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October 30, 2007
Non, je ne regrette rien.
This blog is 2 years old! Thank you to my faithful readers (And, oh, how I love each of you!) who make building this blog and participating in the online blogging community so worthwhile! Readers, there are many more of you than who regularly comment; please feel free to stop by and say hello at the end of this entry!
By now, I'm sure you all understand that this is a blog about adventure. And, by now, I'm sure you all also understand that I am a human being who thrives upon adventure. I love to run, to otherwise play outdoors, and to travel where my heart desires.
I cannot pinpoint where or when it originated, but I know I can thank my father and mother for instilling in my soul the value of adventure at a very young age. I can vividly recall views of the western United States passing by the backseat window of the family station wagon on road trips. I can picture myself standing on and fishing from the bow (Yes, Mom, when you weren't there, Dad would let me stand on the bow of the boat.) of "Half Hour," our family's small fishing boat, while my dad trolled the boat across some unknown northern Minnesota lake. I can conjure up memories of camping in our family's tiny and patriotically decorated red, white, and blue pop-up trailer, sometimes as close to home as our backyard.
I may not be as adventurous as some people out there. I don't ski from the summit of Mount Everest. I don't use ice axes to scale frozen waterfalls. I don't don a full suit of safety gear and ride a mountain bike downhill at 40 miles per hour. And, I'm alright with all of that. In my own way, according to my own methods, I adventure through life.
For the last several years, Yellowstone National Park has been my home, and one of my main sources for adventure. Thus, it's fitting, on this blog birthday, to also celebrate Yellowstone. Below you'll find some photos and some quotes that summarize what this blog (and what I) am all about. Finally, how could I forget: Non, je ne regrette rien.
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
T. S. Eliot
This yearling moose cautiously watched my friend and I hike by this backcountry creek near Elk Tongue Cabin on a warm spring day in 2006.
People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering.
St. Augustine
It's a fat one, isn't it? This marmot thoughtfully posed during the summer of 2005 next to its home, a small drainage pipe underneath the dirt road leading to the summit of Mount Washburn.
Not all those who wander are lost.
J.R.R. Tolkien
Another rodent photo (this time of a ground squirrel) taken in near Lake Yellowstone in 2005.
Adventure is not outside man; it is within.
David Grayson
I looked out my window one warm summer day in 2005 to see a bull snake sunning itself on the sidewalk. They are also known as gopher getters, for reasons I shouldn't have to explain.
Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing.
Helen Keller
The winter of 2006 yielded this photo of a bighorn sheep ram in the Gardiner River Canyon, just a few miles from my house.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body - but rather a skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘WOW, what a ride!'
Anonymous
Freshly born baby elk frolic in my yard during the earliest days of summer, 2005. Minutes after this shot, they were licking the fire hydrant. Ew.
One final paragraph of advice: Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast... a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards.
Edward Abbey
Posted by Meghan at October 30, 2007 8:26 AM
Comments
hi meghan!! happy blogaversary x2!! great quotes!
Posted by: Audrey at October 30, 2007 10:02 AM
Happy 2nd Blogging Anniversary! Great pictures!
Posted by: Caitlin at October 30, 2007 4:37 PM
Happy blogiversary!!! Great pics and great quotes. It's been awesome following your running and life adventures (highs and lows included) and I look forward to reading for many more years!
Posted by: Beth at October 30, 2007 4:41 PM
I actually can't believe it's _only_ been two years. Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your life these past two years, and for all the entertainment!
Posted by: Alison at October 30, 2007 7:23 PM
Thanks Audrey (I've been reading about you and your conversion back to running. Welcome back!), Caitlin (Congrats on your 30th birthday and handling everything that comes with being a mom!), Beth (Taper, big taper, come on taper. I canNOT wait for you to race. Can you?), and Alison (You probably recall that I technically started with Eliterunning.com in August 2004, then took a hiatus for a bit, then returned in October 2005. I know, I'm a blogging old fart. You probably know everything there is to know about me by now!)!
I'm so glad you ladies took the time to say hello!
Posted by: Meghan at October 30, 2007 8:02 PM
Beautifully written post, beautiful photos. I especially like the Edward Abbey quote!
Posted by: backofpack at October 30, 2007 8:09 PM
Okay, Edith Piaf, you're not an old fart even in the blogging sense of the word. What a wonderful set of photos, and how aptly they reflect your incredible life. You are a lucky, sweet, smart and talented gal with a 2 year old blog baby. Keep it growing, please. (Speaking of babies, those elk babies are too cute for words!) Happy blogbirthday! Your blog is about the same age as little Phil Crowther, speaking of even more bebbies!
Posted by: KBorginneedofsleep at October 30, 2007 9:11 PM
backseat window of the family station wagon on road trips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ahhhhhhhhhh I remember those days as well, when my dad first showed me that seat way in the back and how it popped up...that was the coolest thing ever--lol and how it faced the other way...ahhhh good road trips!!
