Another fine day comes to a close.
The crew is already conked out on the bed with me. Spike’s at my feet and Bridget’s in my armpit. That’s enough reading for tonight. I pull up the window blind about eight inches so I can see the stars, place my glasses on the little table, rearrange my pillow, click the light, and scrunch down into the covers.
My head on my pillow, I contentedly gaze up at the night sky.
So many stars are visible tonight. As is my custom, I recount the activities of the day in my mind, and wonder what I’ll do tomorrow. Gee, those stars are bright. I lift up my head to get a better look out the window. That’s when I see it. What in the world is THAT?
An orange, glowing sphere is hovering just above the horizon.
This light is bigger than the lights of the stars. I start to analyze. It’s hovering too far above the horizon to be the light of a building. There aren’t any buildings anyway. This is the desert, silly. I strain my eyes to make sure I’m actually seeing something, not just a reflection.
Holy sh*t! There’s ANOTHER one! (Let me interrupt the story line right here and point out that I did not say the above referenced swear word out loud. I did, however, think it in a very big way.)
Two brilliant orange lights just above the desert horizon . . . Hmmm.
It can’t be Christ returning. These lights are in the north and He said He’d come back from the east. Besides there’s two lights. Who would the other guy be? Oh, there’s got to be a logical explanation. It’s probably reflections. Yeah, that’s it. That’s what they always say about people who see UFOs, like those folks over in Roswell. But what could they be reflections of?
The refrigerator lights! That’s it!
I whip my head around and look at the two orange lights on the fridge panel. One shows the gas is on, the other the level of cold it’s set at. What a relief. I ease out of bed, grab a towel, and drape it over the refrigerator lights. I’m smiling in acknowledgement of my fine-tuned, analytical ability. Not too shabby. The old girl’s still got it. I go back and look out the window.
THE LIGHTS ARE STILL THERE!
“Holy sh*t! I know, I know, excessive swearing. You’d swear, too, if two unidentified, unexplainable big ol’ orange lights were hovering on YOUR horizon. I slip into my shoes, fumble around for my flashlight, go outside, and creep around the trailer to get a better look. “Son of a b*^#tch!” (Sorry! This time I say it out loud.)
Now there are THREE lights!
This is NOT good. What IS this? An alien attack? I look up the lane. Rick’s Scamp has a light. Good, Rick’s up. I’m calling him. He’s gotta see this. I go back inside. Bridget’s awake, sitting up looking at me with her “I’m scared” face. Spike sleeps on.
“Hi, Rick. I’m sorry to bother you but I see your light is on.” I’m talking fast. This is urgent. Whatever these things are, they’re multiplying by the minute. “Look out your window to the north. What the heck are those lights?” I try not to sound too alarmed.
“Oh, that’s just flares,” he replies without laughing, for which I am grateful. “They put up those flares so they can do practice exercises at night over at the missile range.”
The muscles in my neck relax.
“Gee, I thought we were being attacked by aliens!” Before I can say goodbye, the connection crackles, breaks up, and the call dies. Now THAT’s more likely aliens!
The next day Rick strolls by, walking his dog, Lady, and says something that makes me feel a little less the fool.
“My first night out here I saw them and I almost grabbed my toothbrush and ran,” he tells me with a chuckle.
Speaking of bright lights in the sky, take a look at tonight’s sunset!
rvsue
Sue – Great post. Same thing happened to Clete when he went to an astronomy overnighter. He was freaking out as the orange balls multiplied. It was right after 9/11.
Hi Chris! Thanks. Glad you liked it.
It was freaking me out, too. They don’t look like flares at all. Hi, Clete!
You are a real story teller, you are. I am glad I am following your adventure.
I’m glad you are, too, Jim! Thanks for the compliment.
Still laughing……
Okay, Sheila, you can laugh. But it wasn’t funny at the time!
I probably would have been cowering on the floor. But your retelling was a good laugh.
Your to funny…. I would have sh(&t to.. and ran and hide… ha ha… always an advernture for you, that is great, I love the towel over the lights, and I can just imagine the expression on your face when you turned around to see that did not solve the dilema. Great writing like always, and yes like Sheila still laughing.. And bad girl you woke Bridget up, ha ha doesn’t surprise me that Spike sleeps on throught all this.. have fun beaufitul sun set.
I’m glad you enjoyed my true story!
Howdy sue & crew,
Don’t be skeered, we seen’em too, also!! Only they wasn’t orange; they were white or clear..
