Friday, February 29, 2008
Moonshadows
The fast pace of Los Angeles is behind us. What a wonderful visit we had with our son and daughter in law and two lively grandsons, but it was time to head east again. Our plan was to head into California’s Anza Borrego Desert to camp and hike. After the drive southward down the fast paced California freeways, we turned east on Route 78 toward Julian (at an altitude of 4000 feet with no snow this visit) continuing on toward S2. This adventuresome road descends rapidly, following sharp curves and steep grades down to 1000 feet and the boundaries of the desert park and on to the Aqua Caliente County Park Campground.
Here we would rediscover the magic of the moon as we walked back from the “therapy spa.” It may be hard to imagine pulling into a desert campground in the middle of the Anza Borrego Desert Park and finding a beautiful campground, friendly people, and breathtaking scenery with a bonus; a natural hot spring spa offered free to campers. The natural temperature of the mineral water is 90 F but the temperature is boosted to 104 F in the pavilion pool. We basked in the hot water for a while, comparing travel “notes” with other bathers. At the risk of suffering from hyperthermia, we forced ourselves to climb out of the pool and take what felt like a cool shower. We were still warm and glowing as we stepped out into the cool air.
And then it hit us. The full and brilliant moon cast its MoonShadows everywhere. The light was soft, beige, and otherworldly. Silence reined. Even the ever-present howling of the Coyotes had ceased, at least for the time being.
In the silence, Paul and I stopped, entranced. We are camped in a vast bowl-like valley ringed by mountains silhouetted in a jagged array. The stars were brilliant with no city lights to wash out the sky. The moonlight bathed the sands in a strange, soft beige light. The MoonShadows were inky and translucent. The effect was alien and surreal. Our flashlights were in our pockets. There was no need to light the road; the moon lit our way, but not until we could break through the “trance” set upon us by the eerie light of the moon. Both of us took a deep breath and place one foot in front of the other, silently returning to our Motor home. Only then did we break our silence expressing the wonder of the moon, the shadows and the place.
How lucky we are to have the time to enjoy these wide-open spaces, taking time to linger and ingest our surroundings and to be constantly entertained by the wonders before our eyes.
Here we would rediscover the magic of the moon as we walked back from the “therapy spa.” It may be hard to imagine pulling into a desert campground in the middle of the Anza Borrego Desert Park and finding a beautiful campground, friendly people, and breathtaking scenery with a bonus; a natural hot spring spa offered free to campers. The natural temperature of the mineral water is 90 F but the temperature is boosted to 104 F in the pavilion pool. We basked in the hot water for a while, comparing travel “notes” with other bathers. At the risk of suffering from hyperthermia, we forced ourselves to climb out of the pool and take what felt like a cool shower. We were still warm and glowing as we stepped out into the cool air.
And then it hit us. The full and brilliant moon cast its MoonShadows everywhere. The light was soft, beige, and otherworldly. Silence reined. Even the ever-present howling of the Coyotes had ceased, at least for the time being.
In the silence, Paul and I stopped, entranced. We are camped in a vast bowl-like valley ringed by mountains silhouetted in a jagged array. The stars were brilliant with no city lights to wash out the sky. The moonlight bathed the sands in a strange, soft beige light. The MoonShadows were inky and translucent. The effect was alien and surreal. Our flashlights were in our pockets. There was no need to light the road; the moon lit our way, but not until we could break through the “trance” set upon us by the eerie light of the moon. Both of us took a deep breath and place one foot in front of the other, silently returning to our Motor home. Only then did we break our silence expressing the wonder of the moon, the shadows and the place.
How lucky we are to have the time to enjoy these wide-open spaces, taking time to linger and ingest our surroundings and to be constantly entertained by the wonders before our eyes.
# posted by Ann Carol @ 9:22 AM 
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