On our second night in Zion NP I woke up several times....each time hoping I wouldn't hear rain drops hitting the tent. But each time it was the same...pitter...patter..drip...drop. Now when I'm at home tucked in my warm soft bed I find that sound rather soothing. But on a photography road trip sleeping in a tent.....it just doesn't have that same soothing quality. I woke up to my "Chaybert Alarm Clock" to find a puddle of water near my feet. Fortunately my ridiculous amount of sleeping pads (4 in all) kept my sleeping bag elevated just above the water line........pheeeeew! A wet bag would have been a serious buzz killer. Meanwhile Brian enjoyed the comfy confines of his Prius mini motorhome. I still don't know how all six and a half feet of him can fit in there! It's classic. But I did learn one lesson. If you're camping with Brian just don't leave your Gatorade bottle in the Prius at night. I made that mistake....once. Although Brian is quite capable of fitting into his Prius cocoon.....it seems that once he's bedded down for the night he doesn't like to exit the vehicle for midnight pee breaks. My Gatorade bottle....(which I like to refill with water since I'm cheap).....was utilized as a urinal in the dark ours of the night. Getting the bottle with the wide opening probably wasn't a wise move either. (BTW bro....you still owe me a Gatorade. I like grape) Anyhew......after packing up the tent...(something Brian and I can now do blindfolded in about 30 seconds)....we enjoyed a soggy morning of photography as the killer clouds rolled around the valley. Mike Jones had joined the party the evening before. He showed up with a crock pot of pork and veggies simmering. Good Mikey. It was delicious. So good in fact that Brian and I had no difficulty pounding down a couple helpings even after the huge chicken parmesan dinner we had destroyed a couple hours earlier. I think I gained weight on this trip in spite of all the hiking. So....our soggy morning turned into a beautiful afternoon and then we ended the day with this amazing sunset which lit up the Watchman and the Virgin River. God is good.
