Adventures at Rasa Ranch #110

[Guest guest]

[Note: Although this was written just now in response to a request I

noticed in a local newsletter for vignettes, it actually took place

about two weeks ago.]

 

 

4/6/03 "Sunset"

 

We don't usually go out to watch the sun set itself on chilly, winter

evenings but when we saw it begin its descent through just the right

amount of billowy clouds for a potentially great show, my

five-year-old daughter and I just couldn't resist and found ourselves

hopping into the truck and driving straight up to the top of Maidu

Ridge. We were not disappointed.

 

On this particular evening we were the only ones there (we thought)

and we stood with our cold hands in our pockets and just watched in

wonder as all the colors glowed before us in a live version of God

painting the vast canvas of the sky in an ever-changing display of

light. When the most dazzling pinks had gracefully dimmed into the

deepest purples and a planet and a couple of stars showed up on the

scene, we decided that it was time to go.

 

But JUST as we were turning our bodies to leave, we heard a sudden and

many-footed thumping sound, and from the northernmost corner of our

peripheral vision we were struck with awe to find an entire herd of

deer, maybe thirty or maybe forty, come bounding at full speed from

the top of the hill, down towards the knobby, old oak trees at the

bottom. My mouth and eyes opened wide in surprise and I was

speechless, but my little one was so overjoyed that she could not

contain it. She started to squeal and clap and jump and to our

amazement...all...the deer...stopped. They totally stopped. And all

of their eyes were on us.

 

Time stood still. The silence was just Screaming. There were pairs

and pairs of round, dark eyes and black noses pointed at us and for a

moment, nothing else existed in the whole universe but our total

awareness of each other within the all-encompassing embrace of this

silence.

 

Then, very sweetly, I mean, you cannot *imagine* how sweet, Ananda

called, "Hi dee-o!" and she waved at them. Without moving anything

else, only their ears twitched in acknowledgement and then, first

only one, and then one by one, and then all the rest, turned back

toward their downhill destination and ambled ahead as if they had all

the time in the world.