For the past month or so, I find myself looking up at the sky. Sometimes I just stop, my head tilts right back, and I gaze toward heaven. The clear blue over the open desert is so inviting you can easily get lost, feeling as though you could slip right into space. I start work at 5:30am and the sun doesn’t really make a dent in the day until around 7:00am. I like to take my morning break standing in the parking lot, letting those first rays soak in and recharge my battery. The view from work isn’t too bad.
We’ve had some rainy days and I’ll spend my lunch watching the layers of clouds race each other to some unknown finish line. Cooler weather brings more birds to the valley as they escape the cold of the northern part of the state. I especially enjoy the return of the ravens. Watching their gleaming black bodies glide across the pale blue is simply beautiful. Some nights, I just open the front door to check the stars. Since I moved to the desert, I’ve been promising myself I’d drive out into the middle of nowhere to look at the night sky without the city lights to ruin it. I’ve gotta do that.
Stand at the right elevation, and you can see into the distance for what seems like forever. Standing on the steps of my daughter’s school, you look over the open desert and swear you can see into Mexico. Every time I pick her up, I marvel at the view and wonder if anyone else even notices what an incredible spot it is. The only thing that spoils that view is the army of custom SUV’s in the parking lot. I guess you have to take the bad with the good.
I find that I don’t need an object in the sky to focus on. The mountain in the distance doesn’t need a dramatic peak. The wide-open, empty space is just fine. I still haven’t figured out what I’m looking for yet. If it hits me, I’ll be sure to let you know.
Side note: When I sat down to write this, I actually had to stop and think what music I wanted to play. Of course it was Ottmar. Little Wing. It’s been at least two months since my last listen and we needed to get reacquainted.
