The Blue Heron and The Yearling

October 19, 2009

I often walked Grace Grove’s Oak Creek Trail in the early morning wafting in the beauty of the dawning day. I looked for signs of animals passing in the night and collected interesting rocks. On my last day I was greeted by a majestic blue heron launching from the river pool and by a yearling meandering through the high grasses. My time had come to a close and in this walking meditation I reflected on the first leg of my yearlong pilgrimage to nowhere (now here).

The time nesting in my tent by the pond remains the highlight of my stay at the Grove. These mornings of beauty and solace filled me with delightful gentleness and awe. What would it be to start each day with such wonder? I loved walking to my tent at night escorted by crickets and the sound of deer moving in the darkness. The space was shared with the skunks and javelinas and coyotes and king snakes and squirrels and chipmunks. I write now missing it all.

My departure was somewhat abrupt. The team worked hard on the smaller form of One Spirit Weekend, which by the way was a rockin’ success, then scrambled like crazy to prepare the retreat center for a private gathering, and then POOF, I was in Cindy’s one bedroom suite awaiting Victor’s arrival.

And then and then and then, Sedona and the north rim of the Grand Canyon and back to Sedona and now in Albuquerque grabbing moments to write fully aware that this is a report.

And so it is, reporting in on the road. The Blue Heron and the Yearling are good signs of for a heart in flight taking baby steps into the world.