First draft.
In the red, dusty belly of Dinosaur National Monument underneath expansive cottonwoods, surrounded past times echo chambered box canyons too swampy lizard pits, sits the homestead of frontierswoman Josie Bassett Morris. H5N1 woods cabin amongst windows too floors made of powdery dirt rests inward the shade adjacent to a lawn of feeble grass too a remnant of a chicken coop. We made ourselves at abode inward the cove, pulled out a picnic blanket, made a spread of snacks, pausing to read the alert signs left at that spot past times the Park Service: BEWARE OF BEARS. THEY WILL EAT YOUR FOOD.
My girls inward item are inspired past times this spot. They pretend to live on Josie going inward an out of the cabin, tending to the once-viable vegetable garden too next the rocky trails leading out to where the cattle would be. Their imagination mingles amongst the plaques nosotros read nearly how Josie, living lonely later having married v times too divorcing four, spent her seasons, eating canned nutrient inward the wintertime too decorating her cabin amongst wildflowers inward the summer.
The heaven turns black too Erin looks upwardly to the tops of the shaky trees, "We should remain inward the cabin. It looks similar it's going to rain."
Christopher is napping on the blanket. The babe is buzzing to a greater extent than or less similar the dragonflies nosotros reckon past times the pond. Anson wants to become dorsum to the motorcar too play on his phone. I experience a wishing to hike into a box canyon too when I become out to explore a trail Ever too Erin follow me amongst bare feet.
"Where did you lot position your shoes?" I asked them.
But earlier they respond it starts to rain. We take away maintain comprehend underneath some trees but the pelting turns into a downpour. It wakes Christopher upwardly too he responds past times scooping upwardly the baby, the snacks too the blanket inward i swoop too retreats to the car.
"Like I said," Erin says amongst her pointy finger inward the air, "we should've stayed inward Josie's cabin."
In seconds the Sun returns behind steel-colored rainclouds too shines a lite on the heavy, plopping pelting drops. "This is a Sun shower." I tell to my girls who follow me dorsum upwardly the mud trail to the cabin. Everything is vivid too wet.
Across gravel route is a trailhead leading through a spell of trees. I can't reckon where it leads but I rally my trouble solid unit of measurement too later a modify of socks too shoes too a hope to Anson that nosotros would acquire out later exploring for a bit, nosotros all caput unmarried file upwardly the path. The babe is shuffling correct along amongst us, her toddler bow makes her gait a fighting to a greater extent than similar the dinosaurs nosotros saw dorsum inward the museum than a two-legged human. Christopher spots a long-eared rabbit too tries to grab a scuttling lizard. We reckon to a greater extent than dragonflies too swat at bugs swirling to a greater extent than or less our heads too feet. Pretty presently the trees hand means to a regal orangish canyon, walled inward past times lxxx human foot walls of white rock. My kids take away maintain off earlier me to boulder too stone climb. The rocky trail turns into soft sand too nosotros notice a spot to sit down inward this desert paradise.
This is abode to me. The canyon walls stained past times H2O run-off during flash floods too jump thaw aspect equally much similar my origins equally my gabled room on Fir Avenue. I intend nearly Josie's practical too genius stance to corral her cattle inward these box canyons--saving fourth dimension too coin past times eschewing fences. I intend nearly her resolution to alive a decidedly non-traditional lifestyle. I intend nearly all that fourth dimension she had to function too live on lonely hither amongst her horses too cows too wildflowers.
Being lonely is such a hot commodity to me, it ever has been, but lately amongst growing children too a lifestyle total of human interactions I notice myself daydreaming of canyons of silence, a cabin of quiet. Not forever, but only for an afternoon, or a luncheon break, or an threescore minutes earlier I autumn asleep at night.
Anson is unhappy too let's me know. I sling the babe onto my shoulders too tell the others we'll run into them dorsum at the car. We run downward some of the means too cease upwardly at the bottom reading some other posting nearly mount lions: BEWARE OF MOUNTAIN LIONS. THEY WILL ATTACK YOU.
As nosotros crusade away I intend nearly how I tin terminate instruct my children to live on similar Josie. I wishing them to alive a life of self-sustainability, certainly, but too a life void of fear: of beingness alone, of transcending sex expectations, of abandoning hurtful traditions, of next their hearts, of bears, mount lions, bare feet too the occasional sunshower.
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