Tetonia (Idaho, USA) | Grand Teton Peak - 19/12/2022

This picture of Grand Teton Peak was taken by my mom after the 1st snow of the year this fall. I added it here to show my parents' magnificent view from their backyard.

After nearly 10-days, the clouds finally lifted this morning, and although the sun was at the wrong angle, I took the opportunity to take this picture showing Grand Teton Peak and the snow in the valley.

I love it when the temperature drops and frost forms on the barren tree limbs. It makes the tree appear as though it has winter leaves. This usually only lasts a few days, as once the temperature warms up, the frost disappears. Nevertheless, it is one of my favorite things about the cold weather.

West of the house, these covered wagons caught my attention this morning on my walk. I haven't walked much since returning to the United States, so it feels good to wander even though it is cold this morning. It is so cold that it doesn't;t take long before my bare hands are too cold to hold my phone.

The panoramic setting on my phone doesn't allow me to change the exposure. Nevertheless, it does a great job of capturing the view looking east toward Grand Teton Peak.

This weekend, I made a Vegetarian Lentil Stew. While I was on the Camino, a couple of Albergues prepared this dish for us Peregrinos to have for dinner. I loved it! I remember thinking this is delicious at the time, and I need to eat more lentils when I return home. I like it best when it has a slightly peppery taste. Again, the recipe is spot on. The only change I made was to add green kale instead of spinach. I find that kale holds up better when heated and has a better flavor.

I continued to spend time reviewing meditation retreat options. Unfortunately, it appears that most of the programs for 2023 have yet to be released. Other schedules are mostly late spring to early summer. So, I pivoted again on my research and remembered a few things that helped me this weekend. First, I originally wanted to explore Mexico and Central America before leaving for Europe. Second, I tabled a trip I had started planning to southern Baja (i.e., Cabo San Lucas) when Covid shut travel down late in 2020. Thirdly, I told myself that I wanted to learn to Kite Surf once the Camino was over. 

So, La Paz, Baja, Mexico, is not only a fantastic place to learn to Kite Surf, it is also a great place to learn to Wind Surf and Foilboard. This intrigues me. The area also has excellent hiking trails and fantastic coral reefs. Jacque Cousteau called this area the World's Aquarium because of all the diversity of marine wildlife. The Baja coast is a great place to whale watch too! There are 6 species of whales that winter and give birth to their calves along the baja coast. The experience is rather inexpensive, 2.5 hrs abord a zodiac for about $70 USD. This sounds like a fun way to spend a day! I also uncovered an opportunity to volunteer for a few days with a sea turtle recovery effort. 

This is how my research often goes. Spent time chasing ideas. Then, one catches my attention and pull on the thread. The more I tug, the more excited I get and things seem to fall in place. I never plan out all details, just enough to get me started. It's been about 18 years since I last visited Mexico. Cozumel was the last place I visited. Prior to that trip, I used to spend 4-6 weeks each summer in Cancun, Mazatlan, Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta, and even Zihjuatanejo and would love to explore more of the country. This Baja idea is starting to stick!