See you soon Carrie love!

We had to say goodbye to Carrie for a little while today, so it was kind of a sad day -- she had to eave her husband P.J. behind while she took care of business, but we know she'll be back real soon!

I wish I had pictures to share with you though from Albuquerque, where – even though we were dead tired, we actually had a pretty nice time.

Kathleen's friends, Sarah and Jo came down from Santa Fe and we all went out for a nice dinner. Got to sleep WAY too late and were then up at 3:00am to get Carrie to the airport for and early morning flight.

As we were heading back to the hotel, Kathleen said, “do you want to go back to the hotel and take a nap? Or do you wanna go to Santa Fe and watch the sunrise?”

Pretty easy choice. I've never been to Santa Fe, and it was Kathleen's stomping grounds for years – so off we went for the 50 mile drive down the highway – getting to a good spot just as the sun was coming up over the mountains. Lovely.

She then took me into town and to her favorite breakfast place where I had an amazing pate of Huevos – and she had these Atole, Pinyon Bluecorn Pancakes. After taking me on a little tour of her old neighborhood we stopped at her friend Annie's house. I've heard so much about her, it was nice to put a face to the name.

It was now about 10am and we were pretty much hurting from lack of sleep and realizing what we had done....since we needed to check out of our hotel in Alburquerque and start the 3 hour drive back to Window Rock. Ugh.

We also had a bunch of little errands to run – they were mostly mine. Needed to get something for my cellphone so I could download pics onto the computer (done) – needed to get the camera in for servicing (done) – pick up a going away present for Aiko, the Japanese woman who is leaving in a couple of weeks (Cat in the Hat book), done and done.

And then...we drove back. Painful. But had big cups of strong tea before we took off and switched driving duties and made it back okay. Super windy drive, the truck was blowing all over the place. Here's a picture of windy me.

We got back to Window Rock at about 7pm – rented a motel room because there was a Pow-Wow happening at camp that was just too much energy for us. By the time I parked the car and got my stuff into the room, Kathleen was asleep on her bed and slept for the next 10 hours straight. Good job.

It was a good trip – it's always nice to get out of town a little – but it's good to get home too.

So funny that we call camp home now. But it's not quite like home without Carrie.

here's a couple of pictures

Don't have time to put text to these right now -- but I wanted to get these out to you...will blog about them later, and maybe move some stuff around. I also added pics to the Delkon story, as well as a lovely photo of my dry, cracked hands and my trip to Big Mountain.

Have fun.

well, there's this thing happening

I was talking with my Aunt Rebecca the other day and she asked me if I was thin as a rail from all my walking.
I can't report that's the case...we get fed way to well, and I take advantage of that, so no..not skinny at all. I doubt I've gained any weight, and I know I can wear a little slimmer pants, but that's about it.

Physically there are some changes that I have noticed. Mainly, right now because we have been in the desert for a few weeks, I am scaly as a freakin' lizard. Dry as the oldest of bones. In fact, my skin is so dry, that my limited vocabulary can't even describe accurately how dry my skin is. Carrie pictures the desert floor that hasn't felt rain for months. I'm envisioning chalk. What else, ummmm...how about nori, you know, those sheets of seaweed that you wrap sushi in? It's amazing that my fingers just haven't up and fallen off yet. Wait, they have..I'm typing with nubs. And even those are clogging my keyboard with grit-like sand.

So, there's that.

Obviously, my hair has gotten quite long...and it's getting pretty bleached out from being in the sun. Also..there's the tanning factor. Spending two months under the sun will do that. But the other night we were under some particularly bright lights in the bathroom, and I had just recently switched from glasses to contacts (screw came loose on the frames) and I realized...whoa, my friggin eyebrows had bleached out blond. It was kind of bizarre. For one thing...never really noticed my eyebrows before, my bangs are usually in the way. But, my hair has grown out so much that I don't really have bangs anymore, it's all just sort of long and hangs there on either side of my head. But something was off there on the face and that's when I realized that my previously dark eyebrows were now blond.

So..NOT skinny -- just more crackly and alternatively dark and blond.

SO sorry my camera's not working.

hmm...let me think about that for a minute

When I worked at Sisters of the Road, people would often ask me what I found most challenging about being there. I always thought that was an interesting question, it came up way more than someone asking me about what I loved about the place.
I get that same question about the walk. "What's the hardest part about being on the Walk?"

