A Story – 1986
A story of one earth teaching.
It was early summer of 1986. Backpacking in BC, I found myself on the Island of Salt Spring. Camping on the sea shore was a new experience for this farm girl from Ontario. Mount Tuam looking so inviting, drawing me closer each day from my little Ruckle tent. Up I go to discover her. The weather is fine, high 80’s. I get a ride up the logging road, then off into the trees i trod. The terrain is so exciting, chasms at every turn. Water flowing from the rocks, tasting so sweet. Up, down and around I hike until I feel it getting a little cool. The sun…it’s going down! The road eludes me, and i soon realize I’m spending the night. Finding a clearing I gather a little wood and build a fire before the dark encroaches. Suddenly very cold, I in short sleeve, I huddle ever closer to the fire. The wood soon burns down, and I realize I must find more. Under a waning moon, I carefully slide my feet sideways slowly outward from the fire, I eventually hit something with my foot. I reach down to discover a large piece of wood. I pick it up, quickly realizing it’s unusually light, yet move steadily toward the fire none the less. Soon I feel crawling coming up my arms , but am so cold do not release the wood. On to the remaining fire it goes. Brushing off the huge ants that I had disturbed, quickly turned to remorse when I see the oozing black goo coming up out of the log, burning blue, green and orange.
This hollowed log burned steadily though the night. I cried and cried tears of release into the fire, with the realization that I am always cared for…always cared for. A deep healing. The mountain lions circle. Upon the first light I close my eyes and ask to find the road. In a few short minutes, there it is! Down into my warm sleeping bag where I shake for a few days, as the sun on the tent warms. Then, with pack, back up I go. I spent many nights up on that little Mountain in 1986.
The Medicine Wheel stained glass in this picture, was made by Ojibwe from Walpole Island, Ontario. I brought it to Salt Spring Island in 2014 when I returned to live there staying almost 7 years.