Driving on Highway 395, near Mono Lake

A summer morning drive on Highway 395 offers a breathtaking view of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The endless array of mountains, trees, lakes and geological wonders on the way to Lake Tahoe is a relaxing scene, but I found the sight and smell of cows grazing on a grassy area near Mono Lake to be the most memorable part of the trip.

It’s so easy to get lost and daydream while staring at the beautiful backdrop that one can feel they are not really there. But driving by the cows, the smell of bovine manure overpowering the mountain-fresh air snapped me out of my daze.

At that instant, I knew what I had witnessed was real! The cows brought a sense of contrast and balance to the surroundings; they stimulated my senses and now those sights are in my memory bank forever.