Yesterday was desert hot. The kind of heat that makes you close the windows AND curtains to keep cool. Summer days are the worst. I wilt. I’m not sure of the daytime high, but by 7:00 PM, the outside temp was still 93 degrees. Coupled with choking smoke from the Tamarack Fire, it was miserable. My beloved big blue sky was a hazy mass of soot and smoke.
One great thing about the desert is fluctuations in temperature over a 24 hour period. Take yesterday, for example. Between the high and low, there was a 50 degree spread. Add a nice breeze and early mornings or late evenings become a pleasant time to be outside.
Considering changing my evening plans to an Olympic binge in my living room, I waffled for a moment. However. I DID make chocolate chip cookies. I DID wash and blow dry my hair. It WOULD eventually cool off. Sometimes a girl just needs to buck up and brave the elements. With cookies, chilled waters, a chair and a picnic blanket, I was out the door just before sunset.
Arriving at dusk, activities were in full swing. Businesses in my little town had outdone themselves providing a variety of activities for the littles. A bounce house. Face Painting. A frozen snack vendor. BBQ. And, a raffle.
The local Jeep dealership lent a brand new Jeep pickup complete with lawn chairs for use as a viewing platform during the movie. Along with the truck came a big bucket of popcorn, a tub full of snacks, and a cooler of soft drinks. Raffle tickets, costing $1 each, allowed children a chance to win this premier spot for their evening of fun. Local businesses also prepared a few child friendly baskets to complete the raffle.
Littles had been encouraged to dress as their favorite Toy Story characters. With a patchwork of families snacking on blankets in the dark, the movie began. The desert rests in absolute darkness. One hasn’t experienced night fully until sitting in the desert on a moonless night. Nevada just became the first state in the nation to create Night Sky Preservation Zones. You can’t enjoy the beauty of true big sky starlight if surrounded by artificial light pollution. Until you SEE the difference, you don’t KNOW the difference.
The movie took me right back to the wonderful times I spent with children on Third Grade Movie Days. As periodic rewards for hard work, movies in the classroom bonded my students and me through laughter, good snacks, and fun. Moving the desks and sitting on the floor, we’d focus on the drama or hilarity of the moment, while gasping or laughing in unison. Last night was a similar experience.
It helped that I hadn’t seen the movie. One day on a lunch time pizza run, I’d seen advertisements for both the local Junior Rodeo and Family Movie Night at the Park. Noting both dates, I vowed to myself that I would attend. Independently alone and on my own, to find a few hours of entertainment in the presence of others, even if they were strangers.
Examples of superb parenting and well behaved children gave me hope for the future. Looking around, I smiled at the adorable cherubs behaving themselves while having fun. There is nothing more enjoyable than that. Throughout the night, not once did I reach for my whistle, retired to my jewelry box so long ago. All eyes were on the movie.
If you haven’t seen Toy Story 4, it gets rave reviews. As a 65 year old adult woman, I found it totally entertaining.
When the last of the credits finished, the park was quickly returned to its resting state, cleared of any sign that people had enjoyed an event there. Not a cup or can was left. People cleaned up and cleared out with some of the youngest attendees sleeping soundly as they were carried to their cars.
Driving at night isn’t something I do very often, always being mindful of horses. In the desert darkness I mentioned before, they are in front of you before you can brake. Sure enough, coming around the corner on my way home, three neighborhood marauders plodded along the center divide. With no urgency to scurry off the road, they took their sweet time to clip clop along. A very good thing the speed limit is 25 mph in town. Even better is the fact that I’m a cautious driver.
I’ll be scanning the local bulletin boards for more small town events. With school back in session, I plan to follow our high school football team and attend some home games. For now, Bible Study and Church await. Have a great day. Take a few minutes today to watch some of our finest athletes do their best to bring home the gold. Go Team USA.