...on my bread plate at the historic El Tovar Lodge
seductively enticed me to capture her in my Zen journal.
The El Tovar, opened in 1905, as a Harvey House
and
is picturesquely situated just a mere
twenty feet from south rim of the Grand Canyon.
The hotel is one of only a handful of Harvey House facilities
that are still in operation,
and
it is an wonderful example of
National Park Service Rustic architecture.
Our table, dressed in crisp white linens, was fireside.
(Ahhh...so romantic!)
Crystal glasses, white china, and silver flatware
sparkled in the sunlight.
It was like stepping back in time.
The room was quietly bustling with activity.
It was elegant, yet, familiar.
Lyrical sounds of various foreign languages
could be softly heard here and there.
Our table instantly became
a welcome, warm and cozy respite from
our hiking along the rim.
It was a
a place to linger...and imagine...and wonder...
about the stories of the travellers
who, decades before us,
sat in our very same places...and, like us,
came here to
enjoy the majesty and inspiration of the canyon beyond.
It was an amazing experience.
We wanted to stay and continue to soak it all in.
I just had to have something
to take back home with me as a remembrance.
Hence, this simple drawing.
She was drawn "ink straight in" (a bit wonky in places)
during our wonderful little lunch and,
by the date,
you can tell that it was made
last fall when we visited the Canyon.
I cannot believe it is just now that this piece
is seeing the light of day!
November seems like eons ago...
funny, how this drawing brings back memories
that feel like
they happened only yesterday!
Time certainly has her way with us!
"Faith is trust
in what the spirit learned
eons ago."
~B.H. Roberts
eons ago."
~B.H. Roberts
"Cactus Monday"
