Grand Canyon in the Rain

It’s been close to a full year that we haven’t had a day off. Juggling the full time job with our own business and family responsibilities became a daunting task. That weekend we finally decided to take a break and visit the Grand Canyon. My little dog Nikki was travelling with us. She was very tiny and unique. Nikki was a rescue dog and I knew about her very little. She appeared to be well trained, but somehow warned out, as if she was used for breeding. The Grand Canyon was magnificent. As we walked the trails, we felt the power of the nature and our own limitations compared to the massive cliffs. If those cliffs were alive, humans would have appeared no more than ants are to us. Nature can truly be impressive. Suddenly it started to rain and we were quickly heading back. As we were trying to get through, it appeared that the cliffs were gone in the mist and fog that had covered the canyon within the minutes. Now I understood how people got lost in the canyon daily. We were figuring out the fastest and the safest way back. I carried Nikki in my arms. She was too small to walk in a heavy rain. I could have easily slipped, I thought, the trails were getting soaked fast. I was scared.
We returned to the hotel for the night rest. I placed Nikki in her crate, as I always do. We were all sleeping. Then something unusual happened. I heard Nikki crying. She let me bring her to my bed, next to me. For the rest of the night, she slept soundly leaning her little body against mine. I had Nikki for two years. She has never done that before. Nikki was one of the good, well trained dogs, who only slept in her crate. Nikki was scared too.
A couple years later, my Nikki passed away. I don’t know if I will ever go back and visit the Grand Canyon again. I haven’t had the desire to do so, but I will always remember that special moment when I so strongly bonded with Nikki, my little rescue dog.