Morning in Camp
High in the mountains of Southern Arizona there is a small town called Patagonia. Dana and Lacey came in the night before in their truck pulling their travel trailer. Lacey found that the morning air coming in through the window on the trailer cool. She always liked to sleep at the foot of the bunk. She poked her nose beneath the curtains and lifted them out of the way so she could see. A thin vapor was rising off the grass with the light of daybreak. Lacey snuggled up to Dana's feet. If it was really cold she would dig her way beneath the thick quilt blanket. She liked being warm and cozy under the covers.
They had come in last night by the highway pulling their small travel trailer with the truck. This was Lacey and Dana's home. This was where they lived most of the year while traveling from town to town doing their show.
Lacey climbed out from under the blankets at sunrise and rolled onto her back and let the light through the curtains beat on her belly. The camp was coming to life. People were opening their trailer doors. Some folks were sipping coffee and sitting in their folding chairs. Hummingbirds were already darting among the feeders and blossoms in the neighborhood.
Dana rolled over on his back at the other end of the bunk. He yawned then scratched his hair. He patted the blanket next to him and said, "come on girl!"
Lacey rolled off her back and onto her feet and then came up to the head of the bunk and cuddled up with her best friend. She wanted her belly rubbed and the hair between her eyes on her snout scratched. She didn't much mind the hugs and let out a little grunt as if she were sort of saying, "Yeah!" Of course there were those kisses still to come and she liked to lick Dana's tasty fingers too. There was lot of licking to do before she could do anything else.
A dog out in the camp ground let out a playful bark. Lacey jumped to the window for a look. She turned and looked back at Dana as if to say, "can't you see there is a friend outside"!
Lacey looked back out the window. There wasn't a second more she could stand to wait. Her tail was so small she swung her hips, as she was so excited. "Okay, okay, Lacey girl, but you stick around," Lacey shot right out the door. "You stick around Lacey dog. I don't want to have to go find you."
Lacey paused once she had bound out the door into the field of trailers. She could smell hot cakes cooking in the camp and sizzling pieces of bacon filled the air too.
Lacey moved carefully about the trailers with her nose to the ground and her eyes peeled. There was a bigger girl dog that spotted her and ran over and they touched noses and then swung in a circle around each other getting to know what each other smelled like. There were a few artists and crafters sitting in folding chairs sipping coffee. Lacey sniffed the soles of their shoes and took some easy scratches on her head and rump as a sign they were new friends.
The camp was next to the park where the festival would take place. It was right in the center of Patagonia, in the town square. There were picnic tables, barbeque pits, and even a gazebo. The artists, craftsmen and entertainers were getting their carts loaded in the camp to haul over to the festival grounds. The pace of life in the camp was getting busy now. The morning dew in the grass was drying off and a few cars were rolling in with folks who lived out of town on the land.
Beneath the canopy of oaks along the rows of white tents there were glass makers, blacksmiths and candlestick makers. A person could get their back massaged, or buy unusual ointments that could help folks with sore muscles and joints. You could buy jars of peeled garlic marinated in olive oil. There was a couple that sold plants from the desert. They had yuccas, cholla, barrel cactus, prickly pear, and sugarro. Lacey was real careful not to take a sharp thorn in her sensitive nose. There were hat makers, painter's, and potters. You could find fresh baked cookies, watercolor paintings or a woven rug. You could get fresh apple cider, a sculpture or a pair of handmade leather sandals.
Dana and Lacey walked along the path in the fresh morning air watching all their new friends filling their shelves and display cases with their handmade goods.
A man who made diggery doo's was warming up one of his new instruments. Lacey's ears perked right up to the sound. Each person's booth offered something different. Each one of them had a story to tell about how they came to do what they did. Some learned from their family and some fell into it by accident. No matter how the story goes the one thing you learn from these people is that they had to keep doing it. They had to try again. Each time they tried they learned a little more. Each time things turned out a little better. They love the part of the work where they grow and learn new things. Lacey could sort of run her nose along the edge of the craft fair folks booth and she could just sense that there was a lot of time and experience to be found here today.
"So long as I keep learning I suppose I'll keep doing it. The day I'm not learning anything is the day I quit." These were the words of silver haired man who was displaying his photograph's.
Finally, after Lacey and Dana walked from the west end of the park all the way across to the east side they came to the stage. This morning a man who sang western songs had come to play. He sang about wagon wheels, barbed wire, dingo dogs, Doc Holiday and a place called Tombstone. He was the first act of the day. Lacey and Dana would share the stage throughout the day with other performers.
And so it goes, on and on, each helping the other, here on Mother Earth, beneath a smiling sun. Dana said, "Lacey girl you're just like all the rest of the animals in the park. You've learned to work with me in the show. You work hard to do your tricks and in return you make people happy. Your effort helps me put food on the table and a roof over our heads."

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