About as far apart as lights on a football stadium parking lot.. and moving towards us!! We
pulled over, cut the key off, turned the lights off and WAITED!!! The thing went right OVER US
AND MADE NO NOISE, EXCEPT FOR A WHOOSHING SOUND!!! It was ‘delta shaped’ dark colored, only 3 lights were visible and that thing was HUGE!!! About 3 weeks later Joyce saw it again, in a different direction; no noise as it passed over her, just a whooshing sound!!! The
USAF refuses to admit there is ‘something out there’; I think because it belongs to them!!!
Just watch Spike; if he doesn’t care, don’t get upset… Pay no attention to the ‘spooky’ one!!!
Are you pulling my leg, Butterbean? That’s VERY strange.
So you think Spike would be a good role model? If Spike ain’t scared, it’s nothing to worry about. I don’t know about that. I think he sleeps like a rock and doesn’t have a clue.
WOW I can see myself in that blog story, more than once in fact. It will be likely you will see some other interesting things in your travels.
I’m not even traveling and the things are coming to me!
Good thing you had Spike there at the ready to protect you just in case! lol
Beautiful pic.
Hi, Francy!
If I get out of bed for a snack, Spike wakes up, no problem.
Ah, the mystique of the desert.
Wish you were here . . .
Someday, someday . . .
LOVE the way you told that story. I was congratulating you on your analytical abilities and knowing I would have felt the same way if I’d figured it all out. And then………not sure I would have the nerve to go outside though. But glad you did. Who could sleep without an answer to that question!
Very well done!!
Sherry
http://www.directionofourdreams.blogspot.com
Thanks, Sherry!
Hello JoJo!
The sunset was outstanding. I was finishing up the blog, looked out the window, and could hardly believe it. The pic caught only the disappearing end of it.
LOL!! LOVED this post, Sue! When we meet up one day, however, you’ll see that I am more likely to say those asterisk-riddled words out loud if I am alarmed like that!! Especially loved the sentence that “Bridget’s awake, sitting up looking at me with her “I’m scared” face”.
Now, go back and enjoy your desert. 🙂
–Jool
I remember an English teacher telling me to find “the right word.” Well, that’s what I try to do and sometimes it ain’t pretty!
Hmmm, possible alien approach or knowing you are that close to a missile practice area… I think I might rather take my chances with the aliens (just kidding). Great story and we certainly understand how colorful language might be justified. Another glorious desert sunset picture there.
I’m glad you enjoyed the story, Donna. The sunset was a lot more “glorious” in person!
Those orange flares are also used by the Border Patrol at night. Moving lights in the night sky around that area is just one of the things I like about that region. When you see blinking stars moving about you will know it is high flying jet fighter aircraft practicing night manuevers. A lot of that goes on there. So far everything I have seen in the night sky I have been logically able to figure out but oh, how I would love to see a real bonafide UFO. I am always on the lookout for one:))
When you see the alien, be sure to take a photo and post it on your blog, Al. You’d probably break the sitemeter!
Still laughing! … “Who would the other guy be?” I’m thinkin’ — Elvis! Now here’s an idea for a quiet desert night … who would you LIKE it to be? Isn’t history one of your genres? Who would you and your blogees WISH to “drop in” at your Casita? Jesus? Buddha? Joan of Arc? Churchill? Julius Cesear? Marie Antoinette? George Washington? Seriously … who?
Good question, Gayle!
For me, I’d say the other guy next to Jesus would be an angel!
Neat story, told with a masterful pen….. We used to shoot up those lume rounds in Viet Nam from our grenade launchers, and we also had larger stars that were shot from the mortars. They really went up in the air and hung under their parachutes for what seemed to be the longest times.
Hi, Rod,
Thanks for the compliment and thanks also for adding some validity to my experience. Your story is obviously scarier than mine.
A third thank you .. . a big one . .. for serving your country in Viet Nam.
Welcome home, Brother. IMHO the star rounds were better than the lumes but the Sonoran desert sunset beats them both! Great shot Sue!
Awww, and you thought there were aliens. Too Bad!
Mike and Dee
gonerving.blogspot.com
Yeah, imagine if rvsue and her canine crew had an encounter with aliens… REAL ones! That would make for some interesting blog posts.
