Guarding her Secret
January 23rd, 2000
I hear her calling out in the night, she
beckons me. I must go to her. Only she
truly knows how to put me at ease, to
calm the chaos. It seems to take an
eternity to approach her, but when I do
I see her form and beauty silhouetted by
the silvery radiance of the full moon.
Soon the first morning light will shine
upon her. I stand, watching in
anticipation, as the last shadows of night
fade from the contours of her face.
As I stand in the chilly morning air
noticing how her blanket of emerald
green does not fully cover her, a mist
begins to rise. I put my face to the
source of the mist and her warm, moist
breath whispers a promise of her inner
secrets. She knows what it is that I
have come for. In her whisperings to
me, my attention is directed further
down her form, to another source of
moisture and warmth.
I slowly make my way through the
emerald blanket toward my goal, but
she teases me. She directs me with gentle
persuasion toward other areas, revealing
new aspects of her many facets of timeless
beauty, deepening my love and
admiration of her. I spend many hours
with her exploring these new discoveries.
But the time soon comes when I must
leave. She has not given me what I
have come for, but I am satisfied beyond
my expectations once again. She never
leaves me wanting. As I bid her
farewell she knows that I will return,
her secret still hers to possess, and mine
to continue to seek.
It is 2 a.m. I decide, spur of the moment.
I have to get away. I need time to clear my
head and release the tension of all the
stress lately. The drive is a good three to
four hours, and when I arrive at my
special spot in the mountains, the canyon
that I have gone to for many years now is
lit up by the full moon. It is about an hour
yet before dawn, so I walk a bit, looking
out over the ravine with impatience for at
least enough light to see where I will be
going. Dawn approaches and light fills the
canyon. As I see the western face light up, I
look out over the green of the forest with
the bare areas of exposed rock and I take
notice of a fine mist that seems to be
coming from somewhere just below me. I
go down and find a small hole blowing out
warm wet air. Could it be another clue to
confirm the existence of a hidden cavern
complex within the mountain? It must be.
Seeing this mist makes me wonder if the
larger clouds of mist in specific areas
below are from larger openings to this
complex. Ones I could enter.
So, I begin to make my way through the
forest to confirm my suspicions, but the
walls are steep, rugged. I lose sight of my
goal while navigating the slopes. But by
being forced to circumvent, I get to see
new sights. Ones that make me ponder
and question the curiosities of nature.
I spend the entire morning identifying or
taking notes of these new sights. By the
time I get close to the area which was
intended, the mist has evaporated. Not
much chance to find the source now. But
I am still refreshed. My head is clear and
I have seen more things to ponder. I
decide to leave, but I know that as long as I
keep finding new clues to the elusive
possibility of a cavern complex, I will keep
coming to this spot.
