January 2013 Update

The New Year has begun, and I am back to the Blog, using it as a means of sending out my New Year's greetings, providing a bit of an update and sharing some of what has been happening in my life. 

2012 was a year full of surprises for me, in that any plans I had were altered by new and changing circumstances. My dear friend in California, Maureen, discovered in the fall of 2011 that her previous cancer had returned, and, after months of treatment, in May of this year she decided that she wanted to return again to Africa where she had spent so much time over many years. She asked me to accompany her, and I did. We departed July 1. I’ve told that story in my Blog.  Just go to the Archive here on the blog. (hereswhatIknow.blogspot.com)

A previously scheduled visit from my sister in Calif. was re-scheduled and we had a wonderful 10 days just before I left. Three weeks after the return from Kenya, I embarked upon a Vision Quest in the Inyo Mountains Wilderness, near Mono Lake with a group of women. This trip had been planned long before the African trip came up, and was a return for me to Vision Quest experiences. I had done 3 Vision Quest experiences between 1998 – 2001, and felt it was time for another. It turned out that it was a much needed chance for me to process the Africa trip, as well as to be totally away from the world and able to reflect on my life in general.

Inyo Mountains Wilderness

Eastern Sierras, 

south of 

Mono Lake.

High desert terrain with old growth forest.

10 days with 13 women, 

3 days alone on

"solo time" 

with no food, only water.

Nature is a deep teacher reflecting back to us all we need to know.

The Africa trip was extremely challenging, especially because of Maureen’s condition. It was also a time of intense pleasure and delight in an environment such as I had never seen. The animals were incredible and just to see them freely roaming, living the life/death/life cycle without intervention, totally in tune with their environment was a top thrill of my lifetime. Each place we visited was very different from the other, and utterly fascinating. Maureen had planned it beautifully with the agent she had worked with many times before. It was designed just for us, and we traveled by private plane, stayed in extraordinary bush camps, and saw three very different locales in Kenya. The nice part was that we stayed 4 to 5 days in each place, allowing for relaxation and immersion in the area. It was an exhausting experience to get there and return, especially for Maureen, but, with pre-arranged help in the airports, we managed fairly well. One of the surprises for me was how much I enjoyed keeping a watercolor journal. Just beginning to learn what to do with watercolors, it was fun to play with it and keep memories at the same time.

We parted in San Francisco at the end of the trip, and I continued on to Bend. That was the last time I saw Maureen. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and I only had two phone conversations with her before she died, just 3 months after we returned. I know that she did not regret for a second having made the trip, and said before we left that whatever the aftermath, it would be worth it. The trip to the Clinic that she supported was so very meaningful for her, and that visit was the highlight of the trip for both of us. (That story is told in an earlier Blog.)
She had asked me to facilitate her “Celebration” that was held on Oct. 26, and I spent a week in Marin County at that time. It was a wonderful honoring of her life. This is where I lived from 1971 – 2005 and so there are many memories there, friends, and familiar places. 
And then I got sick. And whatever the bug was, it didn’t go away for a month. It wasn’t long before I realized that I was exhausted, on all levels, and needed a major rest. My energy was depleted, my emotions wrung out and I was just plain tired. The weeks that followed were pretty bleak, and, at the risk of being melodramatic,  I can only call it a “dark night of the soul.” I've experienced these periods a number of times, and have finally learned that there is nothing to do but let it run its’ course and then be open to what there is to learn from it.
This time I had additional “help” to see me through. That is my study and work with the Enneagram over the last 4 years. It is an incredibly helpful tool of self-discovery, and one that I trust, especially because the roots of the system go back thousands of years.

Writing helps, and this pretty well describes it.....

The Emptiness of Oneness

Heaviness, inertia, frozen darkness

clinging, cloying self absorption, 

possibility cowers lost in confusion…

Immobility feeds itself, circling downward

unable to counter the drag of despair…

Sinking into my own emotional morass,

swallowed by old stories, clinging beliefs

I walk into the darkness of this reality,

blindly creating my own vulnerability in separation.

So many paths to our death in the midst of life…

Here I see, feel, hear only death; darkness

feeding on itself allows no opposite; no light

will show itself until I surrender, completely

give over resistance, falling into the Void

allowing the furies to do their worst…

And then the mysterious glimmerings begin,

the slivers of shining hope, like single sunbeams

briefly warming the frozen tundra of my heart,

giving life to my limbs, a path for my thoughts,

a way out of fear as my soul creeps back.

