Harvesting Light: Illuminate the Story: "The Best Anniversary Present Ever!"

At the end of a ten long days in a row of work I found myself smiling ear to ear when Al, my manager, said he would contribute $450 towards a last minute plane ticket to see my wife for a long weekend! Our anniversary falls on August 4th and I had booked a flight and car rental to Charlotte without a peep to her. In my frenzy to make it to the airport I had no time to call her and check-in for the night, and once at the Anchorage International Airport I quickly surmised how impossible it would be to carry a conversation while going through the lengthy security line without her asking such questions as: "Why is it so noisy; What are you doing?". The airport was hopping, as we are in the height of the tourist season now. So I shot off a quick text: "I'm on my way to the Kenai Peninsula and will not have cell phone coverage, going on a camping trip, probably won't be able to talk until later Sunday" Sixteen hours later with a sleepwalking stop in Dallas, I finally made it to Charlotte and got a set of subcompact Toyota Yaris wheels. So away I went calling her immediately around noon, the usually morning check-in time with the four-hour time difference. I made small talk with her at first, asking about Charlotte's weather as I drove from the airport the heat causing me to use A/C for the first time in a month.

She was a little perturbed with me at first since I had been neglecting her the past two days and not adhering to the twice a day call schedule. When asked where I was, I quickly scrambled into what Heather calls "Liarhead" mode: "I'm in Soldotna now". "You stayed in a tent last night with bears around?", she asked. "No I stayed in a cabin that Lifetouch rents out occasionally", a white mouse lie based on fact. She asked what I was doing today, and I told her that hiking and breathing in fresh air was on the menu for today. She fixated on the bear danger again probably fueled by my most recent sighting of a black bear on the Turnagain Arm Trail while running. The bear when presented with my whooping and standing ovation took a disinterested bow and lumbered on sticking to the trail for another 100 yards before sauntering off up the hill. "I have bear spray and don't worry I'll put it on my hip", I assured her. It was at this moment on the Wilkinson Parkway in Charlotte, NC that I took a quick turn in CVS Pharmacy and explained to Heather in a very convincing liarhead: "I'm going into a convenience store in Soldotna to pickup a few supplies for the trail", when in actuality I was getting some listerine for our first kiss that was going to happen in fifteen minutes in my estimation.

"I'm Melting", in a good way!

All did not go as planned... When I made it to our street I started rummaging for my camera as I was going to be a papparazzi at first and take some "belly" shots. But she heard the rummaging and got a little perturbed as it can be quite loud with the bluetooth headpiece system. When I finally made it to the door and knocked, having put the cell phone in my armpit to keep the cover up as long as possible, she didn't say anything at first. I knocked again, and finally she acknowledged that someone was at the door, and that she wasn't going to get it because she was still in her P.J.s, so I went into full liarhood mode and laid it out. I told her that I had sent a package for our anniversary and wanted her to open it while I was on the phone. "Just get the door", I pleaded. She peeked her head into the living room and saw the yaris and informed me that their was a strange car in the driveway. I told her "Don't worry just get the package on the porch" as I was stooping low on the porch, sweating bullets in the muggy charlotte sun. I wanted to laugh out loud this was so crazy, to be locked out of my own house with my woman on the other side of the door afraid to come out!

Finally I coaxed her out and my heart pounded with excitement faster then the high-speed shutter bursts from my camera as she peeked out from around the door. Her face started with a funky deer-in-the-headlights look then waxed into a smile and finally went into a full melt down as she put her hand to the camera and we embraced and kissed, her tears of joy tasting salty as we kissed. I guess the listerine got rid of the sixteen hour flight breath! After I calmed her down I told her about my plans for today and tomorrow and told her to start packing.

Panoramic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Mount Pisgah Inn

The adventure itinerary begins with a trip to Lake Lure, then dinner with our friends the Brewsters who just got a new dog Mac, and then berry-picking along the parkway with lunch at Mount Pisgah Inn. Finally back to Charlotte for an encore of friends and neighbors and time together...