Father's Day

I have been missing my wife terribly these last few days. Every time I close my eyes I see her face. I have been going out of my way to stay busy, to step out of my normal behavior patterns, to carve-out a new place for me. Today (Father’s Day) I set my alarm for 3:00 AM. I met Chris McGowan in Helena and we drove the dark to the Front Range near August to watch the sunrise and take photographs.

Stunning.

The Front is, hands down, my favorite region of Montana. I love how the blockish overthrust mountains tumble down onto the plains all at once, the herds of elk pouring down the green mountain flanks like seafoam down frozen waves, the oceans of yellow balsamroot, the cattle lazing by pools of water and the lofty snowfields defying the sun.

I thought of my wife often. I spoke her name. I sprawled on the earth to merge with every photograph.

Here is a picture of Haystack Butte, taken early this morning.

--Mitchell Hegman