Slowly, imperceptibly, as single drops begin the

winter melt, my world lightens, lifts and I see

with new eyes; newly born perceptions guide

my path, as movement enlivens,

a powerful inner presence takes center stage…

Illusions, falsehood fade; tired emotions, tenuous,

temporary melt into knowledge that the journey

into darkness is as into the light, all part of  one

path, one Whole…where emptiness is but the

absence of separation, duality made whole.

Is this a mystery, or is this the way of all things?

A never ending cycle of life/death/life…

Light shines on new possibilities, buds of

potential flower, flowing movement awakens

energy courses through my body, ideas, feelings

emerge into a new consciousness, once again

yet never before seen …my own true Self.

The light of authenticity, confidence, trust

Meet the darkness of falsehood, doubt, fear

in the cauldron of my psyche where alchemy

creates the pathway to their coexistence in

the emptiness of Oneness, the Beauty of Being.

dsw Dec. 2012

My daughter, Lauren, spent 5 days with us here in Bend over Christmas and that was a very special time. We've had lots of snow and we went snowshoeing, and she had a day of downhill skiing at Mt. Bachelor. This trip she met more of my friends, saw more of Bend and we just had a great time. She continued on to San Francisco, saw the 49er's play and was headed for New Years Eve with friends there.

Other news: Tom and I decided in the Spring to sell our "Maddie" (the motorhome) in that we felt we were not using her for trips as much, and that we had accomplished what we had intended over the 6 years we had her. We will continue to take trips, but now will find interesting places to stay instead...i.e. B and B's, maybe occasional camping or just motels.
Tom continues his volunteering, tending our yard and his plants, walking and keeping tabs on the local government. The latter is a frustrating pastime, but he enjoys it. Bend has numerous events and activities and he takes part in many....Osher Learning, the Community College speaker series, the Library events, the Environmental Center, the Sunday evening Presbyterian informal gathering and supper, etc., etc. I go to some of these, but not as many as he does. He still loves to dance, and makes occasional trips to Portland for that. There is some here, but not a lot. We did go Contra dancing recently and will go again....great exercise! I have also done some line dancing with some friends.
I continue to spend a good amount of time keeping my health by exercising, walking, hiking and doing Feldenkrais. It's not hard to do in such a beautiful place as this.
I still play the cello, but have let go of the Symphony, just sticking to the Quartet and my duo playing with a pianist friend. The Symphony was just too much work, and too much of a schedule for me. I'm also going to branch out into some more off beat playing with a cellist friend who performs with a guitar player here in Bend. Lessons with her are about to begin! It will be very different and fun! 
The painting has lessened, no longer using oil, but am trying new mediums. I did watercolors on the Africa trip, on the Vision Quest and am now experimenting with acrylics.
That's it from Bend.

Vision Quest Reflection

Vision Quest Reflection

Dottie Sayward Wylie

 Along the lines of "here's what I know...now" here are some thoughts...

I wrote this several months ago, after the Sept. Reunion of the group who completed the Vision Quest in Aug. 2012. For many reasons it got forgotten and was not posted.

"The human art form is in uniting fruitful activity with a contemplative stance- not one or the other, but always both at the same time."

(from Richard Rohr's Falling Upward)

At a recent reunion of women who had completed a Vision Quest together, I heard and saw how vital the desire to manifest this "human art form" seems to be. So many of us in the group spoke to this desire in one way or another. It seems to be something that lies deep within us, and perhaps becomes more visible and pressing as we move into the later years of our life.  We are in different life circumstances, and have different personalities and ways of being, but we all are balancing, juggling, rushing, working, playing even as another part of us yearns for peace, quiet, and a time and place just to be. It seems to be about balance, and that was clear in the stories of the women who had all been on this transforming wilderness quest. How was it possible to bring what we had experienced back into our daily world?

