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Published: March 29th 2015
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Roadtrip SW USA...As the snow falls on Zion. My skin is tingling...my nostrils are blowing steam as I breathe...every one of my senses is alive.
I feel like a young buck ready to roll in the snow and shake and shake off my white fur coat...ice droplets flying in a million pieces...like a dog emerging from the frigid surf and shimmering dry.
It's great to be in Zion as the snow comes tumbling down...then it clears so the sky is a burnt blue...the trees shimmering...ready to drop their white load as we brush by.
Time for some pancakes with oozing bumbleberry syrup...strong aromatic coffee...then to hit the road...and holler at the top of our voices...and somehow get the thick snow off the car so we can get going.
Play the video and enjoy Page One of this blog as Cat Stevens sings to you.
******
The next best thing to a white Christmas is a white New Year.
They tell us this is rare in Zion...lucky us!
$25 entry to the park...stopping here and there...red pudding peaks with sugar frosting looking down...herds of deer burrowing as their grasses are covered
today...sun peaking through like a Christmas star.
We stop and alight...marveling that we are here...recalling Aspiring Nomad had said this may be the most beautiful area he has traversed.
Those pics from multitudes of travelers on Travelblog but with no snow...can we do it justice? Hope so.
But today it's white...like the Cat Steven's song "Into White" from the Tea for the Tillerman album.
How lucky are we?
VERY I say.
We hear Deborah Conway & Willy Zeigler singing "Outside of Zion" from the "Stories of Ghosts" CD as we drive along.
"How appropriate" we exclaim.
We step out and head into the deep snow to a trickling stream for a bit of solitude.
But there is only one song that comes to mind...and that's by Cat Stevens...singing it softly...saying "Aaah" between some of the lines.
Emotion...sparkling...glowing...silence...can't help but feel...everything emptying...Into White:
"I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water ice
Tables of paper wood, windows of light
And everything emptying into white.
A simple garden, with acres of sky
A brown haired dogmouse
If
one dropped by
Yellow Delanie would sleep well at night
With everything emptying into white.
A sad eyed drummer rehearses outside
A black spider dancing on top of his eye
Red legged chicken stands ready to strike
And everything emptying into white.
I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water rice
And everything emptying into white."
We reckon Cat Stevens is here with us now...and maybe Merry Jo...smiling...snow falling gently from the trees...into their hair.
******
We meet three photographers in the snow...bent over tripods.
They are from California...son works in a camera shop in town...bought a log cabin near here...to assist him with his career.
I hand them my Dancing Dave card..my entry to the world of Travelblog...contact me and I'll send you some African blues...or maybe something else just for you.
Music opens doors...and as we chat...the sun cutting through the trees...glistening away...weighed down with snow.
Met them in other places in the park...their son trying to capture moments...on precipices...as if he's a mountain goat.
******
Most walking trails testy today but one we do take...to Weeping Rock.
A cliff with icicles hanging...crashing around us as they fall...usually water droplets in a curtain of tears...today those tears frozen...just for us?
There's no crying today...only wonderment.
Trekkers we meet saying we are the only Aussies they have met...who have been here when there is snow.
******
We take the south road out towards Page...winding high through the mountains...hairy winding icy roads over massive drops when shadows...on a mission to The Wave in Arizona...my number one pick of the sights in South West USA...and first we need to attend a lottery draw in Kanab...excitement building.
Feeling strangely optimistic we'll be two of the only ten drawn out to venture to the Wave...strange feeling...we never win lotteries but something inside saying this time we will.
We pull up by an expanse of snow stretching into the distant hills...a herd of bison like frozen sentinals...then one looks up...ice hanging from his beard.
I look into his eyes...and he into mine.
Optimism confirmed...we are here at this time for a reason...life is a lottery...and we are going to attend a
lottery.
Chances ridiculously small..but I can't help but feeling...this one we are going to win!
Relax & Enjoy,
Dancing Dave
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aspiringnomad
Jason
Memories
I won't say anything cliche about these pictures bringing back fond memories...these pictures are standalone magical...have literally created new, vicarious ones. I wouldn't have wanted to leave. What was that you said about a local camera shop and log cabin with a simple garden with acres of sky? I think I'd like to build a house of barley rice.