A rerun.
Readers know I’ve been struggling with the decision to sell my camping trailer. Or not. Due to chronic issues with a bad back resulting in three major surgeries, I haven’t used my trailer for several years and it makes absolutely no sense to keep it if I’m not using it. But parting with it would be difficult because I still want to use it – especially for camping/birding trips to Montana, my native state. I really miss those trips.
So yesterday, in an effort to remind myself of what I’d be missing if I sold it, I found myself reviewing older blog posts about previous Montana camping trips when this one popped up. It struck a chord with me so I decided to share. Originally I posted it “on the road” from the wilds of Montana in July of 2015. For this version I’ve made very few changes, other than reprocessing the photo and making some minor tweaks to the text.
Due to bad light and shy birds I didn’t get any photos yesterday to be proud of but a very low probability encounter with two dear old friends in the back country of Montana more than made up for it. The encounter took place in the Centennial Valley and the old friends are Terry Tempest Williams and her husband Brooke Williams. Terry is a highly acclaimed author, conservationist and activist and both Terry and Brooke have been active and prominent in the environmental movement for decades. I’m sure many of my readers are familiar with some of Terry’s exceptional books and some may be familiar with Brooke’s work with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) or maybe you’ve read some of his several books.
Many years ago I worked with Terry at the Utah Museum of Natural History and through Terry I got to know Brooke. But I’ve only seen them once in the past 30+ years so it was pure delight to spend time with them catching up. We reminisced about old times at the museum and swapped stories about friends and acquaintances in the environmental movement. Both Terry and Brooke are the epitome of genuine, caring, passionate people and their devotion to environmental issues runs deep. If you’ve read any of Terry’s books it’s “what you see (read) is what you get” – in person and in her writing Terry wears her huge heart on her sleeve and a warm, caring heart it is. And the lady can write!
In an effort to avoid setting the precedent of publishing a post without including a photo I’ll relate a story about Terry. And me. And a bird.
Sometime in the mid-80’s I made an early spring trip to the Jackson Hole/Grand Teton National Park area with Terry, Brooke and several others, including friend and blog follower DeeDee Obrien. We were scouting out museum field trips for the following summer and at one point near the Snake River we came across a large black bird that Terry identified as a Common Raven. I disputed her ID with confidence, saying it was an American Crow. Terry was gracious about it (Terry’s always gracious) but she stuck to her guns and so did I.
I shouldn’t have. Terry was right, it was a raven. Terry knew her birds.
I’ve been privately embarrassed by that incident for years. I can only blame my bluster and stubbornness on relative youth and perhaps a bit of the macho of the time. I hope Terry forgot about it long ago.
No, I didn’t remind her of it yesterday but I sure thought about it. I guess I’m still embarrassed.
Ron
Lyle beat me to the “eating crow” comment (I doff my chapeau). And I’ll agree with the others that to be corrected by Terry would be a badge of honor — the same way I feel when corrected by you. 💜
The same type of trailer you have also resides in our neighborhood and I drive by it often. A couple days ago, the thought crossed my mind that it might a fun bonding experience to take your grandson (and maybe Shannon and/or her hubby) out in the trailer to fill them all in on your life in Montana complete with live-and-in-person visuals.
I know that I sure wish I had spent more time getting all the stories down pat from my folks and my grandparents. Although, I did get a little of the family folklore when my dad and I drove from CA to IL to take me to grad school. That was a heckuva trip, especially with the wild weather we drove through in TX and OK.
Marty, I kick myself, regularly, for not asking more questions of my parents and grandparents. Even some of my uncles. I guess I didn’t care enough about my family history until it was too late. It’s one of my major regrets in life.
I don’t have the stories, but many years ago a distant cousin did traced my dad’s paternal family back several hundred years. I would love to try to go back up my dad’s maternal line — I’ve heard that’s where all the real characters were!
I dunno. My maternal side was pretty tame compared to my paternal side that includes at least one (possibly two) killings and two “Royal” beheadings among other things. My maternal side spent most of their time in church. Still do.
I’m blessed with a murder (or several actually) in my neighborhood.
I am SOOO tempted to leave that sentence only. Talk about lighting up the censor bots. Snicker.
My husband and I are in the beginnings of researching trailers. Right now I think we will be getting a Class B (I think that’s in the Minnie Winnie size). We need to accommodate allll the children (whom are all four-footed.) So a pull-behind MIGHT be an option. 😀 So much fun.
