Warm breeze rushing through my hair as the sun rest behind the mountains. One by one the evening lights begin their soft glow across the neigborhood. The sky changes from it daily azure blue into soft shades of amber, pink, and lavendar. The bird's song fades softly with the daylight and the crickets begin their evening choir hymns. In my back yard I sit at a table with paints, stencils and brushes. My sister at another table working on a puzzle. We're both under patio umbrellas illuminated by blue-white solar lights. The soft sounds of Boys II Men flowing with the breeze that's now turned cool. The faint smell of bbq lingers in the wind while we snack on s'mores made from the still warm grill on the other edge of the patio. Poking my head from under the patio lights into the sky and spying the northern star, and even cassiopeia shining so bright as if to call out and boast of her beauty to Juno herself.
Summers in Utah are phenominal with it's midnight hikes in the foothills and smaller mountains of the wasatch range illuminated by the full bulb of the moon, or it's moonlight picnics in the open fields off the sides of one the old back highways.
The meteor showers light the skies like lightening bugs dive-bombing the earth every 30 seconds.
Evening bonfires polka dotting the mountain sides with its glow against a chill breeze.
There are nights where we tailgate at the drive in finally settling down to catch the last half of the first feature and totally falling asleep during the 2nd feature only to wake up in the back of a friends pick up truck or suv amidst pillows, socks , shoes and blankets, chips, soda bottles and chocolate wrappers an hour after the theatre lights have gone down.
I love recieving a text on an insomniac night at 2:00 am from a bunch of your friends who can't sleep and are headed to Flying J truck stop for breakfast, strawberry short cake, or whatever else they have a taste for.
I've enjoyed the night life of New York, Chicago, New jersey, L.A, San Diego, Dallas, Vegas, Honolulu and many other places. Been to the clubs, casinos, nightlife, beaches and so on.
I'd much rather enjoy the quiet intimate nightlife with a few friends and family away from the contemporary hustle and bustle of city life. I prefer the soft sounds of the river's rush and the crickets churp, or even my own C.D playing soulful R &B from the 70's or 80 while on my back patio looking in the night sky for pegasus or Orion over hearing the degrading lyrics of Rap and Pop surrounded by smoke and drinks at the club or bar, or even looking at a tv with glossed over eyes.
I'm sure each city has it's own natural quiet beauty and entertainment. But I have yet to experience anything like the absolute peace and comfort that comes from summer nights in Utah.
* Hawaii & Idaho are a close second* ;)
