Lazy Canyon Days and S'mores

The following morning at camp, I began packing to head out to the canyon. After we had breakfast, Freebird showed up. He, Daniel, and I splashed around in the creek for awhile, and then I joined Freebird around town while he ran errands. We finished off the day in town with dinner in the park. Then we headed up-canyon.

Freebird had told me about this place that we walk by every time we go to and from the canyon. 

We stopped to watch these Jeepers attempt to drive up the rocks.

Meanwhile, people were swimming below the waterfall. 

The crazy guy in yellow climbed to the top and jumped back to the pool below.

This family found amusement in a little water slide.

Freebird had left all of us flowers a few days before. Here's what was waiting for me in Raven's Roost.

That night, we enjoyed s'mores around the fire and awaited the arrival of the others. Alex was to arrive with his friend Rudy and Cullen's neighbor John, and Daniel and Brandon had yet to come to the canyon. No one else ended up joining us though, missing out on the s'mores and a crazy fiasco.

While roasting my marshmallow, it caught on fire. I tried to blow it out. Instead, while still flaming, it fell on my thigh. With a scream I brushed it off, and it flung toward Freebird and hit his shoulder, just missing his head. He didn't get burned, though I still to this day have a huge face-like scar on my leg. It was really welted the next day!

The following day Freebird and I went swimming at Love Pool for hours. We returned to find Alex, Rudy, John, and Cullen. They joined us back to Cottonwood Cave for more s'mores, and then Daniel and Brandon showed up with Govinda. He had recently arrived in America from Australia, having come over to join the moneyless tribe.

The next morning, Daniel cooked us breakfast.

Left to right: Govinda, Alex, and Rudy.

John, Cullen's neighbor.

Daniel cooks for us with infinite love.

An "idol" that Rudy and Alex created at Cottonwood Cave. Freebird and I added the poop.

Freebird brings me up to Cliff Cave to look at thousands of petroglyphs...

A remnant of an Anasazi adobe structure, probably used to store food.

Food may have been ground in these grooves in the rock.

An arch above the cave.

The arch and cave.

Some interesting rock formations that are all over the ledge in this area.

A small oasis, where Freebird went swimming.

 We hiked back to Cottonwood Cave, just in time to watch the sunset.

Daniel was cooking some dinner in Guest Cave when we returned. 

Both of us went to join the group for a little while before going to bed.

The next day, almost everyone went into town. I contentedly made a necklace

 all morning and then stayed in the cave for hours, reading and drawing.

The finished necklace consists of juniper berries and four found objects. I found the top two (the bird bone and stone with a hole in it) the day I became known as "Raven." The middle one was found when Daniel, Brandon, and I were walking along in Fruita. The bottom pendant was a gift from Freebird, when we returned from Fruita. He found it in the canyon, buried in the sand. Daniel believes that this is one of the many creations of a man years ago, all of which he left at various places in the desert around Moab.

After reading and drawing, I took a break to go swimming with Freebird. Later on, we met up with Alex and his college friends from Ohio in the Guest Cave, and they cooked us spaghetti for dinner. I hung out mostly with Em, while the rest went back to their car to grab s'mores supplies. We talked, did dishes in the creek, and then walked over to Cottonwood Cave to wait on them. Eventually they returned and we stayed up for hours, making s'mores, laughing, and listening to Freebird's stories about swimming with whales and dolphins.

Sunrise this morning, as seen from Raven's Roost.

I realized yesterday that I lost my phone, and it took me four days to even notice! Since I did have to get a hold of some people, though, I decided to leave the canyon and see if it was at the other camp.

And so I walked out of the canyon on a beautiful morning...

Once I arrived at the other camp, I realized my phone wasn't there either. So it's somewhere around Moab, in the hands of who knows. And that's okay. I never thought I would be so accepting with losing a phone. I've learned that I don't need a phone to be safe, so no more is there this sense of obligation to have one for "security." Moreover, as much as I love everyone in Indiana, I realize I don't need a phone to stay connected with them. I love them irregardless of if I call or not. And I don't need to prove my love to them. I'm thankful for this opportunity to let go of some attachments, and I feel a huge sense of relief that I have one less thing that distracts me from the present moment.

Anyway, that's the update of the past few days. What a ride this whole experience continues to be! It's amazing how much stronger you become from leaving your comfort zone. I'm thankful for each and every moment, all the people that have entered my life, and all that is to come. Today, it has been exactly a month since I arrived in Colorado and became moneyless. Who knows what the future will bring, and I will continue to embrace all that comes. It's about having faith that God will lead me to where I need to be and what's best for my continued growth. I'm happy living more open to these possibilities, and I wouldn't have it any other way.