I went into the mountains on 4-wheelers with my Carolina friends and their white puff of a dog. I am accustomed to moving slowly under the power of my own feet. While I find ATV’s annoying when I am walking, I have to admit it’s fun to be on one. We covered a lot of ground, all of it shockingly beautiful. We’d hoped to see wildlife, but the engine roar must have scared it all away as we only saw the tracks of fleeing deer, elk, and bear. I did see a garter snake winding back into the grass out of our way, and hundreds of butterflies flew up as we approached; blue, yellow, and orange all around our heads then settling back down as we moved on. Best of all, I found the spot where we picnicked so many years ago on the single cattle drive I took part in. It lost no magic in the finding as some things do. Instead it confirmed and deepened my memories. It is always a gamble to return, but this time worked in my favor.
