Jackson Hole - Meeting Family and the Stauth’s

Day 23 –

When I finally allowed the suns rays to peak in through my heavily lidded eyes I realized that I was actually parked next door to my final destination. I didn’t even have to move my truck; I locked my ride and walked up the path and knocked on the door.

I love a good welcoming, and the Stauth’s certainly know how to provide that. Their cozy home was abuzz with activity and everyone had just finished breakfast, I gladly drank a cup of coffee and was introduced to many distant (if at all) relatives who I quickly came to like. We were a happy group and everyone seemed comfortable and content, a nice feeling amongst family.

I managed to not do to much this first day in Jackson, I remember for lunch I cooked up the last of my buffalo meat and made a hell of a burger. For dinner, after meeting Mike and Jennifer’s two sons for the first time, those of us “youngins” in the wedding party went down to a great little outdoor pizza (and hippie) place for dinner. The air was cool and pleasant, and we all tried several unique but delicious pizza’s while drinking beer from the local brewery. It was nice. I do remember one strange detail. A girl at the pizza place, apart from our group, was tall, slender, and very pretty. She had intensely blue eyes and long sandy blonde hair that she had grown down to her mid back and had allowed to tangle into thick dreads. She wore a dark tan sundress the color of her skin with no bra and a pair of big brown hiking boots with dark green wool socks sticking out the high tops of the boots. The sunlight lit the hair on her body making it seem as if her skin sparkled and shimmered slightly like sunlight rippling off lightly agitated water. It’s a very odd thing to remember, and I am not sure why I do, yet it remains a strong memory still. If I try I can still smell the pizza, hear the gush of the fountain drink machine behind me, and I can feel the clomp of her big boots as she walked across the wooden floor through a doorway, and out of my realm of knowledge into some other reality where I don’t exist. Maybe someday I will write something proficient about her, maybe even something meaningful or life changing. But I doubt it. I’ll likely settle for taking solace in already having written something life confirming.

That night I was given the camper out in front of the property as a place to sleep. As I laid there, the cool night air coming in through the open door, across me, and out the window beside my bed, I thought of another girl. In Seville, Spain, after coming back from Morocco, I remember seeing a gypsy girl carrying many loads of bundles and things. Ignoring the fact one wore boots and the other was dirty-flat footed, these two girls could have passed as twins. Strange that on two separates sides of the world I remembered in high detail two girls whom I saw for maybe a total combined 15 seconds.

I slept well in the cool night breeze.