The Vision Quest group is made up of women of all ages, with most being over 50. Some are working, some in school, some retired. We spent an incredible 9 days in the wilderness of the California Inyo Mountains, east of the Sierra Nevada near Mono Lake. For 3 days we each spent time totally alone, somewhere in the vicinity, fasting with only water. The preparatory time beforehand, the gathering and traveling, the sharing, the deepening of our own process, our increasing trust of each other, all gently worked on us so that our defenses and personas began to fade away. We all brought our intentions and ideas of why we had come, our fears and trepidation and our brave hopes. Inevitably the outcomes were often unexpected, as each individual had her own unique encounter with the gorgeous landscape, magnificent rock outcroppings, old growth Jeffrey pines, thick-trunked lodge pole pines, fragrant sage, the perfect weather, the warm sun, the deep darkness, the rhythms of nature, thunder, lightning, and the small creatures of the earth and air. How these encounters acted as a mirror for each of us is what we remember. Therein were the messages, the lessons, the power and sacredness of the encounter. How we interacted with nature, with what we found, experienced, smelled, felt and heard reflected back to us who we are. The outside world turned us inward to see its' reflection. Our coping, our courage, our fearful moments, our realizations of what we no longer needed in our lives, our letting go of the old, powerfully taking on the new, marking our grieving, our sadness and welcoming our joyfulness- all found their place in the totality of our experience in a wilderness that became our home.

We moved from the protected, safe, familiar, comfortable environment we knew into a totally unknown, potentially unsafe, unfamiliar, uncomfortable environment and experienced it transformed into a crucible. Here, stripped of our protections and false notions, we became friends with the truth of ourselves at this point in time. And then, after reuniting and sharing our stories with the others in our base camp, we returned to the world and to the hardest part of all. How does one bring this experience back into the familiarity of our daily life? How do we ever see our world in the same way again?

At the Reunion I heard stories of how quickly we were caught up again in the pace, in the responsibilities, in the push and pull of daily demands; how new or unresolved problems rose up into our days and nights. How our euphoria at the end of the quest was slowly eroded by doubt and despair as to how we could really bring our new life into the old. How do we live in the world, and yet be not consumed by it? How do we find balance between the inner and the outer? Age-old questions...

Numerous answers have been given to these questions all through the ages, suggestions made, theories put forth. For me it is a continual unfolding as I become more and more conscious of my reasons for what I am choosing to do. I am grateful every day that my life today does not require me to work at a job in order to survive. However, I can very easily take on "doing" in my life to the point that it replicates that very situation and I am once again without the balancing state of non-doing, of peaceful restful or soulful activities that fulfill an inner yearning to create. What I know now is that the "doing" is not inherently the problem. It is the lack of awareness or consciousness about what is motivating it that can cause the problem.

It requires me to stay very aware and mindful enough to stop if I am out of balance, to reassess, to  "contemplate," - to listen to my heart and make changes. Again, I am grateful I have that freedom. If it is a "fruitful activity" and one that I can fully support with my heart and soul, I feel balanced. "Doing" to be busy, to distract myself from what needs attention, to avoid - that leads me to imbalance. The inevitable next step of stress and irritability, in my case, always wakes me up.

One thing I do know now is that on one level we really don't have a choice if we are aware and listening to the truth inside. There is only one choice, the one that is authentically ours. Yes, it's perhaps more complicated than that. We are led by our egos down other paths; we listen to old messages, to outside influences and pressures. But one day we learn, one day when we actually experience the liberation from those forces and become friends with our own deepest essence.

Our questing women also were discovering that it actually might be possible to bring new life into the old. Finding that we are the new life, we know the shifts we feel are real. We are living into it, slowly and in our own rhythm, just as nature transforms herself each season, as surely as the seeds are germinating in the dark. We bring our newness back into the world, and listen, always listen to our own signals of imbalance. It's an inside job. Perhaps all it takes is a deep breath to bring us back to "fruitful activity and contemplation."

Dottie Sayward Wylie

September 2012

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The Kenya story continues...

NOTE:If you haven't read SEGMENT I and the SLIDESHOW that goes with it, I would recommend you do that that first. 

On the right side you will see BLOG ARCHIVE. Go to the September posts and read them in order. The first slideshow is at the end of SEGMENT I.

And before that post is the RAYS OF HOPE post which also has wonderful pictures of Maureen and tells the story of our trip to the Clinic she helped to start and has supported.

...or just scroll down from here and you will see all the posts.

SEGMENT II: Kenya Stories and Slideshow:

SEGMENT I and the first slide show ended with our small charter plane departure from the Masai Mara and Kicheche.

