ZION N.P. AFTER DARK

Zion, after dark


Several years ago me and Willa had occasion to do a ''big circle'' out west for a couple months. As I recall we were heading south down thru Dixie National Forest and on to Bryce Canyon and then on to Zion National Park.


Zion is a most beautiful place and we were there in the early fall of the year. The days were nice and the nights were cool and the dry campground was empty except for us and one other camper. We spent the day riding the road looking at the waterfalls and the beautiful Aspen trees. Deer wandered out in front of us and gave us the ''big eyes'' look punctuated by very large ears in our direction. They seemed to be curious as to why we had come visiting. Except for us, the place was mostly empty.


One evening after supper we decided that it would be fun to take the chairs and walk across the road to the empty camp sight and sit and watch the night sky. I took Finnie and she took Gus on their leashes and we grabbed a chair and walked across the road and settled in to watch natures night time show. Our dogs did a thorough inspection at the length of their leashes sniffing, pointing, looking, tasting and generally checking out the area to be assured there were no gorillas in the area. They then hopped up on our laps and went promptly to sleep.


We had on our coats and hats against the night chill and the dogs radiated heat in our laps that was welcome. Darkness crept in on kitten feet. We sat and watched the night sky. There was no moon that night but the sky was very clear and the longer we sat the more we could see. Stars by the jillion came peeking out of the dark velvet blanket of night winking and blinking to us as we sat. The sky became a glowing dark blue bowl above us sprinkled by more stars that all of humanity could count in a million years. We sat there holding hands like two teenagers at a movie. Our chairs were so close together that the arms were touching. We listened to the night. Far far away there was the proverbial coyote singing in the night. From another corner came a reply and finally more joined the chorus. Each would sing and then another filling the night air with song. We listened to the night creatures as they scurried about. Pack rats and kangaroo rats scurried from their burrows and beetles and bugs of every sort scurried about avoiding the horn toads that had also come out for supper.


I noticed that Willas hand had gone very limp and soft and when I looked at her she was fast asleep. The lounge chairs would lean back and they were very comfortable. She had fallen asleep and she and Gus were sleeping softly. God was in his heaven and all was right with the world. I sat and watched her sleep and thought of all the places we had been. Fifty thousand miles and counting and only a few years ago she had not even been to the outer banks of NC. I watched this lady and day dreamed about our lives together. How we met and what life held for us in the future and how much I truly loved this lady. I sat there for a long moment just watching her sleep and listening to the song of the night concert in Zion National Park.


........''I'm cold....................
........I must have fallen asleep......................
.........lets go in the coach and cuddle and get warm''..................
She only had to say that once...........