Monday, September 20, 2010

Many Blessings, By Yolanda Adele

While on a road trip with our 25-foot travel trailer in tow between Utah and Idaho, my husband Vic (“Honey”) and I stopped at Bear Lake to camp for a couple of days. The campground was a private resort with many amenities, such as a pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, tennis court, golfing greens, showers, recreation, dining room, paddle boats, and more. (I enjoy “roughing it,” smoothly. I’m a city gal, after all). However, we were told by the camp manager that only the Jacuzzi and showers were available due to the off season. I could barely hide my disappointment, while Vic whistled a happy tune.

Honey expertly parked our trailer on a top level campsite, affording us a stunning view of meandering paths abundant with Queen Anne’s lace growing in wild profusion, and across from the resorts entrance we could see farmlands that backed up to the lake. Peace was in the air so heavy that I could almost smell it, along with the sweet scent of clover. I absorbed the peace; it entered my heart and grew until the quiet was pierced only by the high-pitched song of orioles flying overhead; their bright orange bodies were a bold splash of color across the clear blue sky.

That sight gave me pause for appreciation of the beauty I was witnessing. I felt like I was looking at a living painting. The scale of this enormous canvas that displayed nature’s art under a flawless azure sky immediately filled me with peace that comes from knowing that there is a grace more powerful than any mortal tribulation.

“Wow, Honey, this is a spectacular vista! Sadly though, when night falls our eyes will be denied feasting on such beautiful landscape.” I said mellow- dramatically.

“Let’s wait and see what the night will bring us.” He said.

“It’s going to bring darkness! Haven’t you noticed there aren’t any street lights around here?” I pouted.

There were few R.V. rigs in the camp resort, and no signs of people out and about the grounds. At midnight Honey and I put on our swimsuits and climbed to the highest knoll with the light from our flashlight to where a Jacuzzi was located. I turned on the switch that started the waves of bubbles percolating before we submerged ourselves into the warm comforting water.

Darkness seemed to blanket the earth around us and over us like a canopy of black velvet. The stars were like diamond clustered broaches in the midnight sky; they rivaled the moon in their brightness. If that were not enough, we were entertained by fireflies capriciously flitting about like miniature stars.

“Honey doesn’t this place, this night, make you feel as if we are the only people in nature?”

“Yes, it does. He said with a boyish smile, because we are.”

I felt privileged and humbled for the divine experience we had been gifted with. Midnight darkness brought out the galaxies to illuminate our many blessings.

7 comments:

  1. Yolanda,

    Great story about believing is seeing. I enjoyed your poetic description of the countryside. It certainly put images in my head.

    Steve

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  2. Yolanda you are a poet after my own heart. I love your descriptions of the countryside written so beautifully in poetic language. Poetry adds beauty to words and you have penned images of exquisite quality in this story.

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  3. What a pleasant writing to greet me this day, Yolanda! Please read this wonderfully descriptive and sensitive writing about your and Honey's memorable visit to Bear Lake soon in our class. It is so visual and perks all our senses nicely. It also brought back fond memories of a guided mignight walk I took in Bryce Canyon many years ago.

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  4. Dear Yolanda,
    When you were out there in the darkness of the night, have you seen "falling stars?" I was made to believe that if you make a wish before they reach the ground, your wish will come true. You might have caught some for I see stars in your eyes.
    I love your story.
    Noemi

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  5. This comment is from Peggy -- sent to my email.
    Dear Yolanda,
    The poetry in your writing pulls me in to the rarefied beauty that you experienced on your camping trip. Your imagery makes it a living feeling as though I am right there with you. Your descriptions of your initial resistances brought with you from the city, and well known to me also, which were dissipated once you let your soul absorb the exquisite peacefulness surrounding you, give me heart that indeed, as you say, there is a grace more powerful than any of our mortal inconsistencies.

    I feel that beauty can only be appreciated by a sensitive soul so while you are describing the richness and thrill of nature as it permeated your feelings, you are also painting a picture of the sensitivity of your own spirit. A very beautiful thing. And I thank you for sharing that.
    Peggy Knorr

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  6. Brilliant Yolanda. Another lst Place winner! A romantic getaway for a romantic couple - you are both blessed. Loved your description - I felt I was looking at a living painting. And some would say there is no God. That's sad.

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  7. I was enraptured with this fairy tale of a princess and her prince except it was real. I always look forward to what new scrumptious thing you have to offer.

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