Today picking up Nico at daycare in the dusk we left the building in downtown Driggs and were treated to the loud hooting of an owl. My heart dropped, as I have seen an owl every day that a close friend has died. Virtually all native peoples and cultures covet the owl in some way- for some it’s auspicious, for some it’s a sign of doom. For me it’s at the minimum always a reason to take note and reflect.

Nico listened intently and I drove across the street and saw the huge bird on a pole in the “See and Save” parking lot. But I realized that my worries of death came from what happened not what was to be. At the time of the hooting the memorial services for Exum Guide Mark Givens and Jackson Hole Ski Patroller Wally had both started in Jackson.

Today my husband Christian and I made love on the unmade bed covered with laundry waiting to be folded and went skiing on Teton Pass. Should you be mistaken that this is a common occurence, I’m too embarrassed to tell you how long it’s been since the former but will admit we hadn’t skied in the backcountry together for at least 1 and 1/2 years.

He forgot his skins so we ended up on Glory- our goal was to dig a pit since it had been so long for both of us- but we were treated to Greg Collins from JHMG doing one on Little Tuck’s with an avi class so we hung and watched him do the hard work on the steep slope.

So how does this relate to sustainability? It’s was an attempt to throw all our work worries aside for a day and enjoy each other in the mountains. Sustain our marriage… sustain our lives. I didn’t think at the time of the friends who had passed, but subconciously we know that we have to live for today, not always for tomorrow. I hope we honored those who passed today in two ways. While trying to live our lives to the fullest we are always trying to save our lives at the same time. While sometime scraping by to make a living. It’s a crazy balance.