trying to do something special

This october I will be turning 30. I want to do something special for it. A TW gave me the idea of doing thirty things before I turn 30. I am having trouble thinking up ideas. Anyone have any suggestions?

Winter

I love the snow! Recently I got to experience it here in Arizona. It was amazing how the day before had been close to 80 and then the next we had 8 inches of snow. I was watching as it turned from rain to snow and how it became quiet once it did. The whole world became peaceful. It calmed my soul and invited me to be silent and insightful. I really miss snow; I didn't realize it until I was in the storm for those two days. I miss watching it fall and blanket the world in white. I have been to that Final D many times, always in the summer, and to see it covered in a fluffy blanket was other-worldly. I felt like I was in some mythical place.

The snowman Nikki and Jared, both TWs, built to represent me. They even tried to give it hair using juniper. Nikki is from Hawaii; we had to teach her how to make the snowman. She absolutely loved the snow.

Overlooking the East Verde River where we were camping.

Spring

What is it about spring that is so wonderful? Autumn has the sense of quietly slowing down and winter the sense of waiting, but spring is the feeling of waking up. The changing of seasons is always subtle. Yesterday as I was hiking back from the boys band, I could hear the birds singing and the first sounds of the wind through the young leaves. There was also the smell of new green life which is invigorating to the senses. Spring is a great season for uplifting the soul.

Today while I was in Squaw Creek, I saw a little seep I had never noticed before. It came down from a hidden valley dripping through moss and maiden hair ferns to land in a pool surrounded by columbines.

More Pictures from Wintercount

This is the pictograph I painted using stone pigments and yucca brushes on sandstone. Its a picture of my Anasazi Honor Name: Earth Sky Circle Dancer

I found a hidden talent: painting people's faces for the mask dance night.

myself, Jaime, Stephanie and Joe all painted up and ready to dance to the rythm of the drums around the bonfire

I look like I have a weird disease with all those red spots. It took me close to an hour to get this off my face.

Wintercount 2012

Many of you know that I love primitive living and survival skills. There are gatherings that happen all over the country where people get together and teach each other. Wintercount is one that takes place about an hour south of Phoenix every February. This was my sixth year of participating. I only went for a couple days because of work but I was able to learn how to make great basin atlatls, got a refresher course on making navajo rope and made a pictograph using pigment paints ground on a metate.

This is the great basin atlatl I made.

Every year at this gathering, there is a distance atlatl competition and for the last two years I have won. (an atlatl is a primitive hunting tool that predates the bow and arrow and was used in both the southwest and western tribes). I was a little nervous about this year because I had built it up so big in my head (how cool would it be to win three years in a row). I used my new atlatl I had made earlier in the week; sadly I forgot my camera and wasn't able to get any pictures of me actually throwing the darts. I broke my personal record from last year by fifty feet for a new personal best of 297.7 feet. I also won the competition. My only real competitor said she has never gotten close to 250 let alone 300 ft. I was so proud of myself. My prize was a beautiful black-on-white primitive made pottery bowl.

The painting design is fashioned after the Mimbres culture which neighbored the Anasazi in New Mexico. The picture shows three men hunting with their atlatls.

I'm going to experiment with longer atlatls and different types of darts so that if I get to compete next year, hopefully I will reach 325 ft.

Holidays on the Trail

I had the luck to work two holidays this season on the Trail: Halloween and Christmas. Normally people would be upset to have to work a holiday, but on the Trail it is a whole other story. I can't put it into words but it is special and certainly unique. On Halloween, Sam and I dressed up for the occasion (naturally). We then got to deliver to the bands a pumpkin, apple cider packets and cinnamon to each person in the bands (groups). Anything different in the way of food out there is a huge treat. (I'm a mountain woman and Sam is a ninja turtle)

Christmas was wonderful! On Christmas Eve, I told the Trailwalkers (TWs) to turn on their radios at a certain time. I then held my radio up to the car speaker and played 20 minutes of Holiday music over the radio. I tried to stick with classics like Bing, Nat "King" Cole, Judy Garland and the MoTab plus a couple more modern tunes. Everyone seemed to enjoy listening as they sat around their campfires, and I cried because of how happy it made me to be able to do that for them. The next day, I got to play Santa and bring in the Christmas goodies.

Anasazi tells everyone that they can send something out to the Trail as long as they send enough for everyone that will be out there for the holiday. They then sort out the goodies into individual pillowcases labeled by name. They are usually simple things like food, spices, some candy, lipsmackers and a beanie. (it was heavy to carry in even with the backpack I had sent out to help). Some of the parents also included a Christams letter to their YW. Every Youngwalker (YW) and TW got a tinfoil dinner which tasted so freakin good! The way the YWs reacted to their "presents" you would have thought they had won the lottery. I couldn't stop smiling.

TW Matt happy to have his two "cutties"

TW Cajun Dan showing off his new beanie

TWs Brian and Mustache Dan enjoying a chocolate orange

The girls band had found aluminum cans and they cut them up to make a chain which they then draped over a juniper tree for their Christmas tree. They also re-wrote some Christmas songs with lyrics that fit Anasazi and then sang them to me before I gave them their gifts. I was laughing so hard I almost fell off the log I was sitting on.

Because of how accesible the bands were, I was able to spend time with everyone on Christmas day. I loved every minute of it. Christmas on the Trail somehow has a way of reminding us how special the simple things in life are.

TWs, Lara and Stephanie, waiting to open their pillowcases

TW Scott lounging after eating his tin foil dinner

On Christmas morning, I read Luke 2 which I did the last Christmas I worked out there 6 years ago. Somehow reading it out in the peace of nature while helping others (and myself) change their lives, makes the story so much more poignant

Happy Holidays everybody!

An Update on the State Fair

I have set a high standard for myself. I don't know if I can live up to this in the future.
I have always wanted to win ribbons in the state fair like my mom and now I have followed in her footsteps especially with the weaving and quilting ribbons. I am so happy!