red rocks vs. naked bums in my face

A couple weeks ago, I was given an application for a park service job (to be a "ranger"... not the cool kind, but the mean, fee-taking, pretend you're tough but really powerless kind) because one of the rangers thought I'd really like this job. I turned it in but I told them that I was interested in a job starting after this one ends in September. Well, the other day when I went to pick up my parents from their flight to Las Vegas, my phone rang and it was the park service to let me know they want me to start on the 24th... It all depends if they can find housing for me or not, but I can't figure out what to do. It would be great money, but I'm finally getting the hang of this job at the lodge. I'm not ready to sacrifice the little social life I have here in the dorms yet either.

Speaking of the great social life in the dorms... The other night I came back to the dorm and sat around the front yard with 5 older guys that live upstairs. Sad reality... sometimes I can relate to these older men better than the college age goofs that live in the other dorm. I hope that doesn't mean I've become old and rigid and mature. But the night took a turn of excitement none of us expected when a man three doors down from me was threatening another guy with his knife collection because he had been off his medication for a couple weeks now. Soon the rangers arrived in their little ranger-cop cars and came up the hill to our dorm. All of us took off. I went to my room and locked the door. I had no clue if I should expect a series of gunfire or if I could open my door and peer down the hallway to watch the guy be taken away half-sober in handcuffs. Later that night, when I thought all of the chaos was over, I went to the bathroom to get ready for bed and almost ran right into the rangers as I came out. They were leaving without the man and without the knife collection. I wasn't surprised to hear that his roomate never came to bed that night. I think he must have slept in the hammock down by the other dorms.

On Sunday, a group of us hiked up the Narrows and alittle ways down Orderville canyon and back. It was incredible. If you've never heard of the Narrows, it is the world-famous hike here. Supposedly one of the very best hikes you can do in the US. Our guide was actually the superintendent of Zion National Park... pretty special opportunity to get to hike with the big guy. He's part of the ministry support committee here for the three of us who do the services in the park. This is the only national park where the head of the park is so involved with the Christian ministry like this. So he took us through the Narrows and taught us all kinds of things we'd never have known. Cannot wait to do the full hike someday.

That night, we went to his house and had dinner together and my parents came along. Then we headed off for Vegas, randomly. We had no real plans, except that I had Monday off and we had no place to stay for the night anyway. The night was gorgeous. Wildfires lit up the mountain as we drove away from the little town of Hurricane. We drove through a canyon and the moonlight lit up the cliffs on my right. The heat was so intense that the breeze through the window stung my eyes. Then we came over a ridge and the city just glowed golden across the horizon. The heat rising in the city made the lights flicker and glisten. We stayed in the MGM Grand. I felt very insignificant in that giant hotel, but it was worth the experience. Went and saw the strip and finally got to sleep at 4 am. Saw a magic show yesterday because it was one of the only shows minus naked bodies I was ok with seeing with my parents. Saw enough naked bodies on the trash laying on the street. Saw enough of Vegas. Sorry, I'm not a huge fan. I like being back in Zion, back where the red rocks are glowing outside my window in the rising moonlight.