Sunday, April 3, 2011

Crater, Round Two

Yesterday, Herself had the pleasure of visiting Aden Crater, New Mexico, for the second time.  (The first adventure is described here.)  She, her Beloved, her cherished friend, and Offspring the Third spent an entire day at the Crater. 

They drove out -- Herself and her Beloved in the Suzuki, and Offspring the third together with Herself's cherished friend in a Jeep -- and bumped over the lava rocks up close to the Crater.  Herself made everyone sandwiches for lunch (she heartily enjoys preparing food for them).  Then they hiked up into the Crater, and explored numerous small caves and other rock formations.  They found rat skulls and saw owls swooping past.  They admired the giant ocotillos and took pictures of the cholla fruit. They returned to base camp for a snack, and watched the sun set and the stars come out before they packed up and headed home.

Offspring the Third had long expressed a desire to visit the Crater and poke about in all of the caves, and was thoroughly prepared with his CamelBak and numerous light sources for the darker recesses.  He enjoyed himself immensely.  As an added benefit, he spent a significant amount of time with Herself's cherished friend. He admires Herself's cherished friend enormously, and the cherished friend is unfailingly kind, conversational, and patient with Offspring the Third.  It warms Herself's heart greatly to see the two of them interacting with one another.

Herself's Beloved has been working extraordinarily hard of late, and it was such a pleasure to see him take the day off from work and spend it in the out-of-doors doing the kind of hiking and exploring that he loves.  He was also quite satisfied with the performance of the Suzuki.  Herself understands now how much that vehicle means to him, and is happy that it pleases him so. 

It's impossible to explain the joy that Herself derives from these desert trips.  To leave behind all of her ordinary cares and spend time in the desert wilderness with some of her very favorite people, brings her an inexpressible gladness that permeates her very core.  Blessed is she -- doubly blessed, in fact -- for she is eminently aware of, and simultaneously grateful for, the beauty and delight that these moments hold.


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