OK ... Let's talk about how weird we human beings can be with our emotions!!! Ever hear the term "road rage"? I'm sure you have. Basically, it's that emotional state we work ourselves into when we feel that someone has done something on the highway that we really, really don't like. It could be a lot of different things - improper lane changes, going too fast, not yielding like we think they should .... all kinds of stuff. But, most often it is because they simply .... won't get out of our way!!! They are going too slow in the "fast" lane; they don't get out of the way quickly enough when we are trying to pass, they don't turn quickly enough, they make us miss the "green" light .... all kinds of 'delaying' stuff.
Well, I was thinking about that today. I was going down the highway and reached a point where they were getting ready to do some construction. All of a sudden there were all these cars getting in front of me, slowing me down!!!! I felt my blood pressure start to climb and my temper begin to simmer. How dare those people get in my way!!!!! And all of a sudden I thought back to a day in Yellowstone National Park. We were traveling 
north of Yellowstone Lake on Grand Loop Road, as I recall, heading through the Hayden Valley. We were just cruising along checking out the scenery when we noticed that cars ahead of us were beginning to slow and, then, stop!! We peered around the vehicles ahead of us and pretty soon we saw the cause for the slow-down. It was a monumental traffic jam - caused by Bison!!! These huge, shaggy creatures had made the group decision to get on the other side of the road and so ... they went!!! No crossing guard, no warning, no signal ... they just went!!! And you know what we did??? We stopped, we whipped out the cameras and ... we smiled like our faces were going to split!!! It was a joyous occasion and one we felt privileged to be a part of. A few days later we had another traffic jam caused by animals ... and people!!! We were heading west on I-70 after having driven 
through Rocky Mountain National park and we had decided to stop In Georgetown, Colorado to get some gas and a bite to eat. Right after leaving the highway we were brought to a screeching halt by the most unusual sight you have ever seen. A bunch of guys and gals running a 5K foot race - with a twist. Each participant was required to run with a donkey!!!! They streamed across the road with little regard for our travel plans, hell bent on getting a new PR in their race and urging their "eqqus asinus" pals on to greater speed!!! And you know what we did??? Smiled like there was no tomorrow, whipped out the cameras and clicked away!! It was great!! And then, a few days later, we were traveling through spectacularly beautiful Zion National Park, headed east on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway after a wonderful visit to the park. I was a bit mopey because I had felt sure that this was going to
be my chance to get a good look at some Mountain Goats and we hadn't seen a one all day. We were not far from the east entrance when we rounded a bend and came to a sudden halt. There, crossing the road in front of us was a whole family of Mountain Goats.... sauntering along like they were the new owners of the highway!!! And you know what we did? Smiled, laughed, did high-fives and clicked away on the cameras once again. Outstanding!!!!! We couldn't believe how lucky we were. It wasn't a long delay, probably no more than ten minutes at a dead stop, and we enjoyed every second of it. Our trips in recent years have been like that. Rushing along on the road - or even on 
a ship - when, out of nowhere, a big gang of local residents shows up and lets us know that this is their road too. And that we had better just chill out and get used to it!! And when the crowd is a bunch of porpoises they can jeer at you with such a joyous chatter that you simply can't help but bust out laughing. Or, maybe, you're traveling down the remotest stretch of highway on the North American continent - the Alaska Highway - when a whole family of elk materializes out of the mist and claims the 
highway for their personal right-of-way and lets you know in no uncertain terms that ... "you're just gonna have to wait." And the joy, and the wonder, and the laughter and the deep thankfulness return. And we give thanks for being in the right place at the right time. And, of course, the clicking of the cameras fires up too!!!! Oh what memories experiences like that give us. But - it isn't just on trips to far-off places where we have those episodes! 
Right here in beautiful suburban Ridgeway we can be cruising down the road headed for town when a whole flock of Wild Turkeys claims the road as their own and takes their own sweet time heading from one side to the other. And whether you are with a bunch of other folks or all alone in the car when it happens the response is pretty much guaranteed to be the same .... smiles, deep-down thrills, laughter, and ... thanks for having been in the right place at the right time - again.
north of Yellowstone Lake on Grand Loop Road, as I recall, heading through the Hayden Valley. We were just cruising along checking out the scenery when we noticed that cars ahead of us were beginning to slow and, then, stop!! We peered around the vehicles ahead of us and pretty soon we saw the cause for the slow-down. It was a monumental traffic jam - caused by Bison!!! These huge, shaggy creatures had made the group decision to get on the other side of the road and so ... they went!!! No crossing guard, no warning, no signal ... they just went!!! And you know what we did??? We stopped, we whipped out the cameras and ... we smiled like our faces were going to split!!! It was a joyous occasion and one we felt privileged to be a part of. A few days later we had another traffic jam caused by animals ... and people!!! We were heading west on I-70 after having driven 
through Rocky Mountain National park and we had decided to stop In Georgetown, Colorado to get some gas and a bite to eat. Right after leaving the highway we were brought to a screeching halt by the most unusual sight you have ever seen. A bunch of guys and gals running a 5K foot race - with a twist. Each participant was required to run with a donkey!!!! They streamed across the road with little regard for our travel plans, hell bent on getting a new PR in their race and urging their "eqqus asinus" pals on to greater speed!!! And you know what we did??? Smiled like there was no tomorrow, whipped out the cameras and clicked away!! It was great!! And then, a few days later, we were traveling through spectacularly beautiful Zion National Park, headed east on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway after a wonderful visit to the park. I was a bit mopey because I had felt sure that this was going to
be my chance to get a good look at some Mountain Goats and we hadn't seen a one all day. We were not far from the east entrance when we rounded a bend and came to a sudden halt. There, crossing the road in front of us was a whole family of Mountain Goats.... sauntering along like they were the new owners of the highway!!! And you know what we did? Smiled, laughed, did high-fives and clicked away on the cameras once again. Outstanding!!!!! We couldn't believe how lucky we were. It wasn't a long delay, probably no more than ten minutes at a dead stop, and we enjoyed every second of it. Our trips in recent years have been like that. Rushing along on the road - or even on 
a ship - when, out of nowhere, a big gang of local residents shows up and lets us know that this is their road too. And that we had better just chill out and get used to it!! And when the crowd is a bunch of porpoises they can jeer at you with such a joyous chatter that you simply can't help but bust out laughing. Or, maybe, you're traveling down the remotest stretch of highway on the North American continent - the Alaska Highway - when a whole family of elk materializes out of the mist and claims the 
highway for their personal right-of-way and lets you know in no uncertain terms that ... "you're just gonna have to wait." And the joy, and the wonder, and the laughter and the deep thankfulness return. And we give thanks for being in the right place at the right time. And, of course, the clicking of the cameras fires up too!!!! Oh what memories experiences like that give us. But - it isn't just on trips to far-off places where we have those episodes! 
Right here in beautiful suburban Ridgeway we can be cruising down the road headed for town when a whole flock of Wild Turkeys claims the road as their own and takes their own sweet time heading from one side to the other. And whether you are with a bunch of other folks or all alone in the car when it happens the response is pretty much guaranteed to be the same .... smiles, deep-down thrills, laughter, and ... thanks for having been in the right place at the right time - again.
