I had a colonoscopy scheduled for today (everyone at the clinic asked me why I was getting one, and I’d answer, “I’m 50”).  My mom had suggested getting some lemon drops as chasers to the 4 liters of colonoscopy juice I had to drink last night and this morning, but I was having a dickens of a time finding any.  Venture Foods in Divide carries some, but they taste like chalk. All City Market had was some Lifesavers, so I got some of those.  7 Eleven didn’t have any.  Then I tried the Farm Crest store in Old Colorado City.

I usually only go to the Farm Crest store once a year to get eggnog.  I really like their eggnog, and they have other things in their convenience store that other stores might not have.  (There is usually some homeless person counting out change on the counter to buy cigarettes too). But no dice.  Nothing but sour gummies, and I’m not a fan of gummies. 

I was about to exit the store suspiciously empty-handed and was thinking of what I’d remark to the cashier, but she was walking out the open front doors (Tuesday was a lovely day).  She was tall and thin, traits her high pumps and tight jeans accentuated. Suddenly, she stopped and lifted her left hand up into the air and stood as still as the Statue of Liberty.  She was staring at her hand, held perpendicular to the ground, and I followed her gaze to the tip of her index finger.

Just then a dirt-brown moth stretched out its wings and took off from her outstretched hand, which she held completely still until it was clear of her fingers.  A plague of miller moths are the bane of Colorado Springs every spring, but this clerk had taken the time to capture the lost creature and returned it to the outdoors so it could continue its journey up into the mountains to mate. 

(Today’s colonoscopy went well, and I shouldn’t be dying of colon cancer anytime soon.)