Oh, Gronk vs. Caw or nose feathers vs no nose feathers are my two id’s for distinguishing between the two corvids. We also have ravens here but they tend to prefer woods and being solitary. 😀
Arwen, I needed a trailer so I could drop it off at my campsite and tour the countryside in my vehicle. A vehicle and camping facility that are the same unit simply wouldn’t work for me. I like to go into more inaccessible places where the single unit couldn’t go and besides, such a big rig makes it much harder to approach birds.
Gronk vs. Caw – I like that. A lot.
We’ll it’s not sitting in the driveway, but I’ve got a guitar sitting in a corner that I probably won’t play again (neurological stuff), but it’s there just in case (literally and figuratively),
Regarding the mistaken ID: we’ve all eaten crow (yep, couldn’t resist), perhaps myself more than others. The redemption is in admitting one’s mistake and learning from it. Certainly I’ve learned a ton from FP and your instructive descriptions of bird physiology, anatomy, and behavior (perhaps in part from the bird-skunking incident). And, to be corrected by Terry Tempest Williams; I’d take that any day.
Now, if I could only tell the difference between a house finch and purple finch.
“And, to be corrected by Terry Tempest Williams; I’d take that any day.”
Lyle, I’ll admit – that takes some of the sting out of it. But it another way, it adds to the sting.
I’ve finally learned how to tell a house finch from a purple! If the male is there and looks like it has been rolling in raspberry jelly, it’s a purple. 😀
Ron it is my humble opinion that if your trailer brings back special memories and brings you happiness you should keep it, even if you don’t use it in the manner you used to. Parting with it is symbolic of losing part of your independence and therefore, very difficult. Perhaps you could find another use for it while it’s parked on your drive. Get creative!
Your decision is one of emotion vs logic, I see, and if you don’t need the cash from the sale, I say keep it and be happy. The hell with logic.
Karen, I just have too much money tied up in it to keep it and not use it. Remember, I’m living largely on a teacher’s retirement… 🙂
Thank you for sharing the story. Sounds like some good times.
Hope you keep it.
Thanks, Michael.
We’ve emailed before about your Rockwood trailer. With a power jack in front and a 3/8’s reversing drill to put the stabilizer jacks down, you should be able to handle it.. After backing under the ball and locking the coupler, raise the front up high and you should be able to put the spring bars in place by hand and not use you back to lift.
At 76 years young (although no back surgeries) I still use mine for photography trips every year. I hope to bring it out to Antelope Island and the Grand Tetons (from Rhode Island) later this Fall. Slow and steady gets you there. .
Gary, the processes you describe haven’t been the primary problems. But as I’ve slowly improved after the surgery I’m hoping I’ll feel safe and secure enough to get out there some more.
I hadn’t seen this particular post, so I’m glad you reprinted it…..I think it was
somewhere in her book, “Refuge”, that Terry recounted the fact that she
began birding as a CHILD with her grandmother– I’ll bet she knew crow
from raven by the time she was 10, so you did have some catching up to do
with that wonderful woman……what trip- memory to treasure-thanks in part
to your old camper !
” I’ll bet she knew crow from raven by the time she was 10″
I’ll bet she did too, Kris. I was SO out of my league…
A great reminder of some rewards of “wandering” other than birds! Wonderful chance encounter. 🙂
Easy to skunk me on the difference between crows and ravens. Only clue here is ravens are generally in the western part of the state while we mainly have crows… 😉
Hopefully giving the back a bit of time you’ve be able to get back out there!
Judy, part of the reason I thought it was a crow was because we only saw crows in the GNP area back then so crows were all I was used to seeing. Don’t ask my why I let that figure into the equation…
Nice photo and since we have hundreds of Ravens here I instantly knew it was one. We even have them bring their prey to our backyard bird baths to soften them before consuming.
Very interesting post this morning Ron. Sorry you had to part with the trailer, but with your back situation it was probably a wise move. One of those partings that bring back so many memories. Even in your posts over the years I have been a follower I recall many trailer stories.
The name Brooke Williams does sound very familiar. Will have to check his books and publications to see if I have read anything.
Thanks for the nostalgic post.
Thanks, Everett. I haven’t sold it yet. And I hope it doesn’t become necessary.