"I Dreamed I Was A Wolf..."

I once dreamed I was a wolf...

Such a vivid, yet ephemeral experience... so very real... so full of life out in the wilds...

With my eyes I could see so much and in all types of light; my ears were so attuned to every sound, every movement... All my senses connected to everything that was present and maybe even things not so evident... I was able to run faster than seemed possible, all my limbs moving with such grace... My perceptions of the world about me changed in ways hard to explain. I ran long and far through mountains and valleys, and then I stopped and looked across a meadow to see a person watching me who looked very familiar... A human who I know I should recognize, whom I sensed also knew me...

Then.. when I awoke, I asked, 'Was I a person dreaming of being a wolf, or maybe then I wondered... am I instead a wolf, who is dreaming of being a person'...

Or might we truly be one and the same; and that is this is no dream, but really the way of things...

DSD

(My thanks to K.Taylor for the top image and M.Hamblin for the bottom image)

"Of Canyons And Crutches..."

It was such a great day for canyoneering... The desert heat, the colors, the surprises for both flora and fauna, unexpected waters deep between canyon walls, the immense fun of rappels, the scrambling and wedging oneself among ages old rock... such a great day...

We were having so much fun; I think my jaw hurt a bit from the smiling and the laughter as we returned to the cars. Then, while sitting there and chuckling more I looked up to see two quiet fellow adventurers - one who moved slowly by on a pair of crutches. The parking lot was full of climbers, hikers, and canyoneers... all themselves full of adrenaline and enjoyment, with that glow on their faces of mixed sun, accomplishment, and wild place wonders...

Our fellow on the crutches though, had no smile, no energy radiating from him, no magic in his step, no boisterous voice to talk and sing about the days adventures out there...

He was in obvious discomfort and moved like one who was new to the crutches, one who had only been recently injured, one who moved slowly not only because of this injury but also as a cause of the realisation of lost opportunities...

I could only wonder what had happened, and could truly empathize with his situation, as those of us who have experienced severe injury all can, in what that may do to us and may take away from us... The two seemed to wander a bit aimlessly, one seemingly not knowing what to do as his partner had been waylayed, and one very likely wondering what may come next during that long path of recovery... They went to their car, rested, then wandered off to watch some other climbers having their vertical fun. I had to move fast, as I had already decided to place a Summit Stone & Adventure Muse on their windshield... I simply walked by and tucked it there...

There have been small things gifted to me during my own injured times, such as very helpful words of encouragement, and useful shared experience of how to get by; I hoped maybe a quote in the Muse and the possible meaning a Finder may create about a small painted cobble, just might provide a bit of support at this moment in his trial...

They returned; had a puzzled look as they picked these up; the one on crutches sat with the door open while the other stood and watched... I sense they knew what it was...

He held the stone, and spent some long minutes looking through the Muse... Slowly, so slowly, the most beautiful smile crept up his face - one of those big, broad, full of energy, crinkle the eyes kind of smiles. I couldn't help it and found myself smiling in the same manner as I watched from beyond the cars. That smile, that look upon his face, was wonderful as was their animated discussion that was now underway...

Sometimes we all need a spark, a moment, a word, a gesture, even the most simple of things... just so we can see a little bit further along our own horizons and more of the possibilities that wait for us out there... even in the midst of the most trying of times...

I still smile today when I think of our great day of adventuring and even more so about that parking lot among canyons and crutches...

DSD

"Your Summit Strengths..."

As adventurers, even though we see much out there, often there can be hidden from our own eyes... certain secrets...

The truth of it is that we each have our own unique 'summit strengths'...

Novices sense their presence, while experienced ones have learned to respect and apply the vigour of what makes each of us individually strong. They are there regardless of how we define our own 'summits' in adventure and life... We discover these areas of power, durability, and stamina often in surprising ways. We develop them here, even more profoundly out there, through our own adventure ways and means while testing, toughening, or hardening and tempering ourselves...

As with all such strengths, when they are exercised, they become even more enduring, more resilient, more likely to assist us; to be there when we really need them - like in times like these...

What might your secret resoluteness be Dear Finders; what are your own particular strengths that make up the sum of you as an adventurer... Is it your enthusiasm, your distinct determination, the ways in which you plan and prepare... Might they be found in your persistence, possibility within your willingness to support and encourage others; maybe they are hidden among your unique physical abilities, or your skills of many kinds... Could they be seen in your talents in teaching, sharing, and leading others. Might they be discovered in what you've learned about yourself out there and how you bring that back here. Are you like the rivers that always find a way to keep flowing. Are you of the mountains that stand tall and weather the elements so well. Could you be reflected in the desert in its quiet yet powerful presence. Maybe you are of the canyons which have endured the millenia, or like the small coastal islands which meet every storm head on while only becoming more beautiful each and every season...

Are you of the bear, wolf, or eagle clan who mirror the character and bearing of their spirit animals during such trials...

Your 'secret summit strengths' are there my friends, and in times like these, we are all called upon to exercise them...

DSD

"Each Of Us....."

"Each of us is on a climb of a different sort, facing our own mountains, struggling to cross our own rough seas." Anon

Yet another element we all share.....

DSD

"Watching The Tide Go Out..."

There have been many moments where I have found myself just watching the tide slowly go out... While beach hiking, searching for cobblestones, and especially at the end of sea kayak trips out there. This time is so special... It allows for gently reflecting on the adventure days and nights just passed... For remembering the many preparations over how we get there, the visualization and all the efforts to journey to this point in time... For pondering the challenges offered to me, many accepted, some not this last days... For just musing over each of these moments, especially the unexpected ones, like the range of emotions the wild places affords each of us...

Then I just pause and quietly watch the ebb and flow of the tide and waves easing in and drifting back out...

I muse over what wonders I have seen... they are always there, I just need to open my eyes a bit more. These moments are for pondering too about why I came again, even when the elements may not have been agreeable.

I remember... sitting just so and thinking about all the seasons, the years gone by... the special times shared, the intense solo experiences, the many sea shores...

I remember... those feelings of excitement before a challenge, at times the anxiety during the course of some adventures, the sense of completion and accomplishment and even a bit of relief sometimes...

This is a time especially for reflecting upon that sense of contentment after those special goals, within that tiredness from well earned efforts, and the price of admission agreed upon and paid out there...

When quietly watching the tide ebb away I experience again the joy of seeing the sun glinting as jewels thrown upon the water as I have posted about before. The waves can be so meditative with their gentle mantra moving slowly across the sand and rocks...

You may see many things on a beach that couldn't be seen before as the tide ebbs away... just as we may now see with new eyes after very challenging adventure experiences.

And that is a lot to get out of the simple observation of the ebb and flow of our lives out there...

So, after these challenging days back here and those of island kayak adventuring out there, I am just watching the tide go out and sharing the moment with you.....

DSD

"Of Bamboo And Storms....."

"The bamboo, which gives way, survives a storm, while a brittle oak may be uprooted... In the adversity of life's storms, we should bend, but we need not break." Deng Ming-Dao

Such a simple, yet powerfully potent concept...
DSD