Guardian Angel

Ever since I was a little girl I remember being in awe of Bison. My parents had American Indian art on the walls and a small Bison Statue that sat in our living room. I always felt drawn to the mysticism they seemed to represent and the wisdom expressed on their face.

My husband and I purchased the Bison in the picture above on our motorcycle trip last summer. This particular motorcycle trip started out very rocky. The afternoon we left town we were a mile away from home traveling over a very bumpy railroad track when the left saddlebag on our bike broke off, skidded across the road and was hit by oncoming traffic scattering our gear. After a lot of work the next morning we repaired our bike and got back on the road, but we were both a little on edge after all of that. We didn't end up making it to the Grand Canyon as we planned but instead ended up in Durango, Colorado where we found this marble Bison made by local Navajo Elementary children.

I have always loved Bison but after an experience on a motorcycle trip in 2007 through Yellowstone National Park, the animal has become our guardian angel. On that trip we were traveling North through the park when traffic slowed to almost a stop. In front of the van that was in front of us, was a full grown, male bison sauntering down the middle of the road. There was nothing to do but just wait until he decided to move to the shoulder.

 I have to say that being so close to such a huge, powerful, majestic animal without even the protection of a car, is a little bit of a rush. When the Bison finally decided to move to the side, we passed him slowly and I turned around to look at him to try and snap a photo but instead he looked up at me and our eyes locked.

I can still see his eyes looking right at me. As we continued on, about a half mile through the park we came across a fresh multi vehicle accident. Kevin and I were both stunned because if that Bison had not delayed us like he had, there was a good chance that we could have been involved in the accident ourselves and being on a motorcycle that could have meant serious injury or even death.

Needless to say, after that day, we have always felt a little safer when
traveling if we have some sort of symbol of the Bison with us. It may be superstitious but when I think back to that animals eyes looking in to my own, I know that something or someone was looking out for us that day.