynx.  As we went farther and farther with no sightings, I said under my breath, “Here, Kitty Kitty.”  It didn’t work.

We saw plenty of muleshoe hares during our bus trip in Denali, yet not while hiking on that trail.  And the only lynx we saw was taxidermied in the Visitor’s Center.  Yet the hunt was fun, and the silliness of saying “Here Kitty, Kitty” brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart.  

There is no shame in trying things that have rare odds.  And there is no shame in not meeting the goals for things that have rare odds.  One fun thing on vacation is to try things you usually cannot do, like pretending you are on the “hunt” for a wild carnivorous feline.  Getting a picture of an elusive lynx would have been amazing, yet just being together with my family in a beautiful natural park was pretty amazing on its own.  

Go try something new!  It may be more fun than you think, even if the odds of success are slim. 

Doing the Fandango

On our trip to Denali National Park in Alaska I told my husband I wanted to see a moose. I started thinking about a line in the Queen song, Bohemian Rhapsody; “Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango.” I thought to myself, if I “see a moose,” I will do a “fandango.” 

Apparently a Scaramouche was a clown character from 16th century Italian literature.  A fandango is a lively Spanish dance for two people, or a “foolish or useless act or thing.”  Somewhere in my head I believed that a fandango was a silly dance, and knew I could do one.

We waited all day, and traversed the long drive from Anchorage to Denali National Park.  We drove into the park, and did a short hike near the entrance.  I told my husband I wanted to see a moose, yet there was no moose to be found along the trail.  Then we were steps away from returning to our rental car when a mother moose and her calf crossed the road right in front of us!  We grabbed our cameras and had a bit of a celebration. 

I saw a moose, and I did a fandango!

There is something exciting and restorative about doing a “foolish or useless act or thing.”  My husband took pictures which I posted on social media, and several replied with silly emoticons confirming that I made them laugh or smile by my silliness.  Then a few others posted the next line from Bohemian Rhapsody, “thunderbolt and lightening, very very frightening,” suggesting they entered into my silliness with me.  

I hope anyone reading this remembers to every now and then do a “foolish or useless act or thing.”  True silliness, and the laughter than comes thereafter, is a blessed gift of God.