By Simon Ambit
During this year’s muzzleloader deer hunt, my dad and I had the opportunity to hunt side by side for about a week. It was a wonderful time as we hiked, drove and rode through both new and familiar terrains. We explored the uppermost peaks and their surrounding ridged fingers. We descended to lower ground and crept among the cedar shadows of the mid-mountain flats and we drudged along the stream beds and lush grasses of the river bottoms.
In an effort to find mature bucks, we ventured along the long narrow backbone of one particular beast-like ridge, which took us way out to the southwest of the area we had been hunting. Neither of us had ever been to this area before and it was exciting to be ingesting all of the new views. It took us out to a labyrinth of deep winding canyons with breathe-taking views and arrays of fall colors.
Some of the canyons that grew rampant with mahogany and oak brush looked as if Mother Nature herself had weaved together a beautiful patchwork quilt and spread it out over the easel of the box canyon framework. The area called to some part deep inside of me and I anxiously hiked among the artwork and magnificent terrain! As I took it all in, I thought of the words to a past Dolly Parton song that I recall my own mother singing to me as a young child:
“Back through the years, I go wonderin’ once again
Back to the seasons of my youth
I recall a box of rags that someone gave us and how my momma put the rags to use.
There were rags of many colors, every piece was small.
And I didn’t have a coat and it was way down in the fall
Momma sewed the rags together, sewin’ every piece with love.
She made my coat of many colors, that I was so proud of…
…My coat of many colors, that my momma made for me.
Made only from rags, but I wore it so proudly.
Although we had no money, I was rich as I could be.
In my coat of many colors, my momma made for me.”
I thought of the deep love that parents have for their children. I thought about how Mother Nature had used the colder, less sunlit days to change the colors of the vegetation. Though made of the same species and exposed to the same elements, the various individual clusters of plants had reacted in varying ways and exposed the beautiful patchwork quilted colors found among the draws of the large canyons.
Let is so be with us; let us take what nature’s course brings our way and use what lies deep inside of us to make the greater whole a work of art. Paint your own picture and make the world around you bright and unique. Life is bright, share the light!