First Customer

It may have been Spring Break for Josh last month, but the seasons had yet to change in some parts of Utah. Josh left the Colorado River and went north on a week-long tour of Utah's national parks. Snow still dusted the red and orange hoodoos of Bryce Canyon like powdered sugar on a Krispie Kreme. The park was nearly deserted, still waiting for warmer days when tourists with cameras and air conditioned cars would make the drive.

After several days of camping and eating meals heated on a tiny burner, Josh craved a home cooked meal. He thought he'd lucked out when he found the Luna Cafe outside Bryce. The little house had an "Open" sign in the window and all the potential for Mom and Pop cookin' up some chicken fried steak inside. Josh walked inside and found Pop working on drywall instead.

"You open?" he asked. Pop hesitated, then said "Sure. Come on in." Two kids in high chairs stared at him as Pop yelled to Mom: "The first customer of the season is here!"

Maybe Josh had time to reconsider the benefits of eating slowly when Mom presented him with last year's burger and fries. As he ate, the two odd children continued to stare at him and he had time to take in the equally strange decor - aliens on the walls, a sign shaped like a spaceship.... Josh didn't stick around long to find out if they wanted him to repopulate their gene pool. He made a quick exit and continued on to Moab.