So it's October, which means it's the time of year when I love heading to the desert.

Almost every year, I figure out a way to leave the gathering darkness of the Pacific Northwest fall

and get like the last dose of sunshine in the desert. It's super important. This year we pulled the kids out of

school for another lap down the green river. It's super important. This year we pulled the kids out of school for another lap down

the green river. For days, we paddled, pulling off at night or in the afternoon to make camp on a sandy

beach or secluded canyon. We wandered through sandstone alleyways, cannonballed from river rocks,

endured a thunderstorm of truly epic proportions.

Seriously, it was insane.

And generally basked in days far away from computer screens and the hustle of our Seattle lives.

One night after a particularly pleasant day of paddling and hiking, Becca and I stayed up to look at the stars because they're in bed they're in the tent we're sitting on top of

this rock outcropping right above the river so like we're 20 feet above the river and you know the

fire's getting low you know the wind from the afternoon it's like settled into this perfect calm

there's no moon the milky way is like as best as I've ever seen it. It's so good.

And then that was the moment that the sound started.

Something large hit the water

and we continued talking

like as everyone usually does in those situations

like did not hear that but I'm pretty sure

Beck had heard it

and then again

we stopped talking.

Then the river gurgled.

...