Monarch Mariposas

Normally when you see one or two butterflies it is a cool experience. They are such beautiful creatures and a symbol of transformation for many. Imagine being surrounded by thousands of them! This past weekend I was fortunate to go to a butterfly sanctuary where millions of the monarch butterflies migrate every year. We road horses up into the forest and there they were all nestled in the trees. There were so many that you could hear the sound of their collective wings flapping. Once the sun broke through the trees they started to fly around. It was one of the most naturally beautiful things I have ever seen. Breathtaking....

On the way out of the sanctuary we noticed there were police ushering traffic slowly down the
road. We assumed there was an accident. It turns out that there were so many butterflies flying around that cars had to drive super slow to not kill them. I stuck my head up the cars sunroof and soaked up the surreal experience. Thousands of butterflies flew around me and all I could do was smile and laugh at this unbelievable spectacle.




You really have to see this yourself to fully comprehend how incredible it is, however this video does a good job of giving an idea of the experience

MAXWELL EMERSON CRAVER

With joy flowing from my fingertips I am pleased to share that Max entered the world last night, January 16th @ 10:04 pm MST. He weighed in at 7 lbs 11 oz and measures 20 inches.Welcome to the world dearest Maxwell, Uncle Josh.

On the road...

Every time you leave home,
Another road takes you
Into a world you were never in.

New strangers on other paths await.
New places that have never seen you
Will startle a little at your entry.
Old places that know you well
Will pretend nothing
Changed since your last visit.

When you travel, you find yourself
Alone in a different way,
More attentive now
To the self you bring along,
Your more subtle eye watching
You abroad;
and how what meets you
Touches that part of the heart
That lies low at home:

How you unexpectedly attune
To the timbre in some voice,
Opening in conversation
You want to take in
To where your longing
Has pressed hard enough
Inward, on some unsaid dark,
To create a crystal of insight
You could not have known
You needed
To illuminate
Your way.

When you travel,
A new silence
Goes with you,
And if you listen,
You will hear
What your heart would
Love to say.

A journey can become a sacred thing:
Make sure, before you go,
To take the time
To bless your going forth,
To free your heart of ballast
So that the compass of your soul
Might direct you toward
The territories of spirit
Where you will discover
More of your hidden life,
And the urgencies
That deserve to claim you.

May you travel in an awakened way,
Gathered wisely into your inner ground;
That you may not waste the invitations
Which wait along the way to transform you.

May you travel safely, arrive refreshed,
And live your time away to its fullest;
Return home more enriched, and free
To balance the gift of days which call you.

-John O'Donohue