Many blessings, and a dash of disaster!

In the early 20th century the land within 30-50 miles of the Kankakee River in northern Indiana was one of the most visited wetlands recreation areas in the U.S. However, its agricultural potential won out in the end, and gradually the river course was altered, wetlands drained, and now cornfields prevail. The soil still looks amazingly rich, much of it nearly black when it is wet. It's been wet most of the time this season!  Springtime planting is still waiting for warmer, drier weather.

A day's walk from LaCrosse I stayed with the last of my prearranged and generous host-angels in a lovely setting along side of the bike/ pedestrian trail. Most of the people who have taken me in as I start out this year are American Discovery Trail advocates/stewards/promoters. On this visit I had a rest day to wait out the weather.

The first part of the following day's walk was a stretch along the trail after which I followed a highway heading for Tippecanoe River State Park. Rain started after a few miles on the road, and a nice fellow in a truck offered me a ride to the park entrance. As I was preparing for the rest of the walk through the park to my rustic little cabin, I made the horrifying discovery that I no longer had my cart's towbelt(!) And it doesn't seem to be recoverable. Which is rather a problem. I have been variously pushing my load, and pulling via a rigged up rope and bungee system. It is doable but not ideal. So the solution must be to replace the belt whenever I can arrange this... certainly before I tackle any major hills!

After another day's walk I had made it to a tiny lakeside community, with a storm in the forecast and an invitation to stay until it had passed. Another timely and very generous offering! This time I was able to reciprocate with some 'housekeeping' and by baking a batch of cookies!

Am camping tonight near the town of Denver, IN, and hear that it may freeze overnight!

This little rusty silo went down a few weeks ago in a 50mph windstorm!

Hello from LaCrosse, Indiana!

Many blessings to report already on this walk installment.  Starting with mercy from the airline (American) over a baggage check-in question that could have resulted in a $150. extra charge(!) I have enjoyed hospitality in 4 different places so far, as I get on with the task at hand and try to reorient myself to consecutive days of walking a fair distance.  The first walk day was only about 5 miles and I had thought that there would be a couple of 8 - 10 mile days after that.  But I'd got it wrong, and instead have done 15+ miles in these last couple of days...  Weather has been varied; Wednesday was hot, and then yesterday(especially) and today were cold, overcast and windy. Lots of rain expected tomorrow, and an opportunity to see if I've adequately rethought the wet weather walk strategy.

People have been awesome and generous.  Road angels in the Chicago area, and then in Crown Point, Hebron and here in LaCrosse, Indiana.  Sometimes people let me make an offering of my own, but mostly I'm on the receiving end - still learning how to say 'THANK YOU!'  My appreciation is yuuge!

One note on flora; the lilacs here are immense, and growing everywhere. They're in bloom now and it's a very heady perfume downwind!

Back to cardinal country!  (Sorry about the screen...)

Counting down - again!

This feels familiar -- one week out from 'lift-off', scurrying around to finish whatever must be done, or else put off for the next several months.  And indulging in a little nostalgia in the form of a line from a poem, leftover from the days when I aspired to write such things!

'The faces of arrival and departure are winking at me
from between the lines of my oral history...'

...written during a 'creative period' spent at Tassajara Zen monastery, during which every rock and twig seemed laden with inspirational potential.  The 'oral history' was a talk every new student was asked to present, called a 'way-seeking mind' talk.  Now here I am again, sharing my way-seeking mind with whomever may be inclined to tune in(!)

In the San Francisco Bay Area it is spring in spades - after a drenching winter local flora is greening up, leafing out and, as it continues to rain, celebrating the season in a riot of new growth (much of it needing to be trimmed!).  I have connected with several generous Chicago and Indiana  hosts to send me off as I begin the last 1000+ mile leg of this walking venture.  It will be interesting to see if politics/national mood plays a part in my encounters with people this season; it has not done so very often in the past.  News media falls so far short of reflecting the great diversity of opinion and concern across this country.  Though I am very grateful for the presence of our '4th Estate', in most of its many forms!

Will post again from the trail - the American Discovery Trail!

What luck to have a walking trail accessible right from my neighborhood!

'Unconditional' activism

Here are a few more thoughts from last week; both seem important.

First of all, on the subject of activism - A friend and I were recently discussing the ever more urgent need to engage actively in standing up for our principles - and for liberties we have probably been taking for granted.  In particular, how can we know that our efforts are having an impact, and, more to the point, I believe, is it necessary to see concrete 'results'?   Lately it seems to me that such assurances (of results) are a luxury and that activism is simply our responsibility, whenever and however we can participate, and whether or not we are convinced of or can see its effects.  Many of our actions will be 'fruitless' in practical terms, but we cannot let that fact silence our voices.

And speaking of taking things for granted - in my several seasons of pilgrimage so far, it has never been so clear to me as it is now,  that I might not have the nerve to embark on this walk were I not a white person.  That thought has certainly crossed my mind regularly in past seasons; it's just that in our present sociopolitical climate it becomes even more painfully obvious!

