Where was I? Oh yeah.......

After settling down to a snack of apples and cheese and feeling our bare toes instinctively kneading the short grass and cinder, Ty and I went into the cabin to check the progress of the water heating on the stove. It was a rolling boil, so I pulled a pound of pasta out of my pack (say that fast five times) and Ty grabbed the pesto. Now one thing you usually find in the cabin kitchen is salt, but tonite, none.

During the course of the hike I realized I had forgotten seven things, one of which was salt, and i'd just taken delivery on a five pound bag of pink himalayan salt which is made from the crystallized perspiration of sherpa guides collected at the exact moment of reaching the peak of Everest. Seriously.

I knew the pesto would be less than spectacular, but figured a little carbo loading would be good for the hike to Paliku. Cooked up the pasta, drained off the water, mixed in half the container of pesto and ended up with enough pasta to feed us all and have four pounds left over to dump in the crapper the next day. By the way, a definite improvement to the overall aromatics.

I hadn't seen Noemie eat or drink all day, except for a slice of apple at the base of Sliding Sands. She had about a half a small bowl of pasta for dinner. She looked fresh as a daisy, needed no bandaids for blisters and had a not so subtle glow going, even after she had popped her lenses and donned the Tina Feys. I was beginning to suspect extra terrestrial origins. Everyone had settled into their respective bunk spaces with packs open and clothes being balled up into pillows.

After a spirited round of cards by candle light , with pecans doubling as poker chips, I figured to take the bunk "mattress" off the stand and put it outside on a relatively flat spot to get the full effect of the nearly new moon sky and the tail end of the Perseid meteor showers. Besides, its hard enough for me to sleep with the pitterpatter of little gecko feet on the ceiling in my bedroom no less four other people tossing, or in Emily and James' case, whispering, giggling and snogging.

So Ty and I pulled one out and carried it to the side of the cabin where I rolled out the mummy and zipped up. Ty had a ground blanket and his bag and hung out with me until it got too cold for his gear. We watched as satellites appeared and meandered across the heavens in varying orbits and elevations, two of which came careening at each other and missed by a space inch. We were bummed when they didn't crash 'cause that would have been awesome.

The milky way hung like a gossamer fixed cloud draped over the crater, we stared into the center of the galaxy or thereabouts. Jupiter had risen over the eastern ridges and was pulsing'. Scorpio was prominent to the south with Antares at its heart, glowing red. The breeze was still steady and my face was comfortably cold. Turns out the nene go clubbin' at night 'cause they were whooping it up well into the darkness. Beautiful sounds, really. A seamless community, day or night, their little black faces radiating thanks for the Obama presidency and that the National Park service's plans for the crater include a massive outer space theme park for residents of Dubai and Brunei only, then they can finally get some fucking good food to eat. Grass gets old.

There's no real sleeping up there, there's just the surface of dreams then waking to stare out at the living planetarium as the earths rotation presents a slightly different view each time eyes open. Saw four meteors. One for each awakening. Saw a bunch of those distant zigzaggy things too. You know, the ones that fit no rational flight pattern but go whipping around up there anyway. Anomalies are good.

Reflected on what a fine young fellow Tyler has become and how our Love, in the process of aging opens up the power of Two, Tao, Chokmah, Wisdom. All the while, mantra sounding in the background. Ommanipadmehumommanipadmehumommanipadmehum. ._.. ._. ... _.. __...

Upon waking for the fifth time, the starlight had diminished and the dawn was insinuating itself over to the Paliku ridges. I felt a bit like hammered dog shit. Like the dark wrinkle creatures had unpacked their bags under my eyes. Like even if I soaked my head in a bucket of ice water my face would still feel like a shar pei with a hangover might look, if shar pei's got drunk and actually cared how they looked. My sore shoulder had kicked my ass most of the night and a mummy bag is no place for a borderline psychotic with a fear of being institutionalized.

Breathed my way through all that and got a smidgen of comfortable rest before unzipping and heading around the back of the cabin to the outside water faucet at the base of the roof catchment tank. Cupped a few hands to my face and ran some wet through my hair. Turned to see the clouds on the eastern horizen had acquired some golden piping. Coming up on some photo op moments when I realized that my camera was the second thing i forgot.

I shifted into a sort of rasta dance mode to lube the brittle and chill out the cold. Rockin' too and fro mahn, wit' dee oh-kaijjinahl bouncin' up and dowen trown in. Suns morning glow now widespread. Sun itself cresting the clouds and spreading rays out over the crater ridges like locusts on a field of ripe corn. Not terribly warm at first, but totally reassuring. Ty came out the back door, we smiled and shared our standard "johnboy"......."budyoh" salutation as he headed for the outhouse. We were less than a full day in and life surged with glowing color and growing warmth.

A play in one act:

"Do i have to go to sleep now unky Jp. Cantcha just tell me a little more of your crater adventure, huh, pleeeesohpleeesohpleeees." O.k., little feller, maybe a few more lines." " Thanks, unky Jp."

Next week, Morning two and the hike to Paliku.

"Sorry little feller, i lied, get used to it."

This afternoon, in the process of doing chores as in kissing the asses of chickens who could give a shit (thankfully), I filled my belly with a scrummy apple banana, a handful of strawberries, a soupcon of lemon guava and a perfectly tree ripened r2e2 mango. Just thought you'd like to know.

The more you show, the more we'll grow. Peace, Jp