One or More Things I Did Today (A Saturday in Bryce edition)

And Let It Be Known, that on July 16th, in the year of 2 thousands and 11, I was up to this:

• Alarm went off, just prior to sunrise.
• I still have the run of the place. Rainbow Point and I against the world.
• After photographing the splendor, I drag my Thermarest to a nice little nook on the edge of the ground and plop down for a nap, bare feet warmed by the rising sun.
• A inter-species misunderstanding occurs when a chipmunk tries to snuggle with my ear, causing alarm in both parties. I bolt upright, banging my elbow on a rock.
  
• Awake now, it's time to pull my folding chair out and enjoy some breakfast.
• Having conquered breakfast, and with my fellow tourists pouring into the area at an impressive rate, it's time to scope the rest of the park.
  
• I hit the visitor's center, then my destination: Fairyland Loop.
• And I am quickly ecstatic, because this Fairyland place - indeed, this Bryce Canyon - is spectacular.
  
• After shambling through the hoodoos and spires for many hours, shirtless, sans sunscreen (and sans common sense), I emerge at the Sunset Campground, the same spot that eluded my search the previous night.
• To celebrate the discovery, and because I had eaten all of the meager provisions I had packed for the 8 mile hike, I help myself to a slice of pizza and a beer (and a nap) from the general store.
• Polish off the last leg of the loop, visualize a congratulatory auto-high-five, and commence to more exploring.
• Finding all of the first come, first served campgrounds are full, I make dinner in the picnic area.
  
• Let me save you some time in the future: it may not be impossible to cook a beet in a tiny pan on top of a Coleman propane grill, but there are easier endeavors out there.
• Dinner complete, I visit the Lodge and bide some time until the 9pm start of the Aliens presentation by one of the park rangers.
• Appreciating the free entertainment (and refraining now from making a joke about the average level charisma found in my sample of Bryce Canyon rangers), I also realize I'd probably be better served sleeping than sitting through another second of this Aliens presentation.
• Still without a legit campground, I make my way back to Fairyland Point.
  
• If I had left the Aliens presentation 5 minutes earlier, I would have not encountered the two gents who decided to take a well worn page from the Book of Youth and spend their Saturday evening in what can fairly be expected to be a discreet place, indulging in smoke.
• Ignoring these champions, I proceed to drag my supplies over the wooden beams (re: the fence) and make myself a little burrow above the Fairyland Loop.
  
• No bears or cougars, or bugs, visit me that night, but I have fitful sleep nonetheless (my sleeping bag is rated at 15 degrees, or about 50 degrees less than the air at Fairyland).

Picture of the day:

My view from the spot I awoke, Sunday (cheating a bit on this picture of the day thing...)

As they say, "It were a Day".