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Last week, we traveled through Yellowstone National Park for the very first time. Coming from the east and still a bit naive about the terrain, we chose to enter through the northeast corner via the Beartooth Highway. It’s a route famed for its breathtaking—and nerve-wracking—switchbacks, especially the stretch between Red Lodge and the Rock Creek Vista Point, where the road climbs more than 5,200 feet to a pass sitting at nearly 11,000 feet.

These switchbacks twist tightly around the mountainside, each turn more dramatic than the last. For five miles, the road is a continuous dance of curves, S-turns, and hairpins, posted at a cautious 15 to 20 miles per hour. And on that morning, we drove every mile of it shrouded in fog. At the summit, the mist finally lifted, and the descent unfolded in brilliant sunshine.

I glanced at a webcam that showed thousands of cars lined up at Yellowstone’s crowded west entrance—meanwhile, we slipped through the quiet northeast gate without a pause. As we descended into the grasslands, we were greeted by an astonishing sight: bison, mile after mile, thousands of them grazing along streams and wandering beside the highway. Something about seeing them there brought tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat.

My friend Marti, who worked in Yellowstone for twenty years, once said it best: there’s something “just right” about seeing these herds reclaim the prairie. A glimmer of hope in times that often feel hopeless. I thought of all the people who pour their time, money, and hearts into protecting the creatures we so carelessly drove to the brink—Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, the countless volunteers at wildlife rescues, the rangers safeguarding elephants in Africa, the Oswit Land Trust, and so many others. Tens of thousands trying, in their own way, to heal what we’ve broken.

I felt profound gratitude for them all. And for a moment, driving through that vast plain with bison on either side, the world felt a little more whole.

Kim

On our way to the West Coast, we paused to visit “Sunshine” — Susan — a Pacific Crest Trail hiker I’d met earlier this spring at my friend Nitsy’s house in Banning. Nitsy is what hikers call a trail angel: someone who opens her home to weary PCT travelers needing a soft landing after the punishing San Jacinto descent.

Susan, now well into her seventies, and her husband were among the original founders of an intentional community in Spokane called Haystack Heights — a co-housing neighborhood rooted in the spirit of an old-fashioned village.

At Haystack Heights, private residences gather around shared spaces — gardens, a big communal kitchen, rooms for music, art, and quiet meditation. Each adult cooks just two communal meals a year. Some prefer the privacy of their own kitchen, but for others, the simple gift of sitting at a long table together answers a deeper hunger for connection.

There’s a large organic garden for the shared kitchen and plots for anyone wanting to tend their own piece of earth. In the workshop, neighbors share tools and know-how, a small reminder that what’s mine can also be ours.

The place felt alive — bursts of flowers everywhere, laughter in the garden beds. I met a handful of retired nurses, living there alone but not alone. The community is multigenerational and queer-friendly; decisions are made by consensus — a practice that asks patience and humility.

Living this closely with others has its challenges — navigating differences, compromising, listening when it would be easier to turn away. But sometimes our hunger for independence builds walls we never meant to live behind.

After sharing a meal there, I found myself thinking: I could do this. I could belong here.

Independence is a beautiful thing — but so is belonging. Somewhere in me is a quiet longing to stand for something larger than my own small orbit. To tend the garden, share the table, shoulder the disagreements and the laughter too. To be part of a place that reminds me I’m not alone.

spokanecohousing.com

In a week where I needed to find hope, I was much blessed.

My book Travels Into Discomfort is available on Amazon.

It is a travel adventure in its prose and a journey to the heart in its poetry.

Travels Into Discomfort

Barbara Carpenter Realtor 

Shann Carr

Comedian, Event Producer, Realtor, A Lesbian Concierge In The Desert

Andrea Voras, Gerontologist Dementia Specialist Life Aging Life Care Manager 

Constance Clare-Newman, Somatic Work for Pain Relief and Stress Reduction

Corlyce Photography 

Chris Ann Kallgren Realtor 

Sunny Designs-Website & Graphic Design & Video

Rice Notary 

Nancy Minger - Massage Therapist 

Poochsitter 

Motivation Changes — Life Coaching - Dr Ann Sarah Engel, MSW, PhD  

The Roost

V Lounge

Room for Rent

• Cork Women's Fun Weekend
• AdventureWomen: organizes exceptional women’s only travel groups spots around the globe.
• Trafalgar: offers women-only guided vacations to various destinations, with local female guides and experts.
• Road Scholar: provides educational and cultural trips for women of all ages and interests.
• Adventures in Good Company: creates active and adventurous trips for women who love the outdoors.
• Intrepid Travel’s Women’s Expeditions: explores local cultures and traditions from a female perspective, with female leaders and hosts.

Fur babies needing family at Animal Samaritans

Shelter — Animal Samaritans

Email me at gabriolakim@gmail.com if you want something posted on the bulletin board, or an event promoted.

What to do in July in Greater Palm Springs

LEA News

2025-09-11 SunLine Transit Agency Presentation on local transportation 

Please join LEA for a presentation by SunLine Travel on local transportation services and how to use them. Sunline is our local bus service that provides a variety of transportation services available to our community including their new on-demand service, Sunride. 

Join us on Zoom Monday August 11, 2025 at 11 AM

SPECIAL LINK FOR THIS AUGUST MEETING ONLY:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87382164146?pwd=2ILnmsEIJPqiL7MTlkEWWlSWFuD8o3.1

Meeting ID: 873 8216 4146

Passcode: 902781

Shirelle here, your LEA Social Event Coordinator. For the past couple of months, I have posted various events in the Coachella Valley.

