Sequoia at Christmas
My friend Brahm will tell you that he has the best dog. I’d agree with him, but then we would both be wrong.
The truth of the matter is my wife and I have the best and most beautiful dog in the world we know this because A) Sequoia lives with us, so we know. B) People are always stopping us and telling us how beautiful she is. C) At the Grand Canyon she was a bigger draw then the canyon itself.
I don’t have a fear of heights, I can climb a ladder, I climb several every day at work, but I’m not fond of heights there is something especially nerve-wracking about standing on the edge of a cliff. I knew I suffered from vertigo but I didn’t realize how badly until we stopped at the Grand Canyon. I asked my wife to hold Sequoia while I went to take the perfect picture. Once at the ledge I knew I wasn’t getting a picture, it is really hard to hold the camera when you have a white knuckle grip on the safety railing. My saving grace was the really big guy beside me that was having the same issue. Together we were able to nudge people out of the way as we moved slowly along the rail until we were safely off the overhang.
It was the Grand Canyon and vertigo be damned I was getting my picture. My new plan of attack was to let my wife stand on the overhang with Sequoia and I would take a picture of them with the canyon in the background. When I finally located my wife I realized I just wasn’t going to get a picture. There was my wife (who is claustrophobic and does not like crowds) standing at the edge of the world-famous Grand Canyon, the throng of people around her was not looking at the Canyon, they were all looking at Sequoia. My poor wife couldn’t even enjoy the view due to all the people who wanted to ask about Sequoia, pet Sequoia and take pictures of Sequoia. Even the park ranger who was trying to move people off the edge due to the approaching storm stopped to admire Sequoia.
The Grand Canyon, as I’m sure you know happens to be a large tourist gathering place where lots of different languages are spoken. However, there is the international language of sign. For example did you know that if somebody comes up to you and bends slightly at the knees, leans forward, hunches over while stretching out their hands and wiggling their fingers towards the floor means, “May I please pet your dog?” Also when they bring their hand up to their face and bend their index finger at the knuckle several times while pointing at your dog with the other hand means, “May I take a picture of your dog please?” additionally, if when doing this they thrust their child at the dog it means, “May I take a picture of your dog with my child please?” What kills me is that I know these people are then going back to whatever country they came from and showing their friends the picture they took of their kid with Maya the dog from Eight Below. And no, I have never seen the movie.
In short, because of the impending storm, claustrophobia, vertigo and throngs of people more interested in Sequoia then the canyon my wife and I will have to plan another trip to the Canyon so we can actually take in the views.
I’ve never met Alfred, (Brahm’s dog) but I’m betting he also is one heck of a dog!
PanningForGold 