Sedona, AZ
6.24.2005
Recap of visit to Sedona, AZ.
Monday brought a visit to the Hopi Land (indian reservation - about 2.5 hours north of Flagstaff... 4 hours from Sedona) where I was given a beautiful gift from an elder - and the gifts of family, respect, honour and love with a simple visit. knowing that I'm welcome to visit them anytime means the world to me. being there and bringing them food and clothing and supplies and seeing the gratefulness in their eyes, just...uplifting. such a sense of peace in their tiny little home. they live within their means. extravagance might mean trying on a brand new pair of shoes that a friend might bring as a gift, or an extra load of coal for the coal/wood burning stove in the house. next time I complain about what I DON'T have, I'll think back to meeting Anita and "Old Man" and smile through my selfish tears.
Tuesday brought with it a visit to Phoenix to the Arizona Heart Hospital on the hottest day in Phoenix so far this year, and the hottest place in North America on that day. the cardiologist says that there's no surgery required and mom is fit as a fiddle. the meds are working. no ablative surgery or stopping the heart and jump starting it back, necessary. we had to make a 2 hour trip a 4 hour to avoid road blocks and forest fires. in the process, we got to see different parts of arizona that we've never seen before (Payson), the mountains, the trees, forests, green (unusual for Arizona in such heavy volume)... striking. unfortunately, in a desert climate... lots of rain would seem to be a welcome addition, right? nope. the rain brings the vegetation to life - too much of it. then, due to the extreme heat conducive to the climate in arizona... it becomes an immediate fire hazard. the very next day, in the exact same forest and mountains we had driven through...were burning. heat lightning and dry climate... not a good combo. thank goodness we were safe. wednesday comes around and we go to breakfast at "the coffee pot restaurant" which is my very favourite place EVER to have breakfast. very very good place. the dude that owns it is a former hollywood hairdresser... came here from the middle east waaaaaaaaaaaay back, and has people come to his small daytime only restaurant like clockwork. amazing food and amazing people. they know my mom and her partner by name.shortly thereafter we went on a spiritual quest/nature hike. I say this, because a native shaman/medicine man took us into a beautiful mountain valley with some of the most amazing rocks, streams, wildlife and views you've ever seen. we stopped a few times along the way to soak it in, to appreciate what Mother Earth provides. the sky, the sun, the wind, the sounds of nature. uninterrupted. he took us to a small cave. big enough for the three of us to stand in along with some pretty scary looking spiders hanging from the cave walls. we chanted. we did sounds from within in harmony in this tiny cave space that was about the size of a portable shower one might take camping. acoustics were hauntingly beautiful. there was a small overhang and a tiny hole in the top of the overhang where the sun would come directly in from the east each morning. one of his favourite meditation spots. I could completely understand why. further down the trail, we stopped at an amazing rock which, when you looked straight up, looked like a giant turtle with the head sticking out. we did a traditional drumming ceremony. meditated as the sound of the heartbeat from his drum and the rattle he was hitting it with, got our own hearts beating in tune with that of Mother Earth. surrounded us with burning sage. a cleansing ceremony. if you've never done this...you'll never understand. I don't guess many folks are open to something as traditional as this. but, it's impossible to explain the peace within during a ceremony of this nature. having dedicated a medicine wheel in a ceremony, and another very similar ceremony, I can say they are truly enlightening experiences. energy. peace. love. all in one. (and sage smells like Pot, by the by...without the side effects. ;)after the hike, we came back to the house and chilled on the last night and recapped our entire week. making my mom's partner laugh heartily at my storytelling style of the places we've been and the things we experienced. just me and mom.the flights back were uneventful. and I've been having severe withdrawals...not being able to go out on the back porch with my coffee and watch the sunrise over Thunder Mountain at 5:30am. not seeing any Red Rocks. not breathing in the mountain air. those things aren't close by physically as I type. but the memories are in my head. and my heart.
Recap of visit to Sedona, AZ.
Monday brought a visit to the Hopi Land (indian reservation - about 2.5 hours north of Flagstaff... 4 hours from Sedona) where I was given a beautiful gift from an elder - and the gifts of family, respect, honour and love with a simple visit. knowing that I'm welcome to visit them anytime means the world to me. being there and bringing them food and clothing and supplies and seeing the gratefulness in their eyes, just...uplifting. such a sense of peace in their tiny little home. they live within their means. extravagance might mean trying on a brand new pair of shoes that a friend might bring as a gift, or an extra load of coal for the coal/wood burning stove in the house. next time I complain about what I DON'T have, I'll think back to meeting Anita and "Old Man" and smile through my selfish tears.
Tuesday brought with it a visit to Phoenix to the Arizona Heart Hospital on the hottest day in Phoenix so far this year, and the hottest place in North America on that day. the cardiologist says that there's no surgery required and mom is fit as a fiddle. the meds are working. no ablative surgery or stopping the heart and jump starting it back, necessary. we had to make a 2 hour trip a 4 hour to avoid road blocks and forest fires. in the process, we got to see different parts of arizona that we've never seen before (Payson), the mountains, the trees, forests, green (unusual for Arizona in such heavy volume)... striking. unfortunately, in a desert climate... lots of rain would seem to be a welcome addition, right? nope. the rain brings the vegetation to life - too much of it. then, due to the extreme heat conducive to the climate in arizona... it becomes an immediate fire hazard. the very next day, in the exact same forest and mountains we had driven through...were burning. heat lightning and dry climate... not a good combo. thank goodness we were safe. wednesday comes around and we go to breakfast at "the coffee pot restaurant" which is my very favourite place EVER to have breakfast. very very good place. the dude that owns it is a former hollywood hairdresser... came here from the middle east waaaaaaaaaaaay back, and has people come to his small daytime only restaurant like clockwork. amazing food and amazing people. they know my mom and her partner by name.shortly thereafter we went on a spiritual quest/nature hike. I say this, because a native shaman/medicine man took us into a beautiful mountain valley with some of the most amazing rocks, streams, wildlife and views you've ever seen. we stopped a few times along the way to soak it in, to appreciate what Mother Earth provides. the sky, the sun, the wind, the sounds of nature. uninterrupted. he took us to a small cave. big enough for the three of us to stand in along with some pretty scary looking spiders hanging from the cave walls. we chanted. we did sounds from within in harmony in this tiny cave space that was about the size of a portable shower one might take camping. acoustics were hauntingly beautiful. there was a small overhang and a tiny hole in the top of the overhang where the sun would come directly in from the east each morning. one of his favourite meditation spots. I could completely understand why. further down the trail, we stopped at an amazing rock which, when you looked straight up, looked like a giant turtle with the head sticking out. we did a traditional drumming ceremony. meditated as the sound of the heartbeat from his drum and the rattle he was hitting it with, got our own hearts beating in tune with that of Mother Earth. surrounded us with burning sage. a cleansing ceremony. if you've never done this...you'll never understand. I don't guess many folks are open to something as traditional as this. but, it's impossible to explain the peace within during a ceremony of this nature. having dedicated a medicine wheel in a ceremony, and another very similar ceremony, I can say they are truly enlightening experiences. energy. peace. love. all in one. (and sage smells like Pot, by the by...without the side effects. ;)after the hike, we came back to the house and chilled on the last night and recapped our entire week. making my mom's partner laugh heartily at my storytelling style of the places we've been and the things we experienced. just me and mom.the flights back were uneventful. and I've been having severe withdrawals...not being able to go out on the back porch with my coffee and watch the sunrise over Thunder Mountain at 5:30am. not seeing any Red Rocks. not breathing in the mountain air. those things aren't close by physically as I type. but the memories are in my head. and my heart.
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