A few year ago, I wrote and posted on the site my “Ways to Be”, which came to me as a stated intention to make each day – to stay in my own hoop, speak from the “I” rather than you or we, and to respect boundaries and agreements.  Recovery means becoming mindful, and moving from misery to happiness.  Love heals all wounds.   Loving lifts us, and in our prayer and meditation, we rise as the eagle to see the big visions – Clarity of intent is the eagle of the North/East.  I have read and sell many books on the path of the heart, be it Native American, Mayan, Inca, Celtic, Druid or indigenous aboriginal people still connected to the magic of nature – the trees, the plants of the earth rising to the father sky – we seek to actualize our potential.

May is my favorite time to fly fish for the big “red side” trout on Oregon’s Deschutes river – the salmon fly hatch comes in late May.  The spring into summer is also a good time to begin gathering sage and other medicine.  I pick a few fresh shoots from conifers to make branch water.  Spring is medicine gathering time.  My friend and fellow artist Roger Long has dedicated his life to creating beauty, giving it away and he gave me the recipe for his elixir for many of our dis-eases – good “branch water” made from the shoots of conifers growing along the gorge.  I take my well water from our “Heartspace” property and  soak the sprigs of the firs in the water for a day or so.  Water is the medicine of our soul. 

In fly fishing, I learned how to read the water and “play” the fish.  With the larger fish, I had to give it enough slack to run away, yet keep a steady light pressure on the thin leader,  right at the edge of breaking the line.  Keeping my balance in business I have resisted getting too big, and I actually learned a hard lessons in my early years of Cedar Mountain by growing too fast – I increased my overhead many-fold without having the income fund the expansion.  What with all of the taxes of having employees, I am now taking care of things myself with a lot of help from the beautiful woman I live with, Mandi.  Spirit brought us together, as we both dreamed each other and we resonate with community.  Nature returns us to sanity and the mystery.  We come from the dream – the stars, and in preparing for the summer June 20th summer solstice sweat lodge, it is good to look at the gifts of that direction.  The south is about opening to receive the manifestation of our visions.  This is the gate of creative fire – Noble passions and the love of one for another.  Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day!