Forty Two
Forty Two, when I was 9 it seemed like an eternity, but day by day
the gap narrowed from decades to a decade, from years to months, to
the present. Like the number of the last Quatrain in the Seventh
Century, which is followed by a big emblem and the word "FIN" which
in French means, end. It is the only Century (chapter) to end this
way. I wasn't to concerned about the rest of 98 though, but after
98 comes 1999, and I was sure there would be a big build up to
Easter and then of course July, well I still had almost a year,
so I'll worry about that later. So I did nothing but the usual,
I waited, and worked and dealt with building an ice skating rink
for the kids of Missoula, and on 7/13/98 I turned 42. Because I
doubted that this was going to go away, it was only when, how
and what, might go down.
Another boring birthday alone waiting, but with the realization that
this year was not going to be as mellow as the last. We poured the
slab for the rink, which has to be done all at once. A little less
than 1/2 an acre, or from before the sun came up until long after
it had left. I stop by sometimes and look at the kids having fun
and then you know it was worth all the adult BS. With that done
the projects were smaller and could wait until late fall. I finished
up the project I was working on and left for Alaska to see what
condition my boat was in after two years. It was in good condition,
totally dry inside and with a day on the Grid to clean the hull,
and she was ready to go.
I headed south to go through Misty Fiords which I missed on the
way up because I made the mistake of calling customs from Prince
Rupert and dealing with a petty bureaucrat who was devoid of any
logic and commonsense, and puffed up with petty power. But I did
get to see a friend in Ketchikan, and laid over a few days and
went fishing, for the Silvers were running. I headed up into Misty
on a nice day for a temperate rain forest. A walrus came up to
the boat to say hello, sort of surprised me to have him a few
feet off the stern just looking at me and breathing loudly.
Started raining, imagine that, and we went into a cove of
shear granite cliffs, and with all the rain there were water-
falls everywhere. Took a soggy hike into Punch Bowl lake, which
had a large waterfall coming out of the lake. The next day we
headed up north a ways to a cove with a lot of eyes watching
us enter their home. Almost 60 eyes and 30 noses above the
waterline, with the seals bodies out of site. There had been big
runs in the river, because at low tide there were dead fish
everywhere. The dog was about to get tamed of that age old habit
of rolling in dead fish, for a little perfume smell. When we went
ashore I told her not to and she listened for awhile but she
finally succumbed to the urge. But that night she had to sleep
out in the cockpit, while there was a tarp over her, it was not
like sleeping on her pillow inside, and it was a raunchy night.
She had plenty of opportunities the rest of the trip and I never
said anything more to her, but she slept on her pillow the rest
of the way. But the biggest scare this time was a short chase by
a Brown bear, that got the blood flowing. Melissa (dog) might have
been paying me back for the night before.
On the first trip I had asked those I met along the way where
some good hot springs were, and I had one to go to on this trip.
Not many people were out cruising and I had the area pretty much
to myself except for some fisherman. I found the cove and tied
the boat to a buoy, and packed up for the trip. It was a 2 mile
walk into the lake with the springs on a hillside next to the
lake. We had to cross a cascading waterfall that was over
granite flows. There was a nylon ski rope strung across for
you to hold onto, and I tied a rope to the dog. The lake had
a waterfall at the outlet which reminded me of the one behind
the house back home, only much bigger. Back where the springs
were there were sheared off granite domes like Yosemite (Calif.).
There was a three sided shelter by the springs which as I went
passed I walked up and it had a drain so I plugged it and in
less than an hour I was soaking and enjoying the scenery.
All good things have to end and I made it back to my home port
and got ready to head south, sort of hoping I'd be back in 99,
you can always dream. But basically I was thinking of what might
lay ahead as the year would unfold. When I returned and as I
picked up my mail in it was another piece to the puzzle. While
reading some literature about the White Buffalo Calf I came
across someone I knew I was going to meet. He was the Nineteenth
Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Pipe. The number
19 stood out and I felt a little uneasy, as I remembered that
19 years earlier on leap day (Feb. 29) at about 7:00 AM I was in
a car accident that gave me the mark on my thigh. This accident
just happened to be on his tribes native lands, where he lived.