Just prior to the chasing of the zebra and wildebeest off the dirt landing strip in our safari vehicle, James and I had our breakfast sitting in the vehicle within 10 feet of a pride of at least 15 lions, all sleeping and dozing after a kill the previous day. It was surreal…

Now onto our next stop! Sarara is located in over 800 thousand acres of wilderness, called the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy. Namunyak means “Place of Peace” in Samburu. It’s chief architect, Ian Craig, realized in the 80’s that the elephant population was being virtually wiped out; all the rhino were killed. He saw that there was no future for the animals unless the community was fully engaged in their protection and the conservation of habitat. Initially local herdsmen were provided with radios to report poaching and, over time, the community began to understand the benefits of having wildlife on their land. Visitors came, and with them a valuable source of income. Sarara itself was built 15 years ago by a couple who had lived in Kenya many years, understood and loved the bush, the animals and shared Ian Craig’s vision There were many setbacks and difficulties, but the result is a beautifully designed structure settled on a hillside, looking out over the Matthews Range. An artistic combination of tent structures, curved wood and plaster, and thatched roofs are all constructed from local materials and made locally. Anything that could not be made was flown in.

Even more amazing is that now the ownership and management of Sarara has been turned over to the local community and the Conservancy Board of Trustees. The establishment of Sarara provided the key to tourism revenue, and now contributes to the local economy through the conservancy. The people have learned that careful management of their land provides a sustainable income for the community while also providing security for themselves, the animals and their habitat.

I found it astounding to discover that in almost a million acres there are only 12 visitors at any one time. The guests at Sarara, maximum 12, are the only humans outside of the local Samburu tribes who are ever staying in the Conservancy.

It is a place of serenity, rest, stillness and waiting…

Our early morning drives with Malachi and Mark revealed baboons, elephants, eagles, gerund, all kinds of birds, monkeys, giraffe, and numerous other small creatures, termite mounds, strange nests and the insistent feeling of the hidden presence of the leopard, cheetah and lion…

The various tribal people live in peace now, with the largest group being the Samburu. I spent considerable time talking to the guides, both here and in the Masai Mara region. They speak very good English, having learned it when they are first sent to school at a young age. There are both government and private schools. I was intrigued they are given Christian names, along with their Samburu or other name. They faith is mostly that of their native heritage, mixed with strong cultural and spiritual beliefs. Customs are changing, such as the traditional arranged marriage. The young men told me that it’s now a mutual decision, but that, in the end, if the parents don’t agree it will not happen.

I want to describe our visit to the “Singing Wells” as we were not allowed to photograph any of it. You will see in the slideshow that the elephants come to these wells in the evening, and send their trunks down deep into the well for water. This can be quite dangerous, as the wells are very deep and if an elephant falls forward into it, it is almost impossible to rescue him or her. It has been done, however, with the help of the Sarara vehicles.

One morning we drove to same area of the dry river bed where we had seen the elephants. It was filled with tribesmen, women and children, their cattle, goats and some donkeys. This was their only source of water, and they had come from miles away. What I saw was how at each well several of the men, totally naked, were precariously balanced with their feet on small ledges down inside the well. The one on the bottom filled a bucket with water, handed it up to the man above him, who handed it up above to another until it reached the top. There the last man turned the bucket into a trough where the animals drank. There were others, mostly younger men and boys who kept the cattle from pushing and shoving too much, and seemed to know exactly which cattle were theirs and not someone else’s. If one that didn’t belong managed to squeeze in, it was quickly shoved away. Meanwhile the women were also collecting the water in containers that were then lashed onto the sides of the donkeys to be carried back to their village. They were also washing clothes and they were laid out to dry all over the bushes and rocks of the riverbed.

I had learned in the Masai Mara that the cow is considered sacred and a gift from God to the Masai…and probably the Samburu think the same. In fact, they believe that ALL cows, anywhere, are given to them.  I wish I could have explored this further with them. What I did understand is that the cow provides everything for them: the security of  food, a livelihood in the meat they can sell, an income for their education and other needs, and a measure of their own personal wealth.

Here is the most amazing thing I witnessed. In the midst of a riverbed full of cattle, goats, etc. the men were always singing. Their songs were specific to them, and the cattle recognized the song of where they belonged! They stayed with the group near to where they were hearing “their” song! And thus they were all there when it was time for them to go to the well itself.

