Curiosity is the lust of the mind.  – Thomas Hobbes

Legend tells us of a secret hideaway of bandits and bootleggers in the hills southeast of Sedona. Getting there is as much of a mystery as the discovery. The unmarked trail takes you into a ravine and through a dry river wash,  and the cairns offer reassurance that you are on the right path.  fullsizeoutput_2581

While the views are mesmerizing, the narrow, slick-rock cliff is an intimidating long way down.  Waiting will invite hesitation, so we don’t stop. We shimmy around the edge with carefully placed hands and feet and continue until a glimpse of the cave offers a nudge to keep going.

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I imagine the smell of a campfire  and the scuffle of cowboy boots from those who keep guard. I  picture money bags against the cave walls, crumbled wanted posters for the fire, and bottles empty of moonshine. There is a lookout  to the east in addition to the unobstructed view of Sedona and the valley between.

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It is a perfect vantage point in the event of a sting from bounty hunters and sheriffs.  And it is breathtaking!

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True or not true, its fun to let the imagination recreate a time we are familiar with  because of novels and marathons of western movies.

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In retrospect, evidence will lead you to understand a greater story to ponder.  The natives call  it Shaman’s Cave as it was a place of spirituality and healing.  Healing bandits?  Ha. The irony convinces me that maybe it just comes down to harmony, and a place is what you make it.

For me, it is an unexplained spirituality where my presence is woven into the stories past.   I walk quietly and listen to the wind that speaks and search for messages to help me tell their stories.

And that he in my we?

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Always an attempt at a getaway.   IMG_1923

Opposites DO attract…

Humbled again by this beautiful place I also call home.

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