Awe

 The Atlantic has this article:

I like the idea. I like the idea that a moment of awe can still enrapture us and take us away from the present - at least for a time.

For me, I find it in the crashing waves in areas devoid of people. They are wild, unstoppable, and - if there is a big Creator God - proof that he got a few things right.

And

Waterfalls, same reason.

Images from Yellowstone 2

To remind you, I had never been to Yellowstone before last week. I did think it was gorgeous. One of the things that did not disappoint me was the waterfall that is the image of Yellowstone we all see online - maybe second to Old Faithful. It was cool.

This was a cascade on a side road.

One of the one-way side roads that led to a view. Those are wooden support logs for the road. Obviously placed a long time ago.

The famous view of the southern falls. Stunning.

The view of the upper falls, which I hadn't known of before I went.

Images from Yellowstone 1

 I had never been to Yellowstone National Park before this past week. It was stunning (it's no Yosemite, but a close 2nd). These are a set of pictures.

Eddie at one of the (smaller) hot pools. The water is sooo clear.

Your random Bison right off a parking lot.

This is the outflow from the heated "Prismatic Lake."

The Prismatic Lake

Old Faithful

This was part of a Bison herd.

An Elk. I never saw one before.

Wow!

Link Below

We all know (or may know) that I am intellectually enamored with Yuval Noah Harari. He is a historian/author/futurist who must be the smartest thinker I know. My brain is in love with his.

Here is a short (13-minute) YouTube video about how we produce and consume information, and how AI changes that process. One of the big takeaways here is that we shouldn't worry about how there will be one big AI that will take over the world. His belief, and current information, is that the problem is millions of AI producing information and making decisions without human input.

Listen to this video. It isn't projecting or arguing any political position here. Just an explanation of how AI is changing our world.

GREAT!

https://youtu.be/K1OvbwY6GPM

Montana State University Bobcats Football Game

 In Bozeman , Eddie and I went to a football game.

This was cool.  They played the Lion King theme for the Simba-cam.  In the Simba-cam everyone holds their kid up, like in The Lion King.

Eddie and I at the game.

This is Eddie’s cousin.  He is the Offensive Coordinator for the Bobcats.

Before my next post - the best dogs of the week (as chosen by Rate Your Dog)

 

Visiting Mom and Nic - Montana

 (Again - I am avoiding politics. Well, and news in general here. Plenty of places for anger.)

Eddie and I visited my mom and Nic this past few days. We did a lot of things before that, but let's start with them. They live up in Montana. There is a house in the pictures. My mom and Nic built it. 

Not as in, "they had it built", but as in they did it themselves. They worked on it for at least 3 years. They hired a plumber and an electrician, but they did everything else. And, if you knew my mom, you would be amazed at this. statement :-).

Ed in the woods nearby on a hike

Me, on the hike

The brook (Bear Creek) along the hike.

Me and my mom and the house they built.

Nic - my mom's husband, and the shed he built.

Eddie and mom

This is their new pup, Koda, 8 months old, and she loved us.

They live in the hills and had to clear the land where the house is built. They live in the Bitterroot Valley. The Bitterroot River is where they filmed "A River Runs Through It." Which give me a chance to post an image of Brad Pitt during his dreamy phase.

A point about Fly Fishing. We drove by lots of rivers in Montana and Wyoming. In nearly all of them, there were fly fishermen, standing in the water in waders. I guess the trout are traveling back to their mating grounds, and this is the time to fish the rivers.

The Bitterroot River is home to both native and introduced trout species, including Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Bull Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, and Brook Trout. The river is a popular fishing destination known for its variety of aquatic insects and the diverse trout population, with Westslope Cutthroat being a native species that dominates the upper sections.