2022
Late November, I was on my way to Mogollon Rim Visitor Center in Payson, Arizona. My small car sputtered weakly up the incline of Highway 260 as a tailgating truck impatiently roared by. Another blur of wheels and steel as more cars anxiously zoomed ahead.
15 minutes before sunset, I reached my destination: a point where the road turned off into a concrete lot. I walked out to the wooden observation deck overseeing the Mogollon Rim- a 200 mile shelf with steep drop offs of 2,000 ft where I was (Source: VisitArizona). It was 35° F(1.6°C). A small group came and left just as quickly, their shivering whispers punctuating the air with white puffs.
Now, I was left as a lone audience member, watching the sunset scenery unfold in front- the soft orange glow softening the rough edges of the rugged mountains and sharp pine needles.
Slowly, the sky darkened- the stage’s curtains coming down. Encore, encore- I clamored in my mind. Not ready for the show to end, I went back to see more of Mogollon Rim the next day. This time, I stopped at Rim Lakes Vista Overlook and took the approximate 2 hour long out-and-back accessible paved trail.
Golden leaves hung from deciduous trees, while patches of snow lightly coated the ground; nature torn between autumn and winter- its two lovers. A leaf fell as I walked, tumbling in the air, reluctant to let go.
On my way back, I held my phone out to check the time, but with the battery exhausted, the screen was black. I was greeted by a not-so-flattering reflection of my double chin. I grimaced discontentedly. To counteract, I tilted my head back, as if somehow it would stretch away the extra padding.
It was then I saw it - an upside down rainbow. Never had I seen a rainbow flipped around, as if smiling back at me and reminding me to smile. I wanted to preserve this moment. By some miracle, I was able to power on my phone for a millisecond to capture a photo of that joyful rainbow- freezing that frame in time so I could come back to it again and again. Afterwards, I just stood there for minutes, looking up and smiling back.
