Our four children had been left at home under the charge of their grandmother. Mary needed a change of scenery from everyday chores. We were in Phoenix and planning a tour to the Grand Canyon. It was off-season and the regular tour buses were not in service. A group of six or seven was there for a tour. A limousine was provided and all got aboard headed for the canyon. It was a small and friendly group. A young man from England sat near Mary and conversed with us periodically throughout the trip. I remember only one thing that he said; that he could see that Mary and I loved each other. That warmed my heart, to say the least.

We took the scenic route through Oak Creek Canyon, where huge red rocks tower above treetops, making a vivid contrast in color and form. Scene after breathtaking scene provided a constantly changing, colorful panorama as we rolled along. A highlight of the tour was the town of Sedona. To a newcomer, it appeared as a town set in a rosy fairyland.

We arrived at Grand Canyon National Park late in the afternoon. There was time to explore the village grounds and view the canyon a bit before sundown but little else. After we ate our supper and occupied our room for the night, Mary began plotting her plan for the morrow. She had heard correctly that the best time to view the canyon was at sunrise or sunset. Since we missed our chance at sunset that left only one option. I’m sure Mary had checked out the time for sunrise and other pertinent data. She compared time shown by her watch to that by mine. 

“We need to be out on the point before sunrise,” she reminded me after we had turned in for the night.

“OK, but could we get some sleep first?” I yawned.

“Does your watch have a luminous dial?” said she. 

“Yes, goodnight,” I said, and soon went to sleep. I don’t know how long it took her to sleep. I was half awakened when my hand was lifted, slightly twisted and laid back down. This type of sleep interruption happened at least twice more, and then I was stirred by a gentle nudge, and a question.

“What time is it?” she said. I had turned over so that she couldn’t see my watch.

“ Time for you to go to sleep,” I said. The next time she asked the question she really roused me and told me to get up and get dressed. I obeyed, and we were soon out on a trail in the dark. That was all right; she had a flashlight and I had remembered to bring my camera. The trail was paved, a good thing, but it was all uphill, a bad thing at that altitude. I was not used to walking such walks in my sleep. After a half-mile hike we arrived at the observation point. A mile below the untiring master sculptor was still at work on his unfinished masterpiece, while his chief apprentices, wind and rain, took a break. We arrived none too soon, for daylight was breaking and sun-up would soon follow, hopefully not before I could get my breath. As the darkness gradually dissipated, parts of the great abyss below began to appear in a faint, warm, rosy glow, becoming ever more intense. The source of this glow appeared as an arc of fire, expanding to a full circle over the horizon. Distant canyon walls began to appear, starting at the canyon rim and creeping downward as the circle of fire ascended into the sky. The shadow hiding the canyon walls gradually fragmented to expose an infinity of shapes and hues. The great pyramids of layered rock inside the canyon cast long shadows through the great gorge. On our side of the canyon there were huge boulders, partly covered by many forms of vegetation that seemed to emit their own glow of multihued light, changing from minute to minute.

It is impossible to describe such a magnificent display of light and form. It is completely different than that seen when the sun is high in the sky. Then the color is a dull red without many defining characteristics. The formations tend to blend together and it becomes a gigantic gash in the earth. At sunrise, however, the scene is enhanced by the light as refracted by the atmosphere that favors the red end of the light spectrum. This gives the scene a mellow ambience and the low aspect of the sun creates shadows and shadings, all of which help define the shape and beauty of the panorama. Viewing the sunrise scene from darkness to the climax of its spectacular beauty gives one an emotional high, as it did me. I felt good throughout my body. I forgave Mary for waking me during the night, as I would be reminded later by the pictures. I felt a little let down when the scene faded, but I took consolation in the thought that tomorrow and tomorrow it would repeat its awesome performance for someone else.