Standing outside, in the cold air, looking up at the stars. Not moving, just listening to the sounds of the night. Nothing is stirring. The air is cold on my skin where the blanket that I am wrapped in doesnât cover me. Nothing on but a pair of moccasins. The stars are bright in the night sky and the moonlight is bright.
I think of the hot springs just behind the cabin that I stay in when I am in Colorado. Good night for a soak. Pulling the blanket tighter around my naked body, I move silently in that direction. My feet know the path well after all these years. Nothing to bother me, I can hear anything that approaches a hundred feet away. No neighbors within miles so I should be okay to do this, like the many times I have done it before.
The spring is better than I remember. Too many things have happened since I was here last. To many broken promises and words that werenât meant. I need time to just rest and relax. To get to know me again and to heal. I need the quiet and the solitude. To much water under the bridge I think to myself as I step out of the blanket and mocassins. The bottom of the spring is white sand, so the water is clear.
Stepping gently into the water, it feels so good. Warm and gentle, like being wrapped in a lover. Moving into the deeper center, water sliding up my body. The feeling of well being rising up my body as the water level moves higher on me. I find the big rock that sits in nearly the middle of the water and sit on it to just soak awhile. To let my mind wander and rest. Not to look back, not to look forward, just looking. With my feet on the rock, propped just right, I can put my elbows on my knees and prop my chin in my hands. All but my neck, head, and hands remain under the water.
Startled out of that mind numbing state by a sound, I look up. Bears or wolves either one are not uncommon here. But usually they try to stay away from people. Out of the woods steps a shape. With the moonlight I can see what looks to be a wolf. It makes a straight line for the pool that I am in. I donât move and I know I am upwind of it. Then it stops at the waterâs edge. It looks me in the eye with a wagging tail. Not a wolf, but a really big German Shepard. A young dog from the looks of it. He has a collar and tags. I hear more noise in the underbrush around the pond. Out steps another form, this one on two legs. The dog relaxes and I figure that it must be his person. A man, a big man moves quietly to the edge of the pond. âI see you found my dogâ.
âActually your dog seems to have found meâ I replied. The dogâs tail is going nuts under the water and when he stands on four feet I end up soaked from the spray that he is throwing off. He moves somewhat and then settles back down. I look at the man to see him soaked as well. My laughter is loud and clear. I just couldnât help it. I wasnât the least bit afraid, but he didnât look very pleased.
âSince you are already wet, you might as well join meâ. He looks at me, intensely. I could see the brain working. Him deciding if this was a good thing or not. I tell him that since the dog was not in a hurry to leave, maybe he shouldnât be either. My brain must have suddenly kicked into gear, as I realized what I had said. Here I was, naked as the day that I was born, and I was inviting a stranger to share my pond with me. He was a big man and with the water, I was suddenly unsure if I could protect myself if needed.
He stood and shook himself. I told him that if it made him more comfortable that I would either turn my back or close my eyes until he was safety in the water and said it was okay to look. He raised an eyebrow at that. Then I got the best smile that I think that I have ever seen. I closed my eyes and listened intently. I heard the shoes thud when they hit the ground, the belt being undone, and then a short pause. Next sound was him stepping into the water. I peeked, he was a big man, more like a big teddy bear, one meant for snuggling. Not fat, just a big man. All over.
I sensed him standing in front of me. The dog had quieted down and was now lying on the bank watching him. I moved over to share my rock, but the man seemed content to just stand. I could see his clothing hung over various branches of the undergrowth to dry. I looked at this bear of a man and thought what a kindly face he had. Without a thought in my brain, I reached out and gently touched his face. He never moved, just stood there. Finally his eyes closed, and he let out a breath.