~ Mother Earthbeats ~

Today I am reminded how precious time truly is. We have one and a half weeks until we leave for Goldendale WA for Ceremonies and camping for two weeks. We Love to camp! There is something about living outdoors in the Summer that brings Nature into a truer focus, and helps us to honor the Land in a more intimate way. It is still quite cold at night, and the wind seems to blow often, yet for some reason we do not seem to mind those things. We just bundle up, prepare to get dirty and remember how precious fresh water is. There is just something about connecting with the Earth and utilizing her natural resources to survive that brings out the best in me. Some people love the City… I love all that is pure and natural about the great outdoors which brings about such a wonderful sense of freedom!

During this time, we all work together setting up Teepees, preparing sweat lodges, cutting wood, gathering fresh water, and getting evergreen bows for the Sundance shade arbor. My little S and I have our own special place, in the shade of an Oak tree, in which we camp each year. This sweet little spot is very near our main camp… although some folks have individual camps, there are several main camps in which we set up to cook, eat and socialize together. The greatest thing about this whole adventure is how well we all work together! Everyone pitches in, so no one is overburdened, and there is such a great feeling of comraderie. Even if we haven’t seen some people in a year or more, we just seem to come together as if it were yesterday since we last saw each other. There is so much Love, hugs and sometimes tears, and we just feel so very grateful for these lasting friendships which carry us through some difficult times.

Well then, time to get back to organizing our camping gear and supplies. We still have to some last minute things to attend to, and I need to finish up the beaded medallion of a horse, which will be presented to one of our beloved Elders at a camp meeting before Tree Day. We are honoring each of our Elders with a medallion to show our Love and Gratitude for the Wisdom they share with us, and I feel blessed to be chosen to bead one for a very dear friend who has touched my heart many times throughout the years.

So you see, about this time every year I am reminded just how precious our time together is… S and I treasure every moment spent with our friends and family who live far away. This year we have an extra special focus on the Children and teachings for them, as well as learning more about the plants and herbs around the Land, and certain survival skills. There should be some very interesting discussions and plans for the future, which I am looking forward to. I am very happy to see such positive growth. I wish to send out prayers for safe travels for our friends and family who are preparing for this journey as well.