Another amazing find at Owl Canyon were the tunnels under the hills carved out through the wash. The hike led us through a beautiful slot canyon up to a hill where the road was above us and the rock wash was below our feet. The tunnel was long and the construction on it was awesome. We are tall people so it was nice to have this round shape be way over our heads and not have to squat and walk through it. Our daughter loved the echo of her voice and made a lot of wonderful sounds which we all ended up mimicking one another. Our dog loved all the smells associated with time resting on the walls of the tunnel itself. I took a wonderful picture of him having a glorious time activating all his senses. The tunnel opened up into more of the slot canyon and we proceeded to venture on. The hike continued with more owl nests, more wash walking, and some lovely rock stacks, or cairns, left by others before us to mark the trails. We decided to stop for a rest, water the dog, feed the babe, and explore for a little while.
To see the world through a child’s eyes is wondrous and to watch them explore is even more miraculous. It amazes me how much I forgot about my own childhood and how special or magical everything is to a child. I am forever grateful for the tortoise pace of life where we stop, touch, smell, taste, and look at everything with immense joy and wonder. Every detail of this world is somehow new again and this trail was new in itself. We had not ventured on this hike prior so there were no memories shared. Now, I will forever remember the sounds echoing through the tunnels of owl canyon. The laughter bounced off the metal walls and her joy illuminated the darkness of the tunnel. The sound of the dog panting with excitement and sniffing around non stop will also be a fond memory to keep forever. Bringing joy to these two little souls is now our purest joy. Sketching on trails has turned into something different entirely and painting is done in the warmth of our home after the hikes are finished. Walking back while staring at the canyon walls brought such inspiration for future paintings. I hope you enjoyed this little read on Monday. Thank you for taking the time to walk on this trail with us!
-Karen Callen