We got to the park around 4:30, unpacked the car and headed straight out on a nice 2-mile hike. The sun was already on its way down, and we wanted to make sure to get back before dark, lest we get stuck out on unfamiliar trails and be thus boned. The walk was absolute peace. The wind whistling through the trees, the sun on our faces, the birds wrapping up their activities for the day, and the frogs croaking with free abandon, we walked with our walking sticks (or as I call them, Hobbit Sticks) in one hand, and interlaced our other hands, talking quietly of the scenery. We trekked the Wetlands Trail, seeing loads of cattails all around us and big sky above, not a cloud to be seen among the watery blue. I collected some cattail fluff from the ground, as it makes (supposedly) excellent wicking for homemade oil candles. There were still people out among the trails, but few and far between. Such bliss to walk among the natural world without sight nor sound of noisy trucks or fighting drunks!
Brilliant Yellow Fungi
Great berries from something I haven't been able to identify
We got back to our campsite and started up our sacred fire. We had some personal business that we've been meaning to take care of for several years now, and it is finally done. Using specially prepared firestarters that I made with papery, fall-themed muffin liners filled with special herbs, flower petals and beeswax, we filled the fire pit with fire wood, the memories to be released into the ether, the firestarters and set it ablaze. As with any magical fire that I've ever known, it held true that some things are harder to burn. It took a long time to get the fire going, despite loads of kindling, and it took both of our efforts to coax it along. We both said words to the fire, to the pain within, saying goodbye to it and to recognize the lessons learned, but the need to renew ourselves and let go of old ghosts. We held hands and watched the fire with both relief and regret.
After honoring the distant past, we focused on the here and now. We put our lovely, fat little brats on the grill and let the renewing smoke imbue our dinner with the promise of transformation. John toasted the buns and we ate our brats with some popcorn, grapes and then broke out the fixin's for S'mores. We watched the sky turn slowly dark, then alight with twinkling stars, planets and satellites high above. We marveled at the Milky Way, something we never see in the city's light-polluted sky :)
Our Sacred Purge Fire
Sacred Fire Starters
One For Me, One For My Homie, Thor
I said a silent toast to Thor, sending an offering through my worldly body to his Otherwordly one, and interestingly, a few moments later, the pewter Mjolnir charm that I wear started to vibrate excitedly against my collarbone! I started in alarm, then shared with John what happened. The world is a mysterious place, the Otherworld even more so!
My new Mjolnir, Thor's implement
From The Ashes We Are Transformed
The Darkness Dawns Above
Us, More Deeply In Love Every Day
We played a quick game of Backgammon that we purchased this year at Renaissance Festival, then realized we were so tired it was time for bed. I frequently have trouble sleeping when we are away from home, so I had to play a number of games of iPhone Solitaire before I was sleepy enough to fall into the abyss. I awoke numerous times to pee in the night (in the bucket, thank you very much, as I am not crazy enough to venture into the darkness and face some unknown, growling wild thing, such was the case at Afton State Park!) and even woke once after what I consider a Very Important Dream, this time, the Dark Mother coming to me and blowing my freaking mind. I journaled the dream as best I could, being that it drifted fast from my psyche and it was probably 2:30 or so, then tried to return to it, but went instead into seemingly plain sleep and mundane dreams.
Our cool Backgammon game
After a wonderful, sleepy snuggle wake-up, we decided coffee was in order. John started another fire, this one firing with no problems at all. He had the sausages cooking by the time I got out there. As they fried up, there was cacophony of blue jays out in the lane! I caught one with a nut in its beak!
Large amounts of coffee were had, and our cute little brekkies of sausages and eggs in pool of browned butter was just what the morning called for!
After breakfast, we set out for a long, luxurious day of slow walking, a nice picnic lunch, with loads of photos to journal our stay.
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