WHAT DID YOU DO THIS MORNING??

May all your trails be crooked,
winding, lonesome, dangerous,
leading to the most amazing view...
where something strange and more
beautiful and more full of wonder
than your deepest dreams waits for you.
from:Desert Solitaire
by:Edward Abbey

I got up this morning expecting it to be like any other morning really. Im the first one up at 5:15 AM; I dress in my hiking attire which is a bright florescent green shirt, shorts and my marvelous Keens. I cant eat that early in the morning, so I check my email real quick and then head out the door. This morning I climbed into the truck and found that My Builder had been a sly one...there on the seat was a present with a card, just waiting for me to discover!! Awww...how sweet is that!!!!
He went shopping for me at one of my favorite places-COLDWATER CREEK-and choose a beautiful white blouse for my wearing pleasure!! Awwwwww....so, so spoiled am I!!
As I was driving through sleepy, peaceful St George my phone rings, vibrates really- and it was my Builder again, wishing me a happy birthday.
All this before 6:00 AM!!!
At work, Im handed a 50.00 gift certificate for the Spa, and every one wished me a heartfelt happy birthday too. Then we were given our assignments and we headed out to the trails. This morning we had 6 guests hiking with us. We had the 101 hike which was to be Anasazi Ridge. A beautiful hike indeed!!
If I didnt think that this day was going to be a good one, this mornings hike firmly confirmed to me that its going to be a GREAT day!!
When we only had about a half an hour left to hike, we took our guest down to where the Anasazi petroglyphs are located on the side of the hill. Its a treat to descend into the shady side of the hill to 'hunt' for the petroglyphs that are scattered throughout all the nooks and crannies on the sandstone rocks. Its kind of like a scavenger hunt. As we billy-goated our way along, we spotted a gentleman perched on a rock ahead of us. He was a local resident and it soon became wildly apparent that we were going to have a wonderful experience with the petroglyphs!!! His name was Ray Urbaniak and he has written a book about these remarkable Indian writings. And...he was at this particular spot this morning because it is still considered the summer solstice and he was waiting for the sun to appear between the cracks in the rock. He then proceed to educate us a little about what it was that was going to happen in a few short minutes. The guest were game to slow down and stop and watch and learn, so we all found perches, and listened. Ray has a twinkle in his eye and a passion for what he knows and sees in these beautiful Indian writings. He was so very happy to share with us wealth of knowledge.
Try and visualize this with me. We have "Tube Man and Owl Man and the spiral sun sign etched on this sandstone rock before us. I have walked past these quys for years now. I have always appreciated them for their uniqueness and for their clarity and for the history they represent.




But.....I didnt know!!! I didnt know anything!!! And now I do,(at least a little more) and I can hardly explain the awe and wonder I feel now. These figures were drawn with such care and precision and forethought, that my mind has been boggled once again. I kind of get chills when I think about it now. The sun came through that little crack above our heads, as it rose in the east above the red rocks of Snow Canyon, and shone down on these "men", these stick figures so to speak, and fell with exactness as a line through their fingers and toes and then moved said 'energy' on to the next figure above it. It was poetical and marvelous to witness. Then the light was gone. Then it came back, and had shifted the perfect distance so that the light began to move up the body again, but this time it went right through the center of their bodies!!!

(the white line you see going through "tube mans' hand is not etching. IT IS SUNLIGHT!!)

We couldnt allow ourselves to stay for the whole show (I love my job too much to screw up too much) but Ray told us it would happen again a third time and the ray of light would appear again and move up the left side of the figures, bisecting the left hands and carrying energy to each figure and to what they represent!! magical!!! How about that!!!???
Oh but wait!!!
THere's more!
As I was leaving the Spa this morning, and heading for the truck, I spotted another good omen. Right out the back door were some road runners!! Now, you may not realize this, but spotting a road runner around here is a big deal. They are an elusive bird. They make themselves scarce around these parts. Its considered good karma or mojo if you happen to spot one on your trail or anywhere near by. This morning...what do I spy...but TWO of them. It became apparent that they were, shall I say, distracted, when I saw them. They were in the midst of doing some danc'in and wiggl'in and mak'in the most unusual clicking sounds I've ever heard. I sure I was witnessing an elaborate kind of courtship dance!!! As soon as I got the camera out and attempted to snap some shots, they became distracted and scampered across the parking lot...so even though the pictures are disappointing... can I say that my glorious morning has been anything but disappointing!!!
Its good luck to spot a road runner!! I had TWO sightings!!!!

And.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!
Im grateful to this marvelous world in which we live and to many who share it with me!!!