Great post Meghan Happy 2 year of Blogging!! loved the photos umm except for the snake---so not a fan of them :-( scary slimy critters...and WTF is that marmot?!! ummm never heard of that fat thing -lol
Thanks for sharing, great post Adventure Lady :-)
Posted by: Bob Gentile at October 30, 2007 9:32 PM
PS: Edith Piaf - Non je ne regrette rien
I just heard her on youtube ...love it and I am adding it to my mp3 cause I can RUN to ANY song that has passion ...that's how I roll :-)
Thanks
Posted by: Bob Gentile at October 30, 2007 9:47 PM
Meghan, the intrepid: happy blogship.
So yesterday having dinner with the kids, mom is at work, and my eldest daughter (7) goes:
"Papa, Rome is beautiful but it is not for me. I am a mountain girl..."
My son (4) goes:
"Papa, listen. I like... the bicycle....I like rugby, rolling, everybody pushing, arrrghh...I like sports. Did you understand?"
Their thoughts for your celebration and well being with your loved ones.
Best wishes from the family, Corrado
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at October 31, 2007 4:48 AM
Thanks for writing, all!
Michelle- I also LOVE the Edward Abbey quote! Our minds must operate along the same tangents!
Kendra- Me and Edith, we go way back. Can't you tell? I hope by now you're well rested!
Bob- WTF is a marmot? It's a yellow-bellied marmot, a variety common to the northern Rocky Mountains. They prefer high elevation, almost above treeline locations. I'm sure they were up on the top of Fred's Mountain, but we were all moving too fast to see them!
Corrado- Uh oh, I can see where this is going, especially with your daughter. I was just wondering about you and your family the other day, since I hadn't heard from you in a while. I'm happy to hear that everything sounds well!
Happy Halloween (bwah-hah-hah!)!
Posted by: Meghan at October 31, 2007 8:47 AM
I know what you mean by so many reading and never commenting. At the Boulder 100 so many strangers greeted and cheered me on. They knew me but I didn't know them. It's very cool to inspire so many people, yes?
You are a very good writer - a dieing art. Few read, fewer write, and of those who do, most still can't spel a wurd!
When I was 8, in Texas, my parents loaded all five of us into the station wagon and went on a vacation. When I saw snow in the Rocky Mountains in the middle of summer, I KNEW I was going to live there some day. I've changed in a lot of ways, but when it comes to snow, mountains, and the outdoors, I'm still that 8 year old kid.
Thanks for sharing your playground with us.
Posted by: JeffO at October 31, 2007 2:21 PM
What an awesome set of photos and quotes, totally for 2 years anniversary! Congratulations, glad I came across:)
Posted by: olga at October 31, 2007 4:25 PM
That Abbey quote flashed me back to the Monkey Wrench Gang. He had it right didn't he?
Happy Blogday!
Eric
Posted by: Eric at October 31, 2007 9:21 PM
Congrats on two years blogging. I do enjoy reading your blog. Glad to see your team did well, and as a fellow coach I understand the bittersweet feeling of 3rd place.
Posted by: joan at November 1, 2007 5:29 AM
Hi y'all!
JeffO- Wait, you're from Texas? I guess I didn't know that. I worked at Big Bend NP for a while. Where in Texas?
Olga- Thanks for visiting! Yes, I think you and I are both on "get up and go" running pushes right now!
Eric- Monkey wrench this! I love that book.
Joan- Thanks for commenting! How is your team doing? Oh wait, I should stop by your blog and I can probably find out myself!
Happy day after Halloween, all! I won a rubber chicken in a Halloween costume contest last night. I don't know if I should be proud, or what!
Meghan
Posted by: Meghan at November 1, 2007 8:11 AM
Great post, great photos. With all my moving about lately, I've been thinking a lot about where I'm going to "end up," geographically, although I know that I'm anywhere close to the ending up point, at my age. I think though, that like you and some of the other posters, I'm destined to "end up" somewhere with a lot of nature, even though my whole life has been spent in cities and/or near beaches. Well, we'll see. In the meantime, I'll trade you some of your photos for some of mine:
American Sable
http://picasaweb.google.com/Alisha.Schor/YosemiteWithTheFolks/photo#5108802219162548402
Big-horned Sheep
http://picasaweb.google.com/Alisha.Schor/KendallAndAlishaSCrossCountryExpedition/photo#5098779314890378626
California Condor!!! There were once only 22 in the world!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Alisha.Schor/KendallAndAlishaSCrossCountryExpedition/photo#5098785448103677378
Oh, and last tidbit... haha, when I was in junior high we caught a gopher snake in my backyard and kept it as a pet for almost two years. It lived, but never was a big fan of the domestication bit, so we let it go in a canyon near my house.
Posted by: Alisha at November 5, 2007 2:47 PM
happy birthday ;)
it's been wonderful reading through all of your experiences in our nations great parks. you bring us into a world that is wild and wonderful and paint pictures almost as beautiful as nature itself. thank you!
on a side note, smsmh is talking seriously about another visit to ysnp in the very near future w/ tc. last time we visited was late sept and the park was nearly vacant, the elk were in rut and the park was beautiful. can you think of a better time for us to visit w/ the baby? and, better question, care to be a tour guide?
Posted by: jeff at November 8, 2007 10:01 AM