All this was witnessed only by the two of us and two others.

                                     

“Nothing to do, no schedule to keep…

To witness a sunrise in its’ entirety.

A step into eternity.

To wait, past the time you must go.

A step into possibility.

Wild dogs appear, in the almost darkness.

So rare, so strange.

A step into stunning mystery.”

“Rising spreading peach glow

light returns once more

illuminating a world of wildness, balanced

on the fragile edge of nature’s truths…

Beauty walks mirrored in watery

reflection pools drinking in the rising sun…

May I know such beauty

Carry it in my life,

See it in every sunrise,

Live it in every breath…

Every moment holds the potential for totality…

A hologram of completeness…”

Another small charter plane took us north and to the Lewa Wilderness camp in Lewa Downs, within sight of Mt. Kenya at 7,000 feet. This well established Conservancy of 62,000 acres was formed in 1995. In the 1920’s it was a cattle ranch, but when poaching  threatened the existence of wildlife a conservancy was formed, and now the animals co-exist with the cattle. Again, the local people see the advantage of supporting wildlife and habitat, understand the value of tourism, and are involved in all of this through employment in many different aspects of the conservancy and the camps, becoming trained as guides and for the security patrols. Poaching is on ongoing problem. Lewa holds  a population of 88 rhino, an endangered species, and in spite of the armed security, the monitoring and care for their well-being, they are killed. There are only 2000 Grevy Zebra left in the world, and 600 are here at Lewa.

We saw Cape Buffalo, lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, waterbuck, zebra, cheetah, birds, eland, white giraffe, African geese, many kinds of eagles and a crocodile! I spotted the crocodile!

The slideshow will show you much more about Sarara and Lewa...

Be sure to click on the "SHOW INFO" icon on the top right of the slideshow in order to see the captions. AND click "OPTIONS" to set the speed to SLOW.

http://www.flickr.com//photos/87229554@N05/sets/72157631702013089/show/

Kenya: Stories and Pictures: Segment I

Thank you for your warm response to my story about the Rays of Hope Clinic and your generous giving. I so appreciate your support. I have now begun learning how to write a grant proposal and am researching what companies, corporations, non-profits, etc. might be likely places to send my request, once I figure out how to write it! Any help anyone can give me regarding where to send the proposals would be an enormous help. I am really a novice at this, but am determined to do what I can. In the meantime, I would love to share with you more about the trip to Kenya.
I will be posting the full story, but I will do it in segments.
The first segment tells of our visit to the Maasai Mara area of Kenya where we stayed at Kicheche Bush Camp in the Olare Orak Conservancy. All of the places we stayed were "off the beaten track" and I never saw tour groups at all.

SEGMENT I

MAASAI MARA: July 2012

I am writing of the immensely exciting experiences I’ve moved through in the last three weeks, though they feel as elusive as a leopard when I reach to capture them in words…

However, with the patience borrowed from the cheetah stalking its prey, I will stay with it!

Traveling from one side of the world to the other was surreal and challenging, taking its toll on my physical body and calling upon my inner resources to remain grounded and calm in the midst of what often appeared as mad chaos. At the same time I was astounded at how efficiently that chaos is managed, and that the entire global system of travel works as well as it does. Glitches occur, but probably statistically, considering the numbers of people traveling, they are few. Our trip was enhanced immeasurably by flying Business or First class most of the way, plus we had assistance at most airports to help us to manage the walking, etc. I had hurt my knee before the trip, and Maureen did not have the physical strength to manage long walks. After I got over my feeling of embarrassment about needing help, I was grateful for it! Both directions were accomplished beautifully, with only one cancelled flight, which then caused our bags to not arrive at the end of the trip. Jet lag and sleep deprivation at the end of the trip were the only real problems I encountered.

To Kicheche: Maasai Mara (5,000ft.)

Olare Orok Conservancy (60,000 acres)

After our arrival in Nairobi we stayed overnight at a lovely historic hotel which, according to our driver, was the safest in the city as it was next door to the Israeli Embassy which has a high level of security all around it. The next morning we boarded a small Air Kenya aircraft, and were told we should disembark at the 3^rd stop. As the names were unintelligible to me, I kept careful count. All our landings after leaving Nairobi were on dirt runways. Disembarking we were met by our Maasai guide, climbed in the Safari Vehicle that would become our second home for weeks and began the first hour of many to come on the roughest dirt roads I’ve ever traveled in my life (and I’ve traveled a lot of them!!)