If you are interested in seeing movies, just let me know and we can select a day/time that works for all. Mary Pickford has a Senior discount for the matinees. We can also venture out to various locations within the Valley.

If we decide on an event after 5 and you need a ride, please see if you can connect with a LEA member.

I will forward events prior to the beginning of the upcoming month. If you have any suggestions or activities you would like for us to see, don’t hesitate to contact me.

I received a suggestion for the Arts and encourage anyone that hears about any event to post on the Facebook bulletin board, or send an email to leaofcoachellavalley@gmail.com.

LEA - Lesbians Embracing Aging

REBECCA CLARK WILL BE AT THE ROOST ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 FROM 6-9PM. TICKETS AVAILABLE ON  ticketbud.com.

SEAN WIGGINS WILL BE PERFORMING AT HUNTERS ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 FROM 5-7PM.

GENNINE FRANCIS WILL BE PERFORMING AT THE ROOST ON July 31st and SATURDAYS FROM 6-9PM. RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE ON LINE AT: ticketbud.com.

LEANNA ROGERS AND MIGUEL WILL BE PERFORMING AT THE V LOUNGE MONDAYS FROM 5-8PM. $5 COVER CHARGE AND LEANNA AND THE FREE AGENTS ON FRIDAYS FROM 6-8PM AT HYATT, PALM SPRINGS.

MARISA CORVO PERFORMS AT THE ROOST ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 31; WEDNESDAY, JULY 30; AUGUST 6, 20 AT 6:30PM. TICKETS AT ticketbud.com. 

Rainbow Alliance of the Spiritual Center is Proud to announce.** Boots on the Ground ** **Spiritual Center of Palm Desert! ** Save the date: Oct. 17th, 6 PM - 10 PM Dinner, Dancing, Libations, Raffle Prizes, and Endless Fun! 

Put on your favorite boots and get ready to kick up your heels for an evening filled with joy, laughter, and community spirit. Don't miss out—this is sure to sell out! Grab your friends and dance the night away to the Live Music of the Awesome “ Pulp Vixen Band”  Call to purchase your reserved seats now!

760-346-4649

A protest poem by Kathy Sisson

https://lesbiansps.com/community-voices

Guess who's coming to dinner? No, Sydney Poitier is no longer with us, but the legendary Holly Near is very much alive—and she’s coming to the Sunset Music & Comedy Festival! Get ready for a night of incredible music, powerful performances, and a celebration you won’t forget!

JUST ADDED! The iconic Holly Near will join us for a very special tribute to Women’s Music—the powerful genre born from the feminist and LGBTQ+ movements of the ’70s that gave voice to women’s stories, struggles, and strength. Holly, a trailblazer in this movement, helped shape a sound that empowered generations and created space for women, especially queer women, to be heard and celebrated.

Grab your discounted Two-Day Groove Pass now and join us for an unforgettable celebration of music, community, and liberation. Let’s groove, uplift, and show our Pride together! Tickets here! https://onthestage.tickets/sbj-presents.../subscriptions...

Sunset Music & Education Foundation - Subscriptions

PALM SPRINGS WOMEN'S JAZZ FESTIVAL

Dedicated to Empowering the Female Presence in the Arts

PRESENTS

BLUES AT THE WOODSTOCK

SEPTEMBER 19-20, 2025 - PALM SPRINGS, CA

Featuring

RUTHIE FOSTER – MARTHA REDBONE

BETTE SMITH – HABAKA

DR. GAIL JHONSON and the BLUES ALL-STARS 

Pioneering women artists shaping the sound of blues music!

Women, who showcased empowerment, played a crucial role in the early development and popularization of blues music; connecting the blues to the female voice and power. In essence, the history of women in blues is a story of resilience, innovation, and cultural impact. We highlight female blues artists who helped shaped the blues; masterly singers and musicians who don’t always receive the recognition they deserve. These pioneering artists are shaping the sound of blues music, shaping vocal styles, breaking barriers, and paving the way for future generations of female musicians. 

HOME | Palm Springs Women's Jazz Festival | Palm Springs

Worried about the legality of gay marriage and thinking you should get married just in case the laws change and having a problem booking an appointment at the City Clerk's office?

Fera Mostow  

I am a minister and will do marriages for any gay couple that wants to get married before the inauguration free of charge or   until Trump does something that eliminates gay marriage. 

All they have to do is email me and they can come here - Sun City Shadow Hills, and I'll do the ceremony.

Contact Fera at fmostow@gmail.com

Easy/Moderate/Difficult Hikes

Hikes will return in the Fall

Have a great summer

New hikers must register and sign a waiver.

PALS’ no-cost educational seminars provide up-to-date information, resources and opportunities to engage in essential planning ahead conversations before a major health or life-altering event occurs. For info about upcoming PALS Seminars with in-person and zoom registration links click here. 

9:30 to 11 am. 3rd Saturday

September thru June

PALS Death Cafe is a group-led open conversation about mortality that’s not a counseling or bereavement group. There’s no specified topics or designated outcomes. Just bring your questions about any aspect of death and dying that interests you. RSVP for the next PALS Death Cafe here. 

PALS Circle is an hour of enjoyable connection, support and friendship among LGBTQ+ seniors and allies. There's no agenda, no formal topic — just fun conversation and camaraderie each Monday from 6:00 to 7:00 PM on ZOOM. Sign up to receive PALS Circle announcements here. 

The L-Fund empowers cis, trans, and queer identifying lesbians through financial crisis assistance as well as grants in the areas of education, the arts, and health and wellness.

If you would like to donate, please find us at https://l-fund.org/