monkey see, monkey do (Thatcher, Idaho)

swimming in the thin blue

It's a big place, the north desert. 

The sky stretches to the point of breaking. 

Miles of thin blue and deep white.

 Forever is out there. 

 The roads are forever, the horizon, the sand, and the salt.

The day is forever. 

Out there the clouds dance with the sky while the sun sits back and watches.

Life is long and lean and inside out.  

Oceans made of sand and waves of tumbleweeds. 

Showers of sunlight.  Driftwood ghosts.  

I am sure it is the hallway to heaven... &/or hell.

But between those two doors there is life. Wild and unencumbered. 

A playground made of black rocks and white bones.

"If you had a little place out here, a house tucked into the saddle of one of these hillsides how long do you think you could stay out here alone?" he asked me.

"Forever."

I could live there, sheltered by isolation. 

I could sit quietly and let my soul dry out. 

Never have to pretend to anything to anyone.

Because in the north desert...

I am overwhelmingly happy.

 Forever swimming in the thin blue.

lucky horse shoes

One of my worst fears is being stranded in the desert

alone

without water.

And yet the desert is my safe place.

Out there you can crawl into the lap of your fears, cuddle up, and take a nap.

The What-If's like desert herds have free range

but there is so much space they are hard to hold on to.

Distance becomes something understandable.  

Mountain ranges countable.  

Demons mappable.

Q: What if you get a flat tire? 

A: You carry a spare.

Q: What if you know there is something dangerous out there with you, like coyotes?  

A: You bring your dogs and he brings his rifle.

Q: What if you take a wrong turn?

A:  Then you go on an adventure.

The desert isn't what people believe her to be, not at all the time anyway.

There is more life out there than there are What-If's.

It is always changing.

Desert fear like a desert bloom is beautiful and delicate

if you are not careful you will lose your grip on it.

You will begin to feel safe in the belly of vastness.

Fear can keep you out of trouble.

It can also drown you

even in the desert.

You have to be careful not to let it catch you off guard.

You might fall in love.

Q: But what if you get a second flat tire?  And you are stranded alone in the desert?

A:  You crawl back in the shade of an old truck listening to the desert wind as it rocks you & your dogs to sleep...

because you know the people you have surround yourself with are taking care of you even when their truck has vanished from sight.  Two flat tires in the desert and only one spare, a lucky horse shoe in the sand, and really-really great friends to help bring you & your family home safely.

Thanks to: Jz & S and to J & N~