Journal Writing Helps Recall Events

by | Jan 11, 2024 | Travel/Columns, Wonderment

What did I do yesterday morning? Did I make it to that meeting last Monday? Darn.  I can’t remember. I’m forgetful. Fortunately, my journal writing isn’t.

18,250 days

Every day since April 1973 I’ve written a simple journal entry on small format lined binder paper. Haven’t missed a single day. Entries aren’t great writing and are rarely emotional. It’s not a diary. On some days I write only a few lines, while I might fill a page on more happening days.

My journal records about 18,250 days of my life. Combined notebooks take up about three feet of shelf space.

Uses of Journaling

Man reaches for journals on shelf

Journals

Useful? Yup. When did we go to Yellowstone National Park?  I remembered the month and year but not the dates. In minutes I found those dates in my notebook and learned what we did each day. What did we do on Christmas Eve 18 years ago?  My journal reminds me.

My notes are simple, short, and often skip perfect grammar, but they are meant to bring every day into clear memory………so each journal entry records something distinctive about that day. Here’s a simple entry:

Monday, January 16, 2023: Weirdly warm with temperature in the 50s. Made new plywood shelves for my tool cabinet. Payton (a neighbor kid) was visiting when sirens blew warning of a potential tornado. We sheltered in the basement. No tornado here but one hit near Williamsburg, the first January tornado in Iowa since 1967.

Like Brushing Teeth

I’ve been journaling for so long it is as routine as brushing my teeth. Blank journal paper goes with me on trips, and I’ve even scribbled entries by lantern light at campgrounds.

My memory lapses.  My journal never does.

What are Ways YOU Remember?

People have other ways to remember or “journal.”  Share some and we can post on Winding Pathways

Labyrinth Travels 2023

by | Jan 4, 2024 | 1080 Labyrinth Blog, Labyrinths

Each January I post labyrinth walks of the year.  Below are labyrinth travels 2023.

Wide Travels

Branching out from the Heartland, we explored different regions of North America and took in labyrinths along the way. Some labyrinth travels 2023 were deliberately to walk certain labyrinths. On other labyrinth travels 2023 we encountered serendipities of labyrinths and medicine wheels.  Along the way, we met new friends and reconnected with long-time friends and colleagues.

Spanning the years

Spanning fall 2022 into winter 2023, the Nassif Community Cancer Center hosted a time for home goods walks.  Staff and cancer clients walked the dual entry (processional) labyrinth leaving canned food goods, hygiene items, warm clothing, and backpacks.  Matt Schmitz, the coordinator, routinely picked up and organized items that he distributed in mid-January. Two friends, Tom Hess and Lynda Black Smith yet again helped design the labyrinth. Tom an engineer and Lynda an artist.  A team. What great friends to have who get down on hands and knees, chalk out the design, re-adjust and tape…and re-adjust again to make all this work well. Thank you!

Wanderers and Worshipers

Usually around the New Year friends stop by to walk and bless the Phoenix Harmony Labyrinth. It’s odd to see it without snow as winter begins in earnest. Throughout the year, both friends and pilgrims from afar surprise us to walk.  Always a welcome treat.

Each Friday since the Pandemic began, Veriditas has held Friday Finger walks that attract participants worldwide. Think about that!  For close to four years, Veriditas has supported people through difficult times. The following is loyal, new people join, the programs are engaging, and we have fun!  Four that I guided in 2023 with staff support were: First Walks, sharing about our first, or memorable, encounters with labyrinths; Drop Preceeds Flight, how we pick ourselves up after difficult times; Fair Things, how we can use HeartMath to counter the negative impact of events that seem to overwhelm us; and Walk In Beauty and Balance during this high season of holidays and Holy Days. What a wonder-full way to support labyrinth travelers 2023 worldwide.

The Minnesota Labyrinth group, organized by Lisa Gidlow Moriarty holds a winter walk each January.  Some years labyrinth walks are outside, other years inside. Fortunately, the 2023 walk was inside a lovely setting overlooking one of the myriad metro lakes. Jill Kimberly Hartwell Geoffrion welcomed us into her home and we met again at Kanuga Retreat Center in North Carolina in the autumn. This link shares the many labyrinths she has known across the world.

Westerly

The Black Hills are always a treat to visit even in late winter.  Meeting with the Ohlens in town and at Terry Peak and visiting with the minister at Emannuel Episcopal Church where the lovely labyrinth wants attention.  The minister is working to make the labyrinth accessible. Rapid area has many labyrinths to explore and some Native American symbols and structures, too.  An impending storm chased us home early. Yet, memories linger of the sacredness of The Hills.

Medicine Wheel, Valley City, ND

Modern medicine wheel

Another intriguing structure of the West is a modern-day Medicine Wheel in Valley City, ND! In pouring rain we exited the Interstate and reveled in the care and intricacy of the wheel and the proportional alignment of planets represented by various stones reaching far out from the wheel. This is worth a stop and walk and reflection.