Next steps: learning to go forward with an open mind, a positive attitude and a broken heart...

Some responses to this question seem to be dawning on me as I meditate on the paradox of discovering equanimity, even optimism, and grief all together within the same activities.

After the 'presidential election' it occurred to me that I had come to feel 'curdled' by negativity and cynicism, was avoiding contact with fellow humans in groups larger than one or two, and withdrawing even further than usual into a bubble of apathy, or was it antipathy?  This attitude is contrary to the essential purpose of my walk-journey, and so I resolved to take steps to turn it around. Among the various 'therapies' undertaken was a 10-day fast beginning on the Winter Solstice, incorporating meditation and contemplation with gentle walking, resting and reading.  The fast also had a physiological purpose and, now that it's been over for a while I can say that the results were positive all around.  

Otherwise, aside from whatever odd-job work is available, my attention has often been focussed on 'walk practice', and participating in those sorts of gatherings (more frequent these day) that involve marching with signs and yelling slogans! As to the subject mentioned above - time will tell how this year's walk (Stage III!) unfolds, but based on past experience it seems possible that, through meeting the challenge of engaging in openminded mutual inquiry with others, I will continue to encounter kind and generous people, which does wonders toward the maintenance of a positive attitude!  My broken heart will go with me, and may help guide encounters with those who share my grief for the earth and its many dispossessed people and critters.  This pilgrimage is less about a belief in human capability to stop or slow the massive, runaway train of global abuses, and more about appreciating our planet's many existing (and declining) life forms and meeting other people who care!

Practice walk between storms!

Joining hands across the GG Bridge!

The tree that fell on my neighbor's house in the last storm this week.

Removal...

Speechless

...been having an ongoing struggle with speechlessness ever since my return from this protracted and oft-interrupted walk venture.  First there were the weeks of post-jaw-fracture treatment to endure. (See last two posts.)  Dental work from this ordeal is still in process, what with the additional weeks that elapsed as I readjusted to chewing and before I could open my mouth far enough to see a dentist.  The 'bite' will probably never be the same, nor will my my yawn be as wide as before. But I can at least function with a degree of normalcy.

In the midst of this experience, and as soon as it was able(!), my jaw was dropping with the influx of election-related news that, to me, defied all reason.  Clearly, the outcome was based more upon emotion than reason, and I know that my own emotions are running higher with each announcement of presidential cabinet picks.  Horrified amazement predominates.  Every day I am struck dumb all over again.   And filled with dismay for the future of the non-human inhabitants of our fragile planet, as well as most of(!) the human ones. In light of the most recent devolution of our sociopolitical situation I am more determined than ever to resume walking this spring. What feels different now is that I am not sure how it will be possible to 'complete' the pilgrimage. What would that look like? When will it seem that I have walked far enough? Getting to the East Coast may not be the end of it, though it may be the end of me, stamina-wise! So - in the spring I shall embark upon OEWP-Phase 3, heading to my last year's stopping point in Indiana.

Meanwhile, waxing sentimental about the holiday season is a practice I must leave to others, though I can take a moment to enjoy the seasonal drifts of red and yellow leaves on our street, collecting in the gutters and creating havoc for the street sweeping trucks.  Festive enough for me!

Street art...

Good luck to us all in the New Year!!

Uncle...

Home again!  And within a day I'd had an appointment with a maxillofacial surgeon who 'wired' my jaw back into the approximately correct position, a situation to be endured for a possible 4 weeks.  This is so far one of the most painful and unpleasant experiences I can remember, and one I had hoped to avoid altogether, but...

Last Wednesday A.M. I was gathered and ready to resume walking a rather short experimental day, and had a host arranged for that night as well as the next one.  But upon waking in the morning I had a 'writing on the wall' moment, featuring physical discomfort, a touch of mental disorientation (beyond my usual AM fog), and the dawning realization that food was going to be a real issue as I tried to drink or slurp enough calories for the task at hand, and over the course of the following weeks or months! Eating had been consistently painful. And how did I know that my injuries would not have further ramifications to be discovered down the road (literally)? The way became clear at that point, and by noon I had a plane reservation and was rearranging gear for a flight back to San Francisco.  Arrived early Thursday morning and the various medical appointments happened pretty fast once I got here.

During the preceding week, and thanks to my awesome and gracious Indiana host, I had learned a lot about the American Discovery Trail route through Indiana; the county roads and former rail lines look like beautiful walking and I am more than a little disappointed not to be seeing them this year.  But it also must be said that it's good to be home, looked after by family and friends.  And, cardinals and fireflies notwithstanding, I do generally prefer the summer weather in these parts!

So  -- here's looking at a 3-part pilgrimage, rather than the one or two-year trip I had envisioned. Boundless gratitude to all the many folks who have offered food, shelter, financial encouragement, good wishes and prayers.  If it is still in the cards, I hope to resume the trek next spring, perhaps with a heightened appreciation for the vulnerability of this fleshy vessel!!