Glad to hear you didn’t lose too much sleep over it and Bridget survived without getting hysterical and waking Spike up. lol. Now you have two good explanations from your neighbors, you can rest easy.
http://travelinglongdogs.blogspot.com/
I’ve learned the length of time I can be out of Bridget’s sight before she gets hysterical. It’s not a very long time, believe me.
Great accounting of what you experienced Sue. When not sleeping at night here in NYS, we usually have the “Coast to Coast” radio show on. We hear of these flare stories quite often. Keep the stories coming. First hand is much more interesting to hear. You need to write a book!!
I’ve never heard any flare stories. I should have been warned! LOL
Now look what you have done !!!.Diet Coke all over the laptop.
Oh, Anton, so sorry!
Oh dear!! I too had “spooky” lights in my RV one nite to only find out it was the refrigerator lights reflecting off the windows.. Dogs were unconcerned, so I was the fool. You sure made me laugh with your experience. Great writing!!
I was certain the refrigerator lights were the cause . . . two orange lights side by side.
Thanks for letting me know you enjoy my writing.
With all the military stuff going on over the desert you can get a light show almost every night. They scared me the first time too.
Remember the photo I posted of the sign warning immigration and smuggling in the area? It should have a postscript that says, “BTW, we looked into it and the orange lights are not aliens. So don’t panic.”
I like that Rick said he’d grab his toothbrush. Good oral care is always important! Too funny.
Rick’s sense of humor, like most things about him, is very understated. Sometimes he says things … just a word or a phrase . .. but with his wry tone and timing, it’s hilarious. I find myself bursting into laughter several hours later.
Well, the Spike-o-meter tells me right now I should be back in bed sleeping the morning away.
There are occasional booms here but they are so far away I hardly notice anymore.
Your blog is a great addition to Hitchitch.com. congratulations.
Thanks, Barney! I’m thrilled.
Ah, OFM beat me to it. Congratulations. This is the second time I nominated you and they finally acted on it. The first time they thought it was about dogs so obviously didn’t read it. You have a great blog enjoyed by many people.
http://travelinglongdogs.blogspot.com/
I didn’t realize that people could nominate blogs. How very nice of you! Thank you. A few moments ago I sent Ron and Terry a thank-you email telling them how proud I am to be on their travel journals list.
Sue:
Great post as always and glad those aliens didn’t get you and the crew. We camped out in Cave Creek Arizona last night and we didn’t get anything but wind! Enjoy.
Kevin
http://Www.adventuresofa50yearold.blogspot.com
The wind has come this way, too!
The aliens are coming! The aliens are coming! (Scratches head: Russians or Aliens? Same thing.) To clean up the desert? NO. To make it into a garden of delights? YES!
Couldn’t resist. Gail
Awwwwhhhh Sue……sure we wanna visit Roswell????????
hahahahaaha! Glad to be back home just so I can catch up on your adventures! Thank you for sharing your wonderful stories with all of us! 2 orange lights indeed! LOL SciFi finds Darby Wells?
Thank you for sharing your lovely pond in Yuma and the wonderful cacti with us at Darby Wells. Quartzsite was fun too! Keep writing! It just gets better and better!
Chuck and Geri,
Writing is fun when I know people enjoy reading what I put together. Thanks.
We’ve made some great memories, haven’t we! Glad you made it home safely. Be sure to post your photos of Roper State Park in your blog. I want to see that place. Hugs to the Hound Herd!
http://www.phunnyfarm.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2009-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=22
There is the link to Roper State Park from when we were in our Oliver camper! Much prettier when it’s green! Right now, none of the lush green like we saw at Darby Wells! I will post blogs again once we get caught up on unpacking The MotherShip,laundry yada yada yada…………..
Dear Sue and crew,
Great story well told!
It reminded me of a starry night years ago. I was laying on a blanket observing the night sky, looking for shooting stars and other beautiful displays and constellations, when I began to see lights in the sky moving in strange ways, Some transversed east to west, some north to south (which I thought to be satellites), and then I saw three lights spaced well apart start across the sky, then take a right turn in formation and go in a different direction. I still have no explanation for that aberration, though at the time I sure thought UFO!
The detail of orange lights on the appliances possibly reflecting added to the suspense, and the relieving explanation a good wrapper.
Keep giving us all the fun of following your thoughts and travels.
Regards, Bob
Hey, Bob!
So you never found out what the lights were? That would drive me crazy! I’m glad you liked the story. I just told it like it happened, including my thoughts at the time.