I walk back to the truck where the children are already eating their lunch. Don calls to them. He has found a rocky ledge that has an unusual surface. They troupe over to see it, while I help myself to a sandwich and return to my drawing. On the way I see a lot of fresh deer tracks, and deer sign, or scat. I watch for a cottontail rabbit, but I have seen none so far. No doubt it’s because of the hawk who keeps circling back. I think it enjoys soaring on the updrafts. A flock of little juncos flutters over to my shade tree, hopping here and there, looking for food, before restlessly moving on.
I sit down and pick up my pen. With a few careful strokes of ink, I draw lines to detail branches and sketchily outline the silhouettes. I shape tops of shrubs and delineate stems of grass. A thinner line works for the distant mountain slopes, the level valley and lake, just a suggestion here and there. I leave some empty space for the eye of the viewer to fill in the blanks. It’s easy to overdo line. I don’t want it to look like a coloring book, so I make myself stop. I can always add a line or two later if it’s needed. I hold up my drawing. It looks finished. I think I have the perspective right and the composition looks balanced. I was not conscious of repeated rhythms in the line, but there they are. An art critic might say they contribute to a feeling of wholeness, completeness, harmony in all the elements.
I hope my drawing conveys the immensity of space in front of me. It’s hard to describe in words the exhilarating combination of mountain air fragrant with sage, the euphoric sense of height above the valley far below, a soaring hawk, the blue, blue sky, a field of sage interspersed with rabbitbrush, the open forest, and a vista that expands to infinity. It’s God’s country all right. My heart fills with gratitude for such a place and such a time. Sun, rain, and snow on this rim have made a rich environment out of an arid land. It’s a transition area of tremendous diversity and far-reaching beauty. I’m thankful we stopped to take another look.