Last Sunday after a totally sleepless night I decided to get up in the dark, pack some decadent scrumptious goodies and drive to the Crazy Mountains with Zaydee to join a girlfriend who had gone backpacking there for the weekend. Originally I was going to be with Bev for the whole adventure but I had too much to do in the studio. Summit fever pushed me to finish the sculpture with the barbwire but I found myself at a stand still. I swear every project goes from being engaging, exciting and just-how-I-imagined to the horrific deflated uninspired place of “oh no I totally wrecked it!!!” I know now this is part of the process – much like any relationship when the honeymoon is over. Luckily just like being in love, honeymoons can happen over and over in between the dull and/or scary stuff. Often one needs simply to step back and step out for a new perspective. 
Sunlight Lake is nestled near two other picturesque lakes surrounded by a craggy ridgeline, scree slopes and patches of snow. Each lake boasts vividly different colors; Sunlight is the bluest – a clear deep topaz blue. We enjoyed a lakeside lunch of red wine with fancy salami, baked goods and chocolate. We lounged. We talked about men, relationships, and life. I swam twice. Later that afternoon, Zaydee’s eyes drooped into sleep mode back at the truck at the trailhead while Bev and I sipped a tiny bottle of Knob Hill Whiskey before setting out across the Shields Valley toward home. The “Rebel Burger” at the Clyde Park Tavern was the perfect topper to a refreshing day away. Sunday night I slept. Monday brought just the keen sight and gumption I needed to mix and layer stain on the sculpture in an inspired rescue mission - from grimace to a satisfied nod – stay tuned for photos.
