The smell of desert sage and juniper after a rain

One of my absolute favorite memories.

Lying awake under a tarp in the desert at about 3 am, looking up at the stars, savoring the smell of sage and juniper after a fast-moving summer thunderstorm, listening to a herd of wild horses about a half mile away.

I was camping just off the road somewhere northwest of Pyramid Lake in northwestern Nevada. I simply pulled off the dirt road I was on and set up camp just before dark. The thunderstorm started about 2 a.m. and lasted about an hour, but I could see it moving in for hours. I was a little worried that my tarp strung over a piece of rope between two poles wouldn’t stand up to the storm, or that the lightning would be an issue, but I was fine. I have used that setup dozens of times, and had pitched it on a slight rise, so flash floods were never an issue.

I could hear the horses forever as they moved closer and away all evening. They seemed to know just where I was.

Once the storm had cleared, I was amazed at the brightness of the stars, and how much I could see even in the dark. From my bed, I could see a dozen rabbits hopping in every direction.

Capturing this experience would be the country song I wish I could write.