Idyllic Desert Days

Because it's -10°F here right now with fresh snow on the ground, I'm going to reminisce about our desert trip to help me stay warm. The first few days at K's Rock were beautiful - sunshine, clear skies, and relaxation. It was cold at night but the warm sun on our faces during the daytime more than made up for it.

R relaxed in the sun at the base of K's Rock, in a spot where K herself basked.

The hardest part of each day was dragging ourselves out of the warm cocoons of our sleeping bags, where we slept cuddled with the dogs. And, yes, the dogs had sleeping bags too!

Then, we'd enjoy a quick breakfast before the boys would go for a trail run and we girls would go for a mountain bike ride. Later, we'd all relax in camp, during the all-too-short daylight hours. The long dark hours are one drawback of "winter" camping - but it does allow for lots of star photos.

One of my favorite parts of the sunny days was sunset or the "magic hour" when the sunlight is so warm and glowing.

As sunset approached, I'd take Shyla to the base of K's Rock for photos. Shyla has come to love her role as my photography model. R is not as crazy about having a camera pointed at him, which is part of why he isn't in as many photos as Shyla. R tends to start barking crazily at the camera!

Yes, I still miss K, and I always will. But, this girl, Shyla, has won my heart.

I love seeing her at home on K's Rock.

Her favorite "trick" for the camera is to rest her chin between her paws. She does this on her own with no cue from me.

Her fur turns redder and redder as the sun sinks to the horizon.

K's Rock itself also becomes a glorious honey and red color as the last rays of sunshine touch it. I wonder how long this rock has stood tall and how many sunsets it has seen. The desert landscape makes me think about the history of the Earth because its layers are exposed for me to see.

K's Rock sits on a high spot in the desert landscape. We could see the sunset line creeping to the east from the back of K's Rock. Look at that river canyon in the distance, with glowing red cliffs. The sunset line had almost reached it.

The desert is so different from the alpine world where I usually live. After a week there, I feel as if I've been gone from the mountains for a very long time. I think that's part of why I love the desert - it's so alien. I adore its landscape for the stark glowing beauty that flows from it.