For Lilian and the Indigos - Above Top Secret

Spread upon the dining room table was an awesome smelling offering. A soufflé with a
very sharp cheddar cooked in, venison medallions, fresh creamline milk in tall glasses,
and ripe blueberries covered in cream. It all looked delightful.
“Thanks, Chef Lee,” I said as I surveyed the table with delight. Lee wasn’t half bad as a
cook. “Let’s eat!”
With total agreement, Lee sat in unison with me and we polished off the entire lot in
giggles and conversation.
“The house should be at Brice by the time we’re done,” I remarked. “Shall we take a
hike after breakfast?”
“Wonderful,” Lee responded. “I love the beauty there. I think I’ll bring my camera.”
I gave a brief laugh. “Surprise, surprise!”
Lee made a wry face at me and then returned my laughter. “Well, you know me…”
“I surely do, Mister,” I retorted, winking and grinning.
Together we went to get dressed. I asked for jeans and a T-shirt, with rugged boots ideal
for trail hiking. Lee’s attire nearly matched mine but where I had chosen a red T-shirt, he
had chosen a navy blue one.
We walked out to the terrace, seeing the ramp already set near the head of the trail into
the canyon. The colorful, wind-sculpted pillars of stone peeked out beyond the edge of
the canyon, offering their form for the imagination to build a story around. Other houses
were set nearby, though I saw no one within hailing distance. Brice Canyon is fairly
popular, it would seem.
Once we got to the ground, the ramp retracted on my suggestion, and we headed for the
trailhead downwards. The air was warm but not yet sweltering as it would be in midsummer,
and the scent of pine and freshness filled our deeply drawn breaths. Down and
down we went, switching back here and there, as the stone rose higher and higher, frozen
in dance, above our head.
Light and shadow played tag through the monuments we passed through, and I marveled
at the many colors and fascinating shapes that made up the canyon.
“Oh, Lee, this is beautiful.”
Lee, who had been capturing the canyon’s story on film, tucked his camera close in one
hand and wrapped me with his other arm, pulling me close to him and kissing me lightly.
“It sure is,” he agreed.