Sanctuary at Crowfield Farm

My friend, Rob, recently sent out a question to a group of us: what makes you happy? Below is the response I sent to Rob and the group.

Rob – Quick answer to your query: what makes me happy?

Many things come to mind, but two rise to the top. The first is one you have already touched on, being in nature. I am a man most blessed, as I work with and in nature, and I find myself so grounded and centered when I am working with the trees. My physical body is beginning to rebel at the constant repetitive motions, but my spirit still soars getting to know each tree intimately for a few moments, running into the occasional hawk, bobcat, cougar, coyote, woodchuck, mockingbird, and all the other relations that share themselves with and teach me. Whether it is through my work, or just by the blessing of living on the land and getting out for ramblings frequently to discover whatever is lying out there waiting for me, I so enjoy the gift of connection with all my relations. My prayers have been answered, as my awareness of my surroundings becomes more keen, and I recognize the wind on my shoulders, galakwa (sun) on my face, enchi maka (Mother Earth) under my feet, the wasp nests hanging in the trees, the mink by the stream, the buck rubbing the tree across the field. In those moments when my awareness is at it’s keenest, I truly become one with my relations, my surroundings, time ceases, and, it’s not that I become the center of the universe, but I find it for an instant. This makes me happy.

The other instance when I realize some of my greatest happiness is when I am working with people, either in MKP weekends, or my own circle, or at a LifeStream seminar, or in sweatlodge, or when holding one of the workshops here at Sanctuary, and I see the light go on in someone’s face when they “get it”. To be in some way a small part of someone’s illumination, to help them get a bit of happiness for themselves, to bring someone a bit closer to nature…. this is oh, so fulfilling to me. In that instance, I know that I am living my mission, my purpose in being here, and there is a spirit level knowing that I am worthy, I am valuable, I am needed, I am a part of the web, just as important as every other strand, and I know this without ego or need, I just know it and celebrate it. This is what makes me happy.

I love it when someone poses a thought provoking question or insight. It is a part of what I hope to do here in this blog. So, I’ll channel Rob here: what makes you happy?

All my relations, Steve

Since my tendonitis became chronic (and other ailments that have discovered me!), I have found that I need to adjust many things in my life. I have been heating my house with wood since 1978, and still love cutting firewood. These days, the only way I can do it without trashing my body is to run one tank of gas through the saw, and then put it away for the rest of the day. That usually translates into about a half hour of cutting.

This morning I was driving down to the woodlot where we sold off 10 black walnut trees last winter. I have not yet cut up many of the tops that resulted from that harvest, and wanted to continue picking away at the task. There is a small creek which runs through the corner of Sanctuary at this woodlot; the water is high from recent snowmelt and heavy rains.

I saw a small critter run across the road ahead of me where the water crosses under the road. I had a feeling what it was, as it is too cold today for woodchucks to be out and about. Indeed, when I got to the creek, I slowed to a stop to see a gorgeous mink standing there staring back at me. He quickly scampered up the creeks edge, over fallen trees, around stumps, soon out of sight.

It’s been years since I have seen a mink in the wild. I think I smiled during the entire chainsaw venture this morning. Sore hands and all.

All my relations, Steve

New territory for me. I’ve been journaling for years, and have found great value in doing so. Now I find myself on a new leg of the journey, and will try this on for size and see how it feels.

Without question, the journaling that meant the most to me and had the biggest affect on me was that which I did during the year I studied with Wilderness Awareness School under a program called Kamana (means ‘spear bearer for the warrior’ in the Akamba language). The cornerstone of Kamana was visiting a “secret spot” every day for 365 days, and writing a weekly journal of the various “relations” like the people, earth, waters, plants, animals, trees, birds, four winds, clouds, sun, moon, stars, Creation.

Though I had been blessed with growing up on a farm and spending an abundance of time in the fields, orchards, woods and streams, opening myself to daily observations and subtle changes in this secret spot was a whole different world. I got to watch mallards hatch a nest, and the young ducklings through their various stages of growth. I saw pollywogs in the stream which was at the base of my secret spot morph into woods frogs, blending into the dillweed so perfectly as to go out of my vision even as I stared at them. I watched a family of beavers cavorting and growing used to my presence, and began to put name to plants like spicebush that I’d walked by hundreds of times, and had never before made a connection.

So here I am some 11-12 years later, being urged by a few to start this blog/journal, and after an empty spot in my life of several years (no secret spot to visit), I am now once again spending significant time in the woods and field. I have since moved further out into central Wayne County, more rural and open, and am blessed to have 120 acres open to use any time I wish. It is literally in my back yard, and in the few short years here, I have seen turkeys, redtail hawks, deer, coyotes, eagles, woodchucks, bobcat, squirrels, possums, raccoons, kestrels, snow geese, sharp shinned hawks, red fox, and a myriad of song birds. There are tulip trees, sugar maples, buffalo, winding creeks, pond, wetlands, hickory, small and large grandfathers (rocks), fields, woods, Norway spruces, white pines, buckthorn, beech trees and so many other relations here.

I have been fortunate to study under Tom Brown, Jr., Jon Young, Darrel Birchenough and Ricardo Sierra. These men all do great things in terms of offering wisdom and knowledge of nature awareness and the old, natural skills, like tracking, fire making, shelter building and so much more. Now, I find myself dipping my toe into these waters as well, and with the support of some wonderful forward thinking folks, creating this place called Sanctuary at Crowfield Farm. We’ll keep adding some water and bison dung occasionally and see what can be grown here. Already, some hearts of all ages have been touched in a blessed way. I take no credit. It’s amazing to see intentions unfold in a good way.

All my relations!

Steve