Surviving A Night At Movies Under The Stars

Friday night my wife and I drove with some friends up on top of the Colorado National Monument to Glade Park, a small community (think no stoplights) located about 30 minutes away and 2000 feet above Grand Junction. During the summer they have a weekly event called Movies Under The Stars. The event benefits the Glade Park Volunteer Fire Department through donations from the movie goers, and provides a nice evening away from the heat and noise of Grand Junction.

They set up a giant screen on the back of the Fire Department building and project family friendly movies onto it every Friday night. This particular evening they showed Ice Age 3. I’m a huge fan of the Ice Age saga, and had yet to see the newest installment.

Some great friends joined us for the evening. The newlyweds Isaac and Bri, the new homeowners Chad and Misty, the expecting David and Karissa, and the adventurous Nick and Hilary. We situated ourselves on the front row with our lawn chairs and blankets on the dirt pasture littered with sage behind the FD building and waited with nearly 200 other people for the feature to begin.

During the show the temperature dropped quickly and everyone wrapped up tightly inside blankets, fleeces, and stocking caps. It was a far cry from the 100 degree heat we had been experiencing in the valley the week before. Not only did we battle the chill, but we also faced the danger of a lighting storm.

All around us lighting danced through the night sky, providing even more visual stimulation than the 3D cartoon characters. We couldn’t hear any thunder, so we knew the storm wasn’t too close. Still, every time lighting struck us guys looked up into the night sky to make sure our wives were safe. Thankfully, directly above us the stars shone brightly.

When the movie ended we packed up our lawn chairs, shook the red dust off our blankets, and said our goodbyes. Another great night with friends, a new experience for most of us, and the only damage incurred were slightly chilled noses. If only we had fur like Sid.