Morning thoughts Casper, Wyoming 2013-10-11

Often on the move is an internal exploration involving times of reflection following travel.

Right now I am in Casper, Wyoming and awake at two in the morning.

It is quiet following the aftermath of an early snow storm of 12 inches or more in less than a day that brought down branches and split whole trees. People say they have never seen this extensive tree damage before in an early snow. Even after a few days many still have no power and crews are out all day cleaning up the branches. Neighbors help neighbors without question or expectation of reward.

I have been listening to a Thistle and Shamrock program entitled Easy Does It http://www.npr.org/2013/06/05/188918949/thistle-and-shamrock-easy-does-it which brought back memories of my recent time in Scotland. I still have many notes and images from my trip which will find their way to this forum. Also extended thoughts from insights and questions along the way that are leading me into further research and musings.

The landscapes in my Wyoming are surprisingly similar to those in Scotland. One of the foothills south of Casper has the shape and hues of Arthur’s seat in Edinburgh. One can easily imagine a castle nestled on the higher ground. And, as I have stated in earlier posts, the Badenoch hills, mountains, rivers, animals, birds, clouds and seasons are very similar. Sage covers the Wyoming hills instead of heather, but the place suits the independent Scottish temperament. Many who pioneered and many who now live here are of Scotch-Irish descent.

I lived here for several years as a child and have inherited a home which I visit several times during the year. This is big sky country. You can see the weather coming from miles away. The landscapes are open and free. The vastness is also part of an internal landscape which I can access, especially at times when life seems cluttered.

I realize this morning that the spirits of the land here jangle my Celtic DNA. I think this is why I keep returning. I find a resonance with Scottish terrain that is a source of strength. Although there are no sea highways like those reaching out from Scotland and Ireland, the winds of the High Plains evoke them. Casper was the historic crossing place on the North Platte River where the largest migration of people not due to war moved westward, many in Conestoga wagons like ships moving across the prairies.