On the way in – wind and crack of lightning, hail bouncing of stone, water running down rocks everywhere.

On the way out – still of heat, electric snap of grasshopper flight, humm of bees, chatter of birds and chipmunks back at it after the storm.

On the way in – marmot skeedaddling across the road right in front of my van approaching Wrights Lake (good omen – s/he stopped looking back, I stopped looking over, us gazing there for a few heartbeats).

On the way out – near off Rockbound Pass I catch a russet rump waddling into the willows. I pass, turn, wait and just uphill a cute curious nose pokes out over the granite.? S/he plops down in the half shade with a sunny sigh, extends a lazy leg over the ledge, rests a chin, tracks me with a quiet eye.

Ahh just two days in and the noticing [ and thus the poetry ] comes……………………………………………………. full set pics here