Closer to Home

 

Closer to home, Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, in Hiawatha sponsored four cross-quarter dates. Director, Leslie Wright skillfully guided novice and experienced walkers contemplating the changes of the year. She used each walk as part of the requirements to become a Veriditas Trained and Certified Facilitator. Always a joy to attend and participants shared tender perspectives. April found high school friends and me walking the Cangleska Wakan labyrinth in Solon, Iowa. And, then enjoying Dan and Debblie’s ice cream in Ely. Naturally, Bottleworks Labyrinth downtown draws walkers for a quiet stroll in an urban setting.

Easterly and South-Easterly

Cedar Lake North labryinth

A favorite stop

Tucked into the North end of Cedar Lake in Denville, NJ, is a charming labyrinth nestled among trees and stumps – remnants of Super Storm Sandy and Hurricane Irene. On our walks or paddles around the Lake, we usually stop, walk, and appreciate the care of the owner for the charming structures. A gentle pause.

Autumn found me winging my way to North Carolina’s mountains.  So much to take in with walking a labyrinth with a Veriditas colleague in Greensboro, NC, touring with a sibling in the Bedford, VA area, catching up with an OWAA colleague in Johnson City, and presenting with a Canadian Council colleague at The Labyrinth Society’s TLS Gathering.  “Channeling Mr. Rogers: How the Ancient Path of the Labyrinth Can Guide Us as Modern-Day Helpers.”

In Greensboro, Vicki introduced me to a lovely courtyard labyrinth wanting some attention.  What a challenge to renovate this to its glory.  The dual entry labyrinth at Kanuaga Retreat in Hendersonville, NC, fulfilled its duties as close to 100 walkers gathered, sang, laughed, learned, and walked. Leslie W, from Ontario, and I walked quietly sharing thoughts on our presentation. In the main assembly hall, participants walked the large labyrinth in the presentation, “Labyrinth Activism: A Powerful Practice for Peaceful Change.” One particularly meaningful program was the pre-dawn “Forest Bathing” walk on the large outdoor labyrinth.  The waxing gibbous moon and brilliant stars twinkling through crisp mountain air completed a sense of connection.

*******

Into Canada

Summer Solstice found us camping in Montana, then lodging in the hamlet of Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada, attending a Legacy Labyrinth and Activism workshop at The Crossing, and exploring The Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan, Canada. The skies are amazing, the weather incredibly mild and inviting like the sirens’ songs. Madonna regaled us with stories of pioneer days centered on the importance of aprons in women’s work.  We are working to have her come and present in our area with stories, songs, and dance.

In July a friend drove us to Stratford, Ontario, Canada, where a Council colleague and I firmed up collaboration on our Kanuaga talk, ate at local eateries, took in the town, and, of course, walked their splendid backyard labyrinth.

South

September is a fine month to travel in, even going South into heat.  And, how hot the weather was!  While we initially plotted several labyrinths along the way, we found ourselves taking different paths. One potential labyrinth in Gulf Shores, AL, proved out of reach. Ah, well.  But, unexpectedly on the way home a stop in Carbondale, IL, near Southern Illinois University we found a charming labyrinth next to a funky coffee shop/breakfast eatery.

 

Home

Naturally, the Phoenix Harmony Labyrinth gets a nod – spring, summer, fall, winter, wind, rain, snow, heat, cold. People walk, turkeys trot, deer browse, vultures swoop over, kids romp, adults help burn, and plants grow.  And, that wraps Labyrinth Travels 2023.

Lessons From A Terrible Car Accident

by | Dec 28, 2023 | Reflections/Profiles

Responding

While working on my computer in the early evening of December 15th I (Rich) heard a loud crash from nearby 30th Street Drive and felt the cabin shudder. My first reation was, must be a car-deer collision. Grabbing my flashlight, I dashed out and found two mangled cars. A head-on collision.

Fearing casualties, I was quickly relieved to find one driver and her small child standing by the car shaken and apparently uninjured. The driver of the other car had a small leg wound that didn’t seem to need immediate attention. After calling 911, I directed traffic away from the smashed cars and rattled people.

Witnessing Tax Dollars At Work

Soon, the Marion Fire Department, a Linn County Deputy Sheriff, and the Area Ambulance Agency arrived. My role switched to being an observer. I was pleased to watch about a dozen people from three agencies coordinate rescue and clean up.  One agency parked the firetruck across the road to prevent other drivers from coming through.  Others gave immediate attention to the people involved and examined and assessed the cars and situation. As others tended to the people one man swept up the debris and spilled antifreeze, while another took photos, and others continued to direct traffic.

It was well done. Our Tax Dollars at work! I have heard nothing since but hope the people involved in the accident are OK.

