The barren land his dwelling

We struggled, gasping for breath. Each step was torture, each breath agony. The windswept slopes were gray and barren. Focusing on each single step, we climbed on.

Finally, victory. The Continental Divide. The wind roared as we panted and gazed. Snow-capped peaks, clear alpine lakes, forests, meadows, mountain streams -- beauty inconceivable.

Then, it came. A solitary swallow, struggling in the thin air. I didn’t see the species. Perhaps there was a flash of color; I really can’t say. It fluttered over the divide. And it was gone.

We turned our attention to the beauty around us, raising our voices in praise of our Creator. All too soon, we had to resume our five-day trek. My mind will forever hold an image, though -- the image of a lone struggling swallow fighting the fierce winds high above the world.