I was immediately thrilled, felt my adrenaline rising and my heart filling with delight. The first animal I saw was a warthog! They are quite common, and quite comical as they move through the grasses with their tails bobbing straight up in the grass like little antennae. We were headed to Kicheche, a bush camp in a Conservancy of 32,000 acres in the Masai Mara. The Masai Mara area is connected to the Serengeti in Tanzania, but no one is allowed to cross into it without permission. In this first hour’s drive I saw elephants, zebra, several kinds of antelope, ostrich and much more. Arriving at Kicheche we were met by our delightful hosts, Darren and Emma. Heavy duty tent construction, running water, flush toilets, a mess tent, 12 guests maximum all in the middle of a wilderness of immense proportions. This camp could be completely taken down in a week, so is not absolutely permanent, but serves as such. It was very comfortable, with delicious food, game drives all morning with breakfast, and “Sundowners” after tea at 4:30 until 7PM, followed by dinner at 8PM.

Breathing in grasses,

greens, yellows

billowing, flowing…

short, cropped

giraffe sculpted trees

further dwarfed by 
the destruction

of elephants feeding…

Do they grow back?

Antelope, ostrich, zebra

elephants abound…

Then she appears,

the fading evening light

following her lean, powerful,

confident journey through

the grasses...

A leopard leisurely lures

us onward until we

all disappear into the night.

The days were full, with any expectations I may have had being obliterated by the reality of each moment. Nothing could be predicted, with every moment holding the possibility of a surprise. I became alert and ready, poised to see everything I possibly could, fully present, filled with joy and the energy of life itself. Nature is everywhere present showing herself in all her glory, in the life/death/life cycles, in the land, in the weather, and in the activities of the wild ones. I feel the similarities to a “vision quest” deep inside, and know that I will one day understand more of what that means for me. Being in the unfamiliar, out of my comfort zone, with difficult challenges coming in traveling with someone, meeting new people, on my own…all are there for me to learn, to see myself in that mirror and deepen my knowledge of myself.

I’ve become aware since I returned from the trip that part of the reason I was so affected by the land and its people was the fact that it isn’t a highly developed country, that its wild lands are being cared for and respected now in such tangible and successful ways, and that there is an appreciation for wilderness and for animals. These are things that mean a lot to me. It’s where I put my attention in my own life. My heart and soul were captured by the bush, the people and the experience of being so close to the basic realities of life, death and survival, seeing in that what we have lost in our highly developed materially oriented world. We no longer see or understand the interconnectedness, the oneness, the beauty and necessity of acknowledging the natural world, of respecting wilderness and protecting wildlife. The people of Kenya were wonderful, with open hearts and sincere in their efforts to please.

Just me and a Maasai

guide, not warrior

with hippo chorus

breakfast in the African sun

cheetahs running across the horizon…

And we followed them, as they ran through the grasses, watched as they climbed up on termite mounds in order to see better, drove very near, hearing their shrill barking sounds indicating agitation, which, according to “Nelson,” might be due to a lion being nearby or that they are looking for a female. None of the animals were disturbed by our vehicle, having seen them since they were born and having no fear of them. No one was to ever get out of the vehicles, however, as then we might be seen as prey.

Topi, only in the Mara, are plentiful. (sloped back)

Wildebeast, and Thompson Gazelle (black strip, smaller, constantly moving tail)

Grand Gazelle, lions, giraffe, vulture, eagle, cheetahs, boomslug (poisoness snake, bright green)

Ostrich, wart hogs, black backed jackal, Impala (males have horns)

During an afternoon ride with James, we spotted a leopard up in a tree. She leapt with infinite grace from the tree and we followed her to where she had hidden a previous kill. She began to drag the carcass, easily more than her own weight, and we followed. Slowly, more and more exhausted, she moved through the grasses. A hyenna lurked nearby, watching, lusting after the kill perhaps. We felt the unfolding of a drama, as the leopard climbed a tree and looked around, quite obviously determining how to get the carcass up into the tree to protect it. Darkness was coming and we soon had to leave. The next day we returned, found her, and her cub, now in the large tree where we originally had seen her. The carcass was safely stowed in the branches. We saw that the hindquarters of the wildebeest had been ripped off, and we wondered if the hyenna had been able to grab it as she hauled it through the night. There seemed to be plenty left for her and her cub. Then, to the sounds of cracking bones, we watched them take turns filling themselves, rest, their limbs hanging loosely from the branches, and then return for more.

