In the city, you lose your shadow.

Went out into the high desert yesterday afternoon to do some writing. I'm not sure why the terrain is so conducive to that.

My usual haunts at the Badlands were crowded. I wonder if some events were happening? Or just a beautiful weekend day?

Anyway, went a bit further out to get some solitude. Started driving to the Pine Mountain Observatory, because my new story involves Little Grey Men and that would be a great setting for a scene. The snow and mud was too thick for my car, and I turned back around.

Found a dirt road and just kept following it until I got to a footpath. Walked down it for about half an hour.

It was blue skies (though unfortunately hazy). Warm. A little bit of wind.

And completely quiet. Not a sound, not even a bird.

I poured out my ice drinking container, which was sloshing and clinking. And just soaked up the quiet. 30 minutes from town, and I could have been on the moon.

As I walked back to the car, the sun was setting and my shadow grew longer and longer, and it occurred to me, that in the city you lose your shadow. Artificial light, and short viewpoints, and canyons of buildings and enclosed spaces.

I'm going out there again today, because just at the end of my walk I found an interesting path that wound up into some rock formations.