As you drive into Nebraska Valley, first on the left is a house where baby lambs frisk about near their mamas. At the far end of a field you may see the lights on in the kitchen of a yellow house settled at the top of fifteen broad stone steps. When I drive by towards… Read More
At Full Throttle
WEATHER: At noon Wednesday the thermometer registers 50 in the shade. Yesterday was cooler at 40; it stayed stuck on 40 all night. It froze briefly the previous night. HOW’S IT RUNNING? The trees have fully awakened; sparkly sap pounds into the tanks night and day from the 10,000 individual maple tree pumps. BOILING STATUS:… Read More
Let The Games Begin
Dear Reader, Out the window on this Monday morning after the final day of the 2018 Olympics, a squirrel sprints across the snow. Old Blue, the 1964 International truck that is not blue but green, rests angled beside the stack of pine chunks harvested from the road the day after the Halloween Wind Storm. Winter… Read More
The Wind Storm of 2017
November reeked of chain saws here at Nebraska Knoll. Gas and oil fumes percolated through Carhartt work pants, jackets, wool hats, and gloves. I asked the guys to leave them in the mudroom, or better yet, to air them out in the woodshed. November resounded of chain saws whirring at assorted pitches from all quarters… Read More
Newfoundland. Post Script
I told this story to a friend in the campground, Gillian of Saskatchewan, who knows the ways of First Nation people through her work as an alternative educator. She said that in Saskatchewan it would be a rare occurrence to give away the smudge dish and ceremonial feather. The tribe does not offer its secrets… Read More
Newfoundland. Part IV: The Gift
FIRE CIRCLE (Liturgy) AT THE LIGHTHOUSE, Part Four The Benediction: Kevin picks up his grandfather’s medicine bag from the blanket, pulls out grandfather’s ring, and rubs it between his fingers. “Am I thinking about the fight I had with my wife?” he asks. “Who am I thinking about?” “Grandfather,” says the blue-eyed woman from England. “Yis,… Read More
Newfoundland. Part III: Right?
FIRE CIRCLE (Liturgy) AT THE LIGHTHOUSE, Part Three The evening program at Gros Morne National Park continues. The Sermon: None of this ain’t nothing, right? Kevin tells the group gathered around the red blanket: “Grandfather advised me to seek spiritual direction from an elder. Afterward, I dreamed of a large bear, but I… Read More
Newfoundland. Part II: DRUM drum DRUM drum
FIRE CIRCLE (Liturgy) AT THE LIGHTHOUSE, Part Two The Smudging Ceremony From the blanket A drum offered to the Scottish woman, “Drum like so,” says Kevin. On the blanket a shell to hold the sage leaves, a match to ignite them. Kevin bearing the shell to each of us in the circle clockwise, each… Read More
Newfoundland. Fire Circle, Part I: Mi’kMaq
Possibly you wonder where Chief of Operations and the Blog Editor, also known as Lew and Audrey, retreat on summer holiday: It’s to the Canadian island of Newfoundland, also known as The Rock. What follows is an account in four segments of an experience from Summer 2014. FIRE CIRCLE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE or… Read More
Wrap Up
“Sugar season 2017 is officially over,” declared Chief of Operations on Sunday. A Look Back: As always happens, we learned that… Read More
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