Cabin Experience

Yes, I have returned from the cabin - although reluctently. My friend Janelle and I stayed 7 glorious nights. If I didn't have the cabin rented for the weekend, I might still be there. The road trip to the cabin proved to be very healing for me. With that being said, in the coming months, I will make many trips to Packwood (located at the base of Mt. Rainer).

I took a stroll to the river almost every day while I was there. The Cowlitz River is only two tenths (.2) of a mile from the front door of Wild Salmon Retreat (the name I've given my cabin), so the walk was a perfect distance for me. One morning, after I awoke, I found myself being drawn to the river, it was earlier than I would normally go, but I listened to this voice within, got dressed and walked to the river. As I approached the river bank, I saw elk scurring out of the woods and onto the river bed. They were on the opposite side of the river, but they crossed the river bed and were now on my side of the river - about 500ft away from me . There must have been 20-30 elk; the elk stopped and grazed on the fallen trees in the river. I perched myself on a rock beside Lake Creek (small tributary/creek) of the Cowlitz river) and just watched them. I took pictures too. They are beautiful creatures. I closed my eyes, took in the fresh air and the sounds of water flowing from Lake Creek. It suddenly felt as though the river was flowing through me. I envisioned that it was flowing through me and cleansing my body - the water into my mouth and out the soles of my feet. When I finally opened my eyes, somewhat suprised of this experience, I suddenly felt and saw life all around me - the trees, plants, river, rocks, eagles and other avian friends, and the elk. This sensation gave me great peace and comfort. While I may not have felt the nearness of the Great Spirit (God, or the Creator if you prefer), I certainly felt the spirit of nature. Just as chemotherapy, acupuncture, and herbs will be a part of my physical and physiological healing, nature will be equally important to my spiritual, emotional and mental healing.

Thanks to Janelle, known as woman who makes fire, we had a fire every night. It was wonderful to sit on the couch in front of the woodstove to nap, read or converse. Foxina and Guizmo loved to sleep and they did a lot of it. If I slept, they slept. It must have been the clean fresh air that made them tired.