The night in the desert when Elk whispered to me and my love

This Thanksgiving, I am feeling grateful for memories. In honor of that, I am sharing a story here of one of my fondest...
Enjoy & Happy Turkey Day!
- Katy

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I have memories of being in the middle of nowhere, late at night, somewhere near the border of New Mexico and Arizona. In my Mini Cooper, with the top down and a girl I loved sitting next to me. 

We pulled off the side of the road in pitch black - a new moon that night. We gazed at the stars of the New Mexico sky and took in the cool air - it was around November I think and good and cold at night in the desert there. 

As we sat there, we heard a rustling sound. Then some tapping and clicking sounds very close by - within 10 feet I would say. 

Without any moonlight and in total darkness, we had no clue what that foreign sound was.  It sort of filled the air with an energy - an incredibly peaceful energy.  Almost like a profoundly soothing static electricity. Literally indescribable. 

After studying the darkness, we realized it was a herd of elk. We had been sitting there so quietly for quite a while and I guess this dozen or so elk had wandered up there right next to the car. 

The clicking sounds were their massive antlers tapping against each other as they gathered in a small group next to us.
They were communicating amongst themselves and selfishly allowing us to listen in!  
We sat that for the longest time and shared that space with those elk. It's a night I will never forget... the night in the desert when Elk whispered to me and my love under the stars.