I suppose I could come up with all sorts of stuff - you know, things like...well, having to wake up at 4am and taking my tent down in the cold, dark morning isn't always joyful. Mmmmm, sometimes not showering for a few days is a little uncomfortable..but oddly, you get used to it.

It's mostly in the morning that it's tough - having to wake up around 100 people, going into the bathroom to find 7 women jammed around a little mirror or the sole sink can be eye-rollingly difficult.

But, this is really all small stuff. And we are really very well taken care of. Plenty of good food. Good, safe places to camp. Lots and lots of very lovely people to talk with. And the ones that aren't so lovely are pretty easy to avoid (and, practice patience and compassion when you do come across them).

And even when the mornings are tough...or the evenings are crappy, there is the walking. On walking days we are on the road for several hours at a time, and you can usually meditate all that mind turmoil straightaway.

So...we take the good with the bad. I try to remember the grace of things. I'm so lucky to have such good friends here to remind me of that...and that's its own blessing.

This walk, this work..is a gift..especially when its hard. Even at its hardest, I have a better life than most people in this world can ever hope to have...we see it all the time right here along the road. Our job is to witness that. And when we come through these places and are greeted so warmly by people that have so little..it's hard to express the encouragement that brings me of the goodness of folks.

Yesterday we were listening to some local people, and an elderly woman got up, and in her language told us of the struggle of living on the reservation, and how little power she had. She told us that the home of her family, going back several generations, was being considered for casino property - and it brought tears to her eyes to think that she would lose the sacred land of her family....again (remembering the Long Walk of the Navajos). But she told us, that just our being there gave her hope. That perhaps her concerns would be heard - that maybe someone would listen to her...that someone was listening to her - and it filled her heart with love for us.

How can I complain about lack of a shower when I hear stories like these?

I can't.

The Story of Delkon

Kathleen asked me to share this little story with you all – and so I shall.

A few days ago we were staying at the Delkon Chapter House -we had an amazing meal there by the way --- and it was super windy – and we bought cracker jacks at the store – but, that's not really part of the story.

The following morning as we were all packing up to head out; this super fluffy, bouncy sheepdoggy came bounding into the parking lot. He had a little mutt friend with him. Kathleen saw this dog and fell immediately in love as he looked exactly like her dearly departed Tucker, with black and white fur and a big ol' doggy smile. This dog ran up to her and literally knocked her over with his paws, licking her and giving her all kinds of dog love.

That morning she stayed behind to help clean up while Carrie and I set out on the walk.
About 5 miles into our morning the caravan of support vehicles came streaming down the road. As Carrie and I were drumming along we heard Kathleen's truck honking away at us and as we turned to wave hello to her, she yells out, “Nikki, meet Delkon!”
And sure enough, there was this dog head in the passenger seat next to her, looking like he belonged there forever. As she passed us both Carrie and I looked at each other and said, “I knew it.”

So, we met up with her at lunch and got to meet this dog. Kathleen said that she asked as many locals as she could if the dog belonged to anyone, and people just said, “nope....that dog just runs along and plays with everyone.” So...there Delkon was, eating chicken off the Kitchen bus and leftovers from people's beef stew lunch.

After lunch, Kathleen and I switched off driving duties – I took her truck (and Delkon) for the afternoon so she could finish out the remainder of the walking miles for the day.

As the walkers headed out, I took the truck and drove it 3.5 miles up to the next rest stop, preparing to do some writing while I was waiting.

Next thing I know I see a car pull over behind the support R.V. and I hear a woman say, “That woman has my dog!” She comes running over to the pick-up with her small daughter in tow and peeks her head in the driver's side window where I'm just sitting there, a little dumbfounded.
“Oreo!”, she says, “what are you doing in there!”

Oreo leaps up from his chicken and beef stew slumber and perks his ears at the sound of his own name. I start apologizing profusely and begin telling this (really very sweet) lady the whole story about how Kathleen asked around, and about Tucker and about how Kathleen would never just steal someones dog...

“Oh, I thought we lost him forever,” she says, starting to cry, “he always goes out and plays in the morning, but he's always home by 8:00am to eat. When he didn't show up by 10 I was just so worried. He watches my 4 kids and keeps them safe while I'm at work. My little daughter has been crying all morning.”

