Being the temperament that I am, I actually crave and look for peaceful moments in my life. So when Mike shared the link with me advertizing a ranger-led moonlight hike on the grounds near Kartchner Caverns, I thought it sounded heavenly. So I invited a couple of friends and eagerly made our reservations. Now, this is how I envisioned the evening going. A nice, level, unencumbered night hike with the full moon high in the sky above us, shining so bright that our flashlights were all but forgotten. The cool, night breeze would be blowing about us while the ranger spoke of the unmatched beauty of the desert night. However, the reality was that somebody forgot to invite the moon. So the hike did start out peaceful and nice, with the cheerful ranger leading us up the trail as dusk approached. We eagerly watched the setting sun, waiting for the moon to appear any second, knowing it would be there to accompany us on the journey back to the Discovery Center. But no moon. As the guided hike concluded and we continued our search of the sky for the elusive moon, the ranger gently explained that if we so chose we could continue on the loop trail, but that he advised us that a return trip on another day lit by the sun would be best. But we were determined to wait out the moon and enjoy the hike that we came for. And another couple of determined hikers joined us. As it turned out, the trail was very dark and rather treacherous at times, with moments of slopping cliffs periodically at our sides. There was a glimpse of peace within our steps, but mostly it was fleeting. And still there was no moon. After about another half mile into our journey, we decided to use the ever-present Google search engine to see when this longed-for moonrise was to happen. Google said 10:30 p.m. It was 7:50. Seriously? Who plans a moonlight hike with no moonlight? We did, however, have a great hike in the dark amongst the barren desert washes and cactus plants. A lovely time. And we made it safely back to our vehicle at the Discovery Center parking lot. And then the fun really began. On the short drive home down Highway 90 at a modest clip of 60 miles per hour, I caught a glimpse of a vague brown haze before me. Before I knew it, the haze took the shape of a herd of deer. (I probably could have seen them earlier had the moon been out!) I hit the brakes, my friend Joyce and I screamed, startling Keith from the back seat, and I swerved to try to figure out a path between the helpless animals. The one at the end of the group paused long enough to regret his decision to not just dart across the road with the rest. Just seconds before I realized the inevitable, I heard my friend gently say, “You can’t help it, honey.” This gave me the needed acceptance as I powerfully clipped the neck/shoulder area of the deer with the corner of my car. We were all thankfully uninjured. Well, all but the deer, which it was determined died fairly quickly, of which I am grateful. I pulled over, at a loss for what to do. Thankfully the Huachuca City Police Department and the Department of Public Safety have a protocol for just such an event and took care of us as promptly and efficiently as possible. The DPS officer even said politely that the deer was mine if I wanted it or I could give it to someone. Sorry, could not think of any venison lovers in my local contacts list. So as the adrenaline rush wore off and Keith and I drove home to Hereford after dropping Joyce off at her home in Sierra Vista, we laughed at life’s situations and breathed a sigh of relief while being very attentive to the dark road ahead and any unexplained shapes. And, yet, our evening had not come to a close as we saw rescue vehicles coming from the west directly into our path, fire trucks as a matter of fact, headed the same direction we were. We thought, “Oh, no. What if?” As we timidly followed them, we looked off in the distance and saw a tell-tale orange glow ahead. Our suspicions were short-lived and soon relieved, however, as the rescue vehicles continued on past our turn and we realized that the orange glow was, in fact, sitting at the crest of the Mule Mountains in the distance, the long-sought-after, much desired moon.
Posted on: Sun, 18 May 2014 06:42:16 +0000
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