I had decided to read the Old Testament while in Alaska as I had
the last time, but I didn't do as good a job and when I got back
home I started another job and was to busy and didn't get around
to finishing it. I wrapped up the job around the end of the year
and took some time off to go snowboarding and was still delaying
finishing the reading. Not long after the first of the year I got
spanked and was knocked out and given a very sore neck, as in you
are a stiff necked person. Just like the first time I read the Old
Testament I finished it with a very stiff neck. The point they
were trying to make was all to clear but this whole thing is just
a bit much for anyone to deal with.
I had brought some Salmon back with me and I had planned to have
a dinner for the priests and a few others from the Parish. I had
told our Pastor some of the story in 97 and he looked down on me
after that because I didn't come forth as he had asked for from
the pulpit. Plus I had gone in expecting him to tell me I was crazy
and mistaken and to help me out of this, not to push me farther in.
It is so much easier to say come forth when it is not your life
that is on the line. I kept putting off the dinner and made a
couple for two homeless shelters in town instead, nothing was
said at either, except for a bearded man about my age who didn't
seem like he belonged there, as I was cleaning up he said to
keep up the good work. It had been a good dinner of the nicest
King Salmon I had brought back. The pressure was rising as Easter
was approaching and finally I made the date for Holy Week, for a
barbecue at the priests house, to ask them to let me speak at Mass.
The dinner was good, but the after dinner talk, well I guess it went
about as expected. I was pretty nervous and the room was full
though I knew the dinner guests couldn't feel the ancient ones
presence though. Well, as the night went on only the young priest
and secretary were left and I wrapped it up and was glad that hurdle
was basically over. On the way home I was told that I did okay
and that it was not the same for some of those who were there.
I had to talk to the Pastor the next day to finish the deal and
that hurdle was over. I had told them who I was and that I wanted
to give the readings and the Homily to explain the story to the
people, the idea of speaking to the people had me terrified.
Now I was being told to quit my job and go talk to the Sioux. I
delayed for awhile to help out the homeowner even after my tools
were stolen. They are not always subtle, sometimes the call is
very loud. But finally it was time to hit the road. I was told to
buy a laptop and to bring my computer as a gift. I wasn't rolling
in money, actually I was broke with only plastic, but deeper in
debt I went and farther out the gangplank I walked as I headed out
to South Dakota. I was returning for the first time since the
accident 19 years earlier. First I went to Crazy Horse monument and
asked for his and the two others help. Then I went up to Rapid City
and looked at the place where the accident was and went to the
Hospital and up to where the room I had stayed in was. Then I made
my way up to where the pipe is kept and started looking for the
Chief, the 19th generation keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Pipe.
He was out of town for a few days but his brother was there and
he was very friendly to this crazy white boy who showed up and
said he had to talk to his brother. Finally a meeting was set up
and before it I went up to Sitting Bull's grave in a respectful
manner which is a circular path to ask for his help. I didn't
get much time to talk but I tried to make the most of it. Later
that evening I was asked to help with the fire for the Sweat, I
had brought a bunch of wood with me because I had wanted to sit
around a campfire and talk to the Chief but using the wood to
heat the stones was fine with me. It was a beautiful night
sitting around the fire as the stones heated up.
I was the last to enter the sweat lodge and took my place by the
door. There was some animosity towards me by some of the people which
I could understand. Their singing was so beautiful and I could feel
the pleasure of the ancient ones who were there. This was one of the
most moving experiences I have ever had with the after glow lasting
a couple of days. I hoped that the Chief had been allowed to feel
their presence. He said something in Sioux because after the ceremony
I was treated different. We talked for awhile and after he went to
bed I left my Bible and drove to Aberdeen to catch a couple hours of
sleep on top of a picnic table just outside town and watch the sun
rise.