By this time Oreo is back in their car, wrapped up in the arms of the little girl.

“How did people not know he was yours at the Chapter House?” I asked her.
“We just moved here a couple of weeks ago, so they didn't know.”

“And, how did you know to come find the Walk?”

She said, “It was my last chance. I just thought I would come find you guys and ask if any of you had seen him – 'cause I knew he sometimes played over at that place. I knew which way you were heading..so I just started driving until I found you...and then I saw him in your truck.”

So then, after all that...I asked if she wouldn't mind driving back with me a couple of miles so we could let Kathleen say goodbye to him and give her a chance to tell her what happened this morning. “Of course,” she said. She wasn't angry at all and was just so gracious about the whole thing.

We found the walkers just up the road and pulled over and parked. I walked up to Kathleen just to give her a heads up and we went over to the little red car where Oreo was sticking his head out the window, lolling his tongue about and wagging at her approach.

Words were exchanged and hugs, for both humans and dog. I drove Kathleen up to the next rest stop so she could just have some time before rejoining the walk. As she told me later, it was the first time she had really just taken the opportunity to bring another dog into her life since Tucker had passed last fall. They had such a bond with one another and his loss was devastating..so to see this dog just arrive that looked just like him, and greet her with such affection..it just seemed right to her. And then to lose him so suddenly like that was heartbreaking.

It was a tough day. And as I'm writing this several days later, I have to say that this story is filled with such grace – and as sad as it is, it's also beautiful in its own way.

I appreciate her letting me share it with you.

Here's a little something about my trip to Big Mountain

During our time in Flagstaff, I was invited to take a trip up to Big Mountain. Since there were limited resources in that region, most of our walkers were unable to attend; however, the Japanese contingent were asked to go – as Jun-san had visited the region 30 years ago the last time The Longest Walk came through. Unfortunately, Jun-san came down with the horrible flu that laid many of our walkers out, and I was able to attend in here stead. Marek from Poland also joined as, as did Ammon Russell who grew up in that region.
We set out Sunday afternoon for the nearly three hour drive onto the Navajo Reservation. After a nearly 30 minute drive down a dirt road we arrived at the home of the Elder Pauline. I was amazed how few houses could be seen along the way – I found out later that many of these homes are upwards of 5 miles apart from each other.
We were greeted by Pauline and her son Danny who translated for us, from her Navajo tongue into English. This was then translated into Japanese for Wako-san. We gathered into a circle, there were nearly 20 of us all-told, and Pauline told us a little bit about her experience with the first Longest Walk and then talked about her life as a resistor to the Navajo relocation that occurred over thirty years ago. Pauline has been living on this land as a “trespasser” despite the fact that her family has been here for generations. She told us that she and the nearly 150 other families who refused to accept the new boundary lines (giving the land to the Hopi tribe) have been living rough lives ever since.
She has two homes on this land; a small, cement block structure that she lives in most of the year. She also has a traditional hogan about a quarter of a mile down the road that she spends the cold, winter months in.
Neither of these structures has electricity or running water. The nearest water is from a pump at a spring a half a mile down the road. At over 80 years of age, Pauline is strong and moves quickly; but she does have assistance from sheep herder, Owen (she has 17 sheep and 17 milking goats) to help her with collecting water and firewood. There is also Velia Yazzie who checks in on her (and over 100 other families) health and well being. She told me that in 18 years on the job, despite the secluded conditions, there has never been an accident at someones home. She let me know that people seem to know when something might be going wrong with their health as they always seem to find their way to a family member's home or to the hospital. I found that quite the amazing fact.