Here are my takeaways:

  • Airbags and seat belts are lifesavers. The airbags in both cars inflated almost instantly.
  • I believe the child had been securely strapped in a car seat in the back seat……..another lifesaver.
  • Emergency responders are well-trained, fast, and coordinate perfectly with first responders from other supporting agencies.
  • Traffic laws have a reason. Drive the speed limit or a tad slower.  Pay attention.  Buckle up.

Appreciation

Thanks, first responders!

What to Do When Spotting a “Bald-Faced Hornet” Nest?

by | Dec 14, 2023 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Bugs, Garden/Yard, Nature, Pests

Autumn Reveals Nature’s Wonders

Bald-faced hornet nest silhouette in early morning light.

Bare trees reveal a bald-faced hornet nest.

November’s wind stripped the leaves off one of our maples and revealed a big gray football-shaped bald-faced hornet nest. Although we’d walked under it all summer, we had no clue it was there.

This fall many people will discover similar “paper wasp” nests in their trees or shrubs or even tucked near a light fixture. Made of a paper-like material, the nest was really made by insects called “bald-faced hornets” that are related to other wasps, including yellow jackets.

These social wasps can attack in droves. Their sting hurts. Because their stingers are smooth, unlike honey bees, they can sting again and again.

So, what do you do when you spot a nest on a crisp fall afternoon? Leave it alone!

Life History

The insect’s life history gives the best clue on how to avoid painful stings.

Last fall the colony of 500, or so, worker wasps died as the weather cooled. The fertile queen survived by tucking herself under a rotting log somewhere to slumber through winter. Come spring she’ll make a tiny paper-like nest, usually in a tree, and lay eggs that become workers. These hard-working new insects expand the nest and forage widely.

They are omnivores eager to dine on rotting fruit, but among their favorite foods are caterpillars and adult insects. Bald-faced hornets are a gardener’s friend, removing vegetable-chomping insects.  They also sip on nectar so are good pollinators.

Aggressive or Protective?

Most sources claim they are highly aggressive, and they are if someone disturbs their nest. Several years ago, an adult neighbor spotted a nest above the doorway that the family had used all summer. He tried to knock it down and only damaged the nest. His misguided aggression unleashed an attack by dozens of upset bald-faced hornets. Stung many times, he’ll likely never again molest a nest.

We walked under and near the bald-faced hornet’s nest in our yard many times this summer and didn’t even know it was there. They didn’t attack us. Rather, they snacked on our vegetable gardens’ pests.

The lesson: leave these insects and their nest alone.

Ironically, by the time most people discover a nest in very late fall, the colony has already abandoned it. The best thing to do is NOTHING. Winter’s wind, rain, and snow will disintegrate the nest, and the queen will find a new spot to build next year’s colony.

 

Windows, Deadly for Birds

by | Dec 7, 2023 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Birds, Nature

Why do Birds Fly Into Windows?

BirdStop spray clouds windows

The spray makes the window opaque.

Windows, deadly for birds. According to the National Audubon Society, about one billion birds are killed every year when they crash into windows. About half collide with low commercial building windows with the rest crashing into home windows. Surprisingly few seem to crash into the high windows of skyscrapers.

Birds fly into windows because they just don’t see them and assume they’re about to zip through safe soft air. Sometimes they may see reflections of vegetation behind them and think they are zooming to a convenient perch.

How to Help a Bird

When Rich was director of the Indian Creek Nature Center, he’d often get calls from upset people who had just found a quivering bird beneath their window. In his experience one of two outcomes is likely. Either the bird will soon die or it will fully recover and fly off. He suggests leaving the bird alone for at least an hour unless it’s likely to fall prey to a hungry neighborhood cat. In that case, it is probably best to gently place it in a cardboard box to give it a chance to recover…or die.

Unfortunately, there’s no effective first-aid technique to reverse death. Hopefully, the bird will soon recover and speed away. If not, a respectful burial is in order.

Tips

Here are some tips from the Portland, Oregon, Audubon Chapter of the National Audubon Society for reducing window collisions:

  • Place bird feeders away from large windows.
  • Avoid putting house plants immediately inside windows. Birds may see them and attempt to fly to a perch.
  • Put stickers/decals on the outside of windows. (Note: Many sources recommend these. Stickers can be bought online or at bird-feeding stores……but we, at Winding Pathways, have not found them very effective.
  • Stretch netting across the outside of the window to physically keep birds from crashing. We’ve found this best on windows that experience frequent bird collisions.
  • Put colorful tape on the outside of the windows.
  • Douse outside lights. Come sundown our nation is way over-lit. Lights block viewing the magnificent night sky while often disorienting migrating birds.

We Can Help

Songbirds face many challenges in our modern world. They crash into windows, hit poles, get gobbled up by house cats, and are confused by electric lights. They need all the human help they can get to stay alive and healthy.