Eventually they moved to a nearby creek bed for what appeared to be some play time, and we sat nearby drinking our tea….a bit surreal for sure.

Another day, while following 3 male cheetahs out looking for prey, I feel my own deep survival/hunting instinct surfacing as I watched the careful, stealthy, slow creep through the grass of the lead cheetah as he headed for an impala grazing ahead. Knowing exactly when he would reach the right distance to begin his final sprint, he slowly moved forward. I held my breath, knowing these animals needed food and that another animal would die to provide it. Meanwhile, a topi nearby raised his head, apparently having sensed or seen the cheetah. His warning sound alerted the impala. Both move away and the cheetah’s kill is thwarted. The 3 brothers then move under a tree for a rest…

Three cheetahs single minded 
Search stealthily stalking impala

Lying low in green yellow cover

Maasai plains grasses eons of silent

Regeneration now bearing eternal witness

Grazers now prey in the ongoing cycle of life

Now thwarted by a topi warning, the “three boys” rest

And I wait…

Eating my muselli silence surreal no stalking no searching no killing no rush nothing to do but wait…

For three cheetahs to wake…

And they sleep…

Bush Lessons:

*There can be no hurry here; you must wait to find what you seek…

*Only in silence will you hear what you must…

*The life/death/life cycle is all there is to know, and we are one with it as are all life forms…

*Sitting and waiting, nothing and everything will happen; nothing and everything will be revealed…

*In not speaking, I uncover deeper truths inside; like the kudu, I hold stillness in the night…

*In speaking, with conscious awareness, I set myself free and fly like an eagle…

*All life is interconnected. In the bush it is clear and respected. In most of our lives it is hidden and ignored.

Here is the slideshow to accompany this story:
The adjustments are in the upper right.
Set speed on SLOW, and click "SHOW INFO" to see captions.

http://www.flickr.com//photos/87229554@N05/sets/72157631609230841/show/

END OF SEGMENT I
Segment II will be posted soon.

RAYS OF HOPE CLINIC...Githongo, Kenya

Here goes...my first post! While this is a bit different than what I intend for my blog, right now I can't imagine anything more important than to tell you this story.

In July, I accompanied my friend, Maureen, on what was, for her, a return trip to Kenya. For almost three weeks we experienced a magical time in that amazing and beautiful country. The contrasts, challenges, wildlife and people all together presented an extraordinary panorama. Maureen has traveled to the African continent many times over the years, but this trip held a special poignancy in that she is seriously ill. Her dearest wish has been to return to Africa before she can no longer travel. When she proposed the idea to me, I knew I would be there with her.

 

I will write of the animals I saw, the people I met and our adventures in another posting.



 
Now I write to share with you the highlight of the trip, and to ask for your consideration of a request.

Seven years ago Maureen volunteered at a Conservancy in Kenya where she met a young 
man, Murithi, who told her of his great desire to help the people of his home village by providing basic health care, basic medical testing and health education. She helped to fund his training as a health practitioner, and then provided funds which enabled him to open his small community clinic in 2009. Visiting the Clinic and seeing Murithi was a major goal of this return visit to Kenya.

We stayed at the Conservancy, Lewa Downs, and we were driven to Murithi's village. After a fascinating trip with glimpses into the lives of people along the way in the towns, the farms, and the villages of the Meru District in central Kenya, we arrived at the small, rural, mountainous village of Githongo, near the base of Mt. Kenya. We were welcomed as royalty, with Murithi and his entire extended family there to greet us. Their huge smiles, open arms, songs and joyous greetings enveloped us both.

Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best, and our first stop was church. We attended a two hour service, remarkable in that their faith and the importance it holds in their lives was palatable in this service where even the smallest child sat quietly and respectfully throughout! (Of course, staring at us was probably a welcome distraction!)