After a good night's rest Pauline took us on a tour of the area surrounding her home. She showed us Hopi ruins, as well as an old stonewalled structure that was a former trading post. She took us down into the canyon where a slim creek ran through and stopped to tell us that this creek used to run much faster and fuller. The Peabody Coal Mine, located 20 miles away, has been a major source of environmental degradation to this area. While activists have been able to stop the plant for dumping their slurry into the water, they are still draining the aquifers of the region, 'causing these families sole water source to become endangered.
Mikano Shonin offered a chanting service and Wako-san performed the Water chant in Hawaiian. The rest of the group offered tobacco and prayers for the water as well.
We continued our walk down the canyon and Pauline asked that we stop and sit next to a Pnyon tree near the creek. One of our coordinators, Crystal Uchino, had asked her if she would please allow us to record a statement for our Longest Walk Manifesto that we will be taking to Washington. She said that she would be willing to record that here while sitting in the canyon. So, we an audiotape rolling she told us in her language about how sacred this land was to her, and had been since time immemorial. That she was concerned that the Peabody plant was continuing to drain the aquifers that provided water for the spiritual medicines and foods that grow here. She talked about how she felt alone in her fight against the relocation of her people and the burden that placed on her. She told us that all around us; the tree, the soul, the plants...were all prayer to her and that she was saddened by the destruction of the lands. She also said that she was very concerned about the upcoming Presidential election – but at the same time she expressed that she didn't feel she should continue to vote when she is not being represented – that elected officials never come to her land to here about her concerns and the concerns of her people.
We thanked her for her statement and let her know we would take it with us to Washington. I have to add here, that this is not the first time on our travels that I have heard from Native peoples about lack of representation from the State or Federal levels. With so many devastating environmental and human right concerns effecting our First Nations,it is disheartening that so little is being done. I also find it disturbing that I had to come on this walk to learn of so many of these injustices taking place – that the national media is devoid of this level of reporting. But I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here, my friends.
After our tour we were asked to go out to her cornfield and clear it of tumbleweeds to get ready for this year's planting. Now, I have never had any experience with tumbleweeds before – save for those romantic pictures of them rolling across the plains. They always looked so – gentle and kinda cuddly – let me just tell you that I have been forever dissuaded of that notion. There is nothing cuddly about tumbleweeds, as my torn little paws can attest to. No matter though – we were out there for a couple of hours and cleared the heck out of that field – creating tumbleweed bonfires along the way. It was all very satisfying.



The following day we took a drive to Big Mountain so we could offer prayers and tobacco at this sacred site.) We all piled into the back of Ammon's pick-up truck and bounced along the dusty red road. The Japanese took the opportunity (with a little prodding from me) to sing some celebration songs in Japanese, as well as some of their common children's tunes. I sang them a (very) short version of 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall in response.
When we arrived at Big Mountain, Makino Shonin burned incense and chanted namu myoho renge kyo. We also offered prayers and tobacco for this cherished land. It was a beautiful day and the ceremony was very moving.
That evening we were treated to a meal by Velia of Navajo tacos with blue corn frybread and then were regaled by stories from both Pauline and Velia.
In all, we had a lovely time – as we were leaving, Pauline offered to show us her winter hogan and asked that we all take a little of the dirt from around her home and bless ourselves with it for our long journey head. We thanked her deeply for her hospitality and stories and then bounced our way back along the road towards Flagstaff.
I was so thankful to be a part of this sidetrip into the Navajo Nation and want to give a special thanks to Kyoko for fixing such fabulous Japanese food – my goodness we ate so well. I also just want to thank all the Japanese folk for their patience with my lack of the language and helping to teach me some basic words.

Hello from Albuquerque (and hey there Joe Spado!)

Howdy.
Kathleen, Carrie and I are in Albuquerque for the night. We left the walk briefly to take Carrie to the airport. Her father is very ill and she needs to head home for a short bit (please send kind thoughts her way!).
While I'm here, I actually have cell coverage again, having been in blackout for a week. But, we are leaving here tomorrow morning, so I won't get a chance to call as many people as I would like to.
On that note -- I love getting emails and voicemail messages - sometimes I only have coverage or access for a few minutes, or an hour -- and it's really nice to hear friendly voices when I do. So..emails are sweet, voicemails are sweet. Just sending that out to ya.
I'm gonna try to post a couple of different pieces while I'm in the hotel - but we are getting up about 3am to take Carrie to the plane, so I won't be online forever. It's already 7pm here and we are pretty much gonna eat dinner and go to bed.
Also, camera is still crapped out, but I started taking pictures with my phone. I'm hoping to get a cable so I can download those photos onto here. I'm also hoping to replace my camera while we are in this big ol culture shock city..but it depends on how willing we are to run around in traffic. At this point...we're not very willing.
Hope you enjoy the new posts .. the walk is still in Arizona, but we will be crossing the border on Sunday into New Mexico!