The Story of Moon Rock

The Story of Moon Rock

(Our property in Snowflake, Arizona)

As I sit up high on a rock overlooking the expanse of juniper and pinon pine I close my eyes and feel the warmth of the rising sun on my face. I am silent and I hear only the sounds of nature around me. Soon I am transported back in time.

In my mind's eye a young man walks up from behind and sits beside me. He is dressed in handmade pants, decorated in the symbols of his people, and he has feathers in his hair. He is also greeting the morning sun. As he gently rubs the sleep from his eyes he lifts up his arms as if to embrace the morning. The sun is cradled in his arms.

Soon the young man stands and looks out over the valley. His gaze is so intense that I feel I must join him to see what he sees. He pays no attention to me but looks over the other side at his family as they also awaken, ready to face the day.

As his mother and sister emerge from their adobe dwelling, the young man looks at them with love in his eyes. In his heart, he will always be their protector, even in the afterlife. I can feel the love in my heart as he feels in his.

As his father emerges with bow and arrows in hand, the young man is reminded that soon he will be expected to provide for and protect his own family. He takes great pride in this but for now he will enjoy the warm morning sun and watch over his people.

The young man turns and an excited tension fills the air around him. I turn to see what is causing this new emotion in him. Far off in the distance I see a herd of grazing deer. As I look into the boulders on the horizon I see many men with spears hidden among the rocks. Tonight, the young man and his people will feast. It has been a good year.

We see a child running and laughing below us and we turn to see what has her so excited. It is her mother who has been playing a game of "hide and seek". She pops out from behind a tree with arms wide open to embrace her happy child. The young man smiles.

The day is getting later and the young man is gleaming with sweat but still he keeps his sentry and watches over his people. He gazes to the north and I with him. We watch as his grandmother creates coil after coil of clay and stacks and molds them together. Beside her sits her granddaughter, the young man's sister. Grandmother is telling a story of their people and the great deeds they have done. Sister paints a finished bowl with a yucca brush as she listens and takes every word to heart.

Soon we hear the piercing scream of a woman coming from one of the dwellings. I am concerned but the look on the young man's face is a look of great happiness and joy. The woman has labored through the night and has now birthed a child of her own. The young man watches as his grandfather offers to the parents a special blanket to wrap the new baby in. Before the month is over the father will carry the child to the edge of the canyon, hold him up before the morning sun, and give him a name.

Out of the corner of his eye the young man glimpses his uncle walking through the trees in the distance. His chest swells with pride knowing that one day he too will have his time to walk the land, watching for hostile tribes or men from foreign lands. He will protect his people even if it means his death.

My mind is fixated on the uncle and on the question of what the future holds for these people. It takes me some time to realize that the young man has once again turned and is now facing to the south. His mind is eagerly pulling at mine to get my attention. He wants me to see what he is seeing.

Just outside of the village there is a man and a woman holding hands and brushing each other's hair. They think they are alone. They are making an engagement and will soon announce to their families that they wish to be married. Behind the trees, pretending to be collecting pinon nuts, the mothers are grinning and nodding to each other in approval. The young man is smiling and I smile with him.

The young man looks to his left and sees a new father grinding maize in a hole in the rock. The larger hole is cradling his newborn daughter. When the maize is ground to perfection, the new father stands and sprinkles the meal to the four directions. He sprinkles a little on the child for good measure. I do not understand his chanting but I know in my heart that he is blessing his child.

Soon the day begins to wane and the whole village is gathered together to feast on deer and homegrown corn and squash. As the sun sets lower in the sky and the air begins to cool, a fire will be made and some of the people will sit around it huddled in blankets. They will pray and watch others perform a ritual dance asking the gods to bring rain, fertility, and good crops to the people.

The young man sits back down on the edge of our rock overlooking the people he loves so dearly. I sit down next to him and watch as he stretches his arms to the sky to once again embrace the sun as it sets over the horizon. The day is done.

As I open my eyes I feel like a whole day has passed but the sun is still rising in the sky.

I don't really know the history of our land in Snowflake, Arizona but the small pieces of evidence that my husband and I find suggests that at one time ancient peoples lived here or at least passed through.

I like to imagine what could have been. I like to imagine all the happy times these people spent together. I like to imagine the close family units and the love they shared.

As I hunt for small pieces of their life, I listen for the sounds of singing or chanting. Sometimes I just feel as if someone is there with me. I feel in my heart that I am near a piece from the past. As I hold the piece in my hand I try to imagine who made it, what it was used for, and what story goes along with the painted pattern. I always say a silent thank you and I treasure each piece that I find.

Maybe one day while we're sitting on our rock, my husband and I might get the pleasure of meeting this young man. For now, we can only imagine what could have been.

The name Moon Rock Ranch was given to the property by the previous owner. No one knows the true reason for the name. We thought the name fit for several reasons and we chose to keep it. This is our Moon Rock now and we are very proud of it.