Happy Birthday Kid Valance!!

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, then you know of my affection for Kid, who celebrated a birthday with us recently. I know I mentioned it a couple of blogs down..but I have a couple more pictures that I wanted to post and...Kid gave me the lyrics to his most recent song...one that he wrote about the Walk this year. He asked if I would post the lyrics...absolutely...here they are.

One Heart, Many Miles

In the dark morning hours, on Alcatraz Island
With ceremony, we began
Our numbers were great, our spirit was strong
As our circle moved over the land

Where the fruit of the Nation comes from the soil
Endless trees, One heart, Many hands
The Creator has made it, we're from the same roots
All above, all below: Sacred Land

Up over the high desert, down in the canyons
The rivers, the mountains and the plains.
For the ways of the Old Ones, there were reasons;
Times change, but the reasons remain.

As the rain lays in lace upon Mother Earth,
and the water is a bowl filled with sky;
There's the call of a crow and its lifts to a rainbow,
and shows us the way as it flies...

My favorite songs are all those sung for the planet,
by the people who care
And my favorite color to remember is red,
for the blood that we all share.

To be part of the prayers of our ancestors,
in our ways, in our work do we strive;
As we walk to protect what is holy;
Sacred dreams, one heart, many lives...

We are connected to all those before us,
and in the drum, their spirits still dance.
It is our honor that we can save a way of life.
It is a blessing that we still have the chance.

And now, as one journey ends,
we embrace through the tears and the smiles.
And look ahead to the next one beginning;
Endless dreams, one heart, many miles....





Thanks so much for sharing that with the blog Kid. You know, we were fortunate that Kid liked to play so much, and he would frequently give us night time concerts before we all went to bed -- play 1/2 a dozen or ten songs. We all had our favorites and he would play them with gusto each time.

And then, when Jen started singing with him, practicing for the concert, things really got sweet. They sound beautiful together and it was a treat to hear them work their four songs. This night, when this picture was taken, we were on this beautiful ranch up near Delaplane, VA. They were singing the "Two Horses" song..and wouldn't you know it, when Kid sang the line about two horses..these beautiful animals came strolling over to where they were singing. You can't make stuff up like that. Unfortunately, the horses had wandered off a little by the time I got this shot...but they were there.



Anyway...Thanks Kid...and thanks Jen, for adding such beauty to our evenings.