Ribbon Dancing in the Desert
If you follow me on social media, you’ve probably noticed that every spring, like clockwork, I’m ribbon dancing in Canyonlands at sunset. How did this become an annual tradition? Well, let me tell you.
For years, we’ve made a springtime pilgrimage to Canyonlands National Park—drawn back by those endless blue skies, the sun-warmed red rock, and the promise of adventure as Durango’s snow starts to melt. But in the fall of 2016, life threw me a curveball: Lyme disease. It took a while to diagnose, and in the meantime, I was beyond exhausted—barely able to hold my head up, let alone paint. I started treatment in early March of 2017, but recovery was slow. That spring, for the first time in ages, we didn’t make it to Canyonlands, and I felt the loss deep in my bones.
That Easter, my sister Laura and her family came to visit. As a little joke, I tucked a pair of ribbon wands into her and her husband’s Easter baskets. What happened next was pure magic—they burst into an impromptu, utterly ridiculous ribbon dance right there in the yard. I laughed so hard I cried. Before they left, they handed me the ribbons and declared, “This is now an Easter tradition.”
The following spring, I was still regaining my strength, but—finally—I made it back to Canyonlands. I was beyond thrilled. I spent the days sketching with my friend Stephanie while our guys went hiking, but I had one goal in mind: I was going to dance. So, at sunset, I climbed up the rocks, cranked up “Don’t Stop Believin’” (because what else?), and ribbon danced my heart out. It was joyful. It was exhausting. And it was perfect.
That was the beginning of my annual ribbon dance. Every year since, I’ve kept the tradition alive—sometimes solo, sometimes joined by friends (and even my niece!). The ribbons now live in our camper, waiting for their moment in the desert sun.
Over the years, I’ve painted a lot of the sunsets that occur at dance time. But no matter what the year throws my way, I know this: when spring comes, I’ll be dancing. 🎀✨