There I met and had breakfast and went to Mass with my sixth grade
teacher and told her the story. While I hadn't seen her for a long
time it still felt good to be around her just like when I was her
pupil. I went back to my home in Montana to wait for the chief to
return and to build an altar that I had put off. I made seven trips
to the creek to bring rocks up to the house. They were taken from
the location where I was standing when I first heard the Creator's
voice which was so sweet and loving and kind it is hard to put it
into words. He said "This is yours." The altar is built with 19
stones on the location where Abraham stood and spoke to me back
in December of 95.
I went back to the Reservation but the mood had changed back to the
original feelings which didn't surprise me, because what I was saying
would be hard for anyone to take. I had said he was my spiritual
brother, but he decided not to walk with me. While I was back home I
had talked to my spiritual sister who also said she had reservations
about what we have to do as she worried about her safety. So alone
I made my way back home to prepare for whatever was next.
When I got home it wasn't long before I knew where the next stop
was, the Hopi. So I threw some stuff in the truck, and the dog and I
were off for Arizona with a stop in Seattle to drop a book off for
a very special person. Along the way I marveled at the Creator's
handiwork of mountain ranges and rivers. We stopped in Page for the
night and I had a couple of beers while watching a Stanley Cup Playoff
game. The next day I headed down to the Hopi reservation to ...,
this is so crazy. Just before I hit the first town I walked into
the desert a little ways and prayed to our Father for some help
that His will be done. Then I put on a red shirt over a T-shirt
with a picture of the earth supported by a couple of spirits. They
have a prophecy of their true white brother coming wearing a red
shirt, cloak or hat, and with 2 others if they want to come, free will.
If the conversation went far enough, I was going to open my shirt
and explain the picture, and tell them the story about there true
white brother.
The man I was looking for had died a couple of years earlier but
I was able to find his daughter and she told me where the men
were dancing and that I probably could find who I was looking
for there. It was very hot but the singing and dancing was
excellent and I spotted an old man who seemed to be leading
them. As they made their way back to the arena I was able to
talk to him for a minute but he wasn't very interested in
talking to me and then he said something in Hopi which I
figured was derogatory as he walked off. Because this made the
Royal Court unhappy, and I could feel my teacher getting upset,
so I was told to leave. On the way home I dropped off some
material with the daughter of the Holy Man, that I had met
the day before.
Now it was back to Seattle because supposedly there was going to
be an earthquake there that upcoming weekend. I stopped along the
way at Seaside OR, for a couple of days to unwind. While there I
went to pick up another Bible as I had given mine to the Hopi's.
While there I came across a book that researched where the Arc
of the Covenant had gone when it left the temple and where it
currently might be.
I went up to Seattle to see if there had indeed been an
earthquake and there hadn't so I got upset and left for home.
Though They were saying to stay in Seattle. I wound up going
back to Seattle for a couple of days and walked around the
stadium as he said that the new stadium would be damaged and
never used. There is a constant amount of bluffing as he likes to
call it with some truth mixed in, but basically it sucks, but
there is nothing I can do about it. There was an earthquake
about a month later, the largest in 30 years, so it was close,
in earthquake predictions it was a direct hit. When the time
comes, which is when He, our Father wants it to happen, it will,
for He has a plan and I don't see the big picture like He does.
So the plan for France that came together amidst the ..., was
to buy a one way ticket though I wanted a round trip just in
case they were pulling my leg again. Well the one way ticket,
won out. What was I going to do over there, well I wanted to
go to Salon de Provence, to his old house and go up to his
study and fast and write for forty days. Then make my way
down to Ethiopia hopefully picking up some help along the way.
Where I had to talk the people who might have an Arc into
loading it onto a cart drawn by two oxen and then six of the
priests and I were to follow the cart back to Israel and we
weren't to bring any food or water with us. So with a rough
outline of a bizarre plan, ..., it was time to make my way to the
airport. I told the folks around me that I'd be back between
two weeks and four months depending on what happens.
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