That evening more friends arrived, and the next round of adventures began! Spirit had prompted a group of us from various places to come together to play and to do spiritual and energetic work for healing ourselves and the planet. Our friends, Rick, Sharon & Amber Mullen, plus Genny Crooks all drove out together from Minnesota. Bruce's friend, David Calvert, flew in from Boise, ID. A couple days later our friend, Larry Contier, from the Denver area, joined us.
One of the first things we did was to put up Bruce and Mary's 16-foot teepee. We had fun learning this ancient art, and when we were done we had a wonderful place to do meditations and sing around the campfire.
We learned a lot from Mary and Bruce about the Native American traditions regarding the teepee, and Mary led us through a traditional blessing ceremony after the first fire was built. The weather was cool at times, and the fire helped keep us comfortable.
One of the very special places we went to was Windy Ridge near the town of Alma, CO. This ridge is the home to an ancient grove of bristlecone pines. Before hiking out among the trees, we had a little lunch. Pretty soon we were sharing it with the birds. We found the key was to hold out your hand and NOT look directly at them. Avoiding eye contact was the only way the wild birds felt safe enough to land and eat.
Bristlecone pines are the oldest living trees on this planet. Many of the trees on Windy Ridge are over 3500 years old. (There are bristlecone pines in the White Mountains of California/Nevada that are over 4500 years old!) At first glance, some people might not be too impressed by these twisted, scraggly looking trees, but when you walk among them you know that you are walking among the ancients. I have visited these trees several times, and each time I am in awe of the tenacity of these trees. Rocky, dry ground, high altitude, a short summer and screaming winds all combine to create very harsh conditions. In spite of it, these trees endure. They are truly incredible.
"Cave tree" is one of Mary's favorite trees on the ridge. We sat under its magnificent branches while Mary sang and signed "The Colors of the Wind" from Pocahantas. It was such a fitting song, and Mary's clear voice was carried on the wind.
While we were on the ridge, it lived up to its name, and the winds really whipped around. We had a brief storm and even got rained and snowed on which gave us a mild taste of the conditions under which these trees persevere. This special place was also an area where Sharon and Larry led us through some energy and healing work for the planet and for humanity.
Another of Bruce and Mary's favorite spots was a grove of huge aspens that they had discovered on an outing one day. We had to go and see these magnificent trees for ourselves.
The circumference of each of the "Grandmother and Grandfather trees" is about 108"--HUGE for aspen trees. Even the leaves from some of the trees in this area are extraordinary.
As we hiked around this area, we soaked in the gorgeous views of the mountains. Again we did some healing and energy work while we were in this special energy spot.
One day we decided to take the whole group back to the limberpine grove we had visited on Bruce's birthday before the 'gang' arrived. We were also joined by two of Bruce and Mary's friends, Pauline and Mary Lou, for this adventure. The trail to the limberpine grove starts by crossing a crystal clear stream before beginning the climb up the mountain side.
The limberpines are younger cousins of the bristlecones, yet they, too, are very ancient. Many of them are 1500-3000 years old. The strange, tortured beauty of these trees grows in your mind as you walk among them, sensing the character in their twisted shapes and wind-blasted grain of the exposed wood. We all had fun exploring the grove.
On several of the adventures that were in Bruce and Mary's neighborhood we also had the fun of traveling via 4-wheelers, and Rick had fun on Bruce's motorcycle. Larry had so much fun 4-wheeling that he plans to get one himself!
For a couple of days we were joined by Genny's friend, Julio, and his dog, Nuk. Unfortunately Nuk tried to get friendly with a porcupine and ended up with a face full of quills. A middle-of-the-night emergency trip to the vet was an unexpected adventure. Luckily everything turned out OK.
As they say, all good things must come to an end, and so on October 4 the last of the group departed. It was hard to see everyone leave, but we hope to all get together again next year for 'round two' of our spiritual adventures in Colorado. (Thanks to Bruce and Mary for being our hosts and guides--it was wonderful!)
Tom and I stayed on a few more days, and we took a trip to the Montezuma area where Bruce and Mary met and lived about 22 years ago. We found their old cabin, although Mother Nature was definitely reclaiming it! We also found Mary's original cabin and went back to the meadow on Peru Creek where Bruce and Mary were married. It was fun walking down memory lane with them. Bruce also built us a special adjustable frequency generator which is a helpful alternative health device, so we have a new 'zapper' to take with us and keep us healthier. (For more info on Bruce's experimental alternative health devices, see his website at http://shell.amigo.net/~stenulson/althealth.)
Spirit was calling us onward, so with grateful hearts we said good-bye to Bruce and Mary on October 9 and headed westward just before a snowstorm hit. Good timing, right?
