Driving up the brilliant lit canyon of yellows, gold’s, greens,
teals, burnt oranges, bright reds, and rust making the scene around every
corner, and around every corner different yet glorious than the last. We hang right of our usual path and drive
some distance, hoping the afternoon sun isn’t running fast away from us, but
keeping a distance almost in reach yet just barely out of.
Finally coming to a stop, all three of us are eager to
stretch our legs, smell the distinctive Fall scent, and feel the cool, crisp
air of Fall on our faces, on our hands and through our clothes. Slowing our feet to a stop to hear the
flicking of the Aspen leaves as they rustle in the wind in their dried out
condition are harmonious and soothing to the soul. The ground littered with gold coins, even the
pine trees carried these coins on their needles as if they were of value,
decorated for good will.
The ground is dry is most areas, yet moist in small places where
the beams of the sun don’t reach during the shorter days. We found a rock weighing approximately three pounds,
being of eight inches in length, four inches wide, and two inches deep; astonished
by the geological life line we witnessed, each line is distinctive in the
hundreds of years it has been here. Quite
an old rock it was, just laying on the ground, still, hidden within plants and
trees and sticks and dirt and fallen leaves; today, only those on foot would
have found it. Perhaps in its past, it has
been rolled, thrown, ran over, jumped on, and overlooked many times, and yet today
was the first in a long time, or perhaps its first in all time, it has been
held by caring, inquisitive hands and awed over its fantastic appearance.
Driving back down, a couple windows lowered to feel the
cold, crisp air of the canyon rushing through and bringing leaving chicken skin
on my arms. This may be the last time
this season to been in the magnificent beauty of Fall. Savoring each view, each chill, and each
inspired moment. To next year!