 A Methodist service in Swahili, with some English for our benefit, caught me up in the cadence of the drums, the chanting, singing and the surprising familiarity. The importance of the church in their lives was apparent, and I was told that it was this that carried them through the difficulties and struggles of their lives. We were introduced, and asked to say a few words, which Murithi translated. The community expressed their delight to Maureen, knowing how important she was to the establishment of their clinic.

Next we walked to see the Clinic nearby. In a few rooms in a small, simple structure Murithi and his assistants proudly demonstrated their equipment and explained what they do.
With full time work by Murithi, and a part-time staff of a nurse, laboratory technician and community facilitator, they provide:

• laboratory services for malaria and typhoid
• disbursement of medicines and drugs
• testing and post test counseling for HIV/AIDS
• maternal, prenatal and child health care
• community health education
• house calls for those unable to travel to the clinic

ALL of these services are provided at NO cost or for a minimal fee. The truth is that few can afford to pay anything at all. While the goal of the Clinic is to provide even more services, the truth is that the present situation is one of increasing debt and no steady income. They receive no help from the local or the Kenyan government. All funds come from private donor contributions, which are difficult to find and are usually no more than a single donation, not a regular source. Murithi is struggling constantly to pay for the most basic costs...i.e. rent, electricity and the salaries for his staff and himself

A large part of their work is to increase awareness and education about HIV/AIDS. Many in Kenya are not being reached with prevention and treatment services. Murithi has large posters communicating the important concepts, often to people who do not read or speak much English. He recently has been in touch with "Translators without Borders" who may be able to help, and he needs funds to create brochures himself in Swahili. There are still cultural blocks to the effort to reach people with the facts about HIV/AIDS, which education has still not broken through.

Soon we were visiting Murithi's home, where members of his family live in close proximity to each other, sharing in a garden and food preparation. His mother provided simple food for us and, while Maureen met with Murithi and others to talk about the future of the Clinic, I sat nearby and painted a watercolor of "Mama's" house. When she saw what I was doing, she showed me more....the tiny cooking area with open fire, her small sleeping area, the sitting area, one cow, one goat, chickens and the garden.

"Mama" raises tea plants for income, they live simply and are grateful for all they do have. Some of the younger family members have jobs outside the village, and everyone is very close. What I noticed is how much they lack that we Westerners would consider critical to our survival.....most of which they don't even miss, EXCEPT basic health care!

Before we departed, Murithi took us on a "home care" visit to woman who had had a stroke. She was curled up in a dirty blanket on a couch in a small room with a dirt floor, no windows, an open fire and little air. Her husband was nearby, and a cow was outside the door. Murithi's assistant stayed behind to provide whatever care she could.

These people are typical of the many who cannot get to the Clinic and who have no funds to pay for any of the services they receive. Others, who line up every day, are without funds to pay for services, other than to bring some food perhaps.

Since we have returned, Maureen's condition has become worse, and she is unable to continue her work  helping the clinic reach funding sources. She is very worried about how it will survive. And it is certainly true that Murithi needs a secure funding source in order to survive over the long haul.

I am stepping in to tell this story, and to make an appeal for help to assist with the immediate needs of Rays of Hope Community Clinic.

I deeply appreciate and thank you in advance for anything you can give, and would also welcome any thoughts you might have as to how more secure, long term funding might be found. Murithi and his supporters in Githongo are not experienced in writing grant proposals and do not have large networks outside the village.

When I think of the needs in this world and how many there are who need this kind of help, it is overwhelming. I have to wonder how something this small will survive. And yet, when I remember the faith shining in the faces of Murithi and his family and friends, remember their heartfelt determination to help their people and remember the great need that surrounds them, I know that this is what matters in the world. These efforts are of importance and of value. Because I was privileged to enter into their lives for just one day, I believe I must respond to their situation. 

Murithi has reported to me that his monthly expenses are US$1675, and that he owes US$5,025 in bills and salaries.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have my deepest gratitude for reading this far, and for anything you can do to help.

The link below will take you directly to the site of Children Of Strength, which is the organization that has agreed to handle donations for the Rays of Hope Clinic. They have a 501 (c) (3) standing as a tax exempt non profit. They are not charging any fees for managing and forwarding donations to the Rays of Hope Clinic.

Be sure you are designating Rays of Hope specifically on the Donation page.

Donate Here

             We are most grateful.