Woodpecker

Shusli and I got ready late in the day on Saturday and we arrived at the Yoncalla sundance grounds at dark. We set up our tent and got all the stuff into it thinking it may rain. However, the clouds cleared off and it got extremely cold that night. Made us wonder how the folks on the hill were doing.

When we greeted Tim, our officiator, the next morning, we saw a bird fly across camp. That bird was a woodpecker. Tim mentioned to Rhonda that he knew the woodpecker was sacred to her people, which made Rhonda beam with the fact that he knew this.

Rhonda and I drove back to the freeway and set up paperplate signs for folks to get to the place.

When we got back, Bernie was off of the hill, if I remember the time sequences correctly, and I'm not sure that I do. Let's see if I can do the math correctly. Tim is married to Gogi and Bernie is one of her sons. I had met Bernie before, but was unaware that he was Gogi's son.

We were asked for the things we prepared for our altar, and off I headed back to the freeway to guide in Rhonda's daughter, Rachel. On the way out, I noticed that all of our signs had been taken down, but not only that, I noticed one sign had been set up to misdirect folks away from our wedding. I guided Rachel all the way to camp then drove back to find any folks who may have followed the sign when I noticed Roxanna pulling off of the freeway. I got her and her kids and Felicia directed to camp and noticed that not only was their one sign misdirecting, but the fella who did that took the rest of our signs to misdirect folks even further. I took them all down and drove around to see if I could find anyone who was lost, but did not. This angered me quite a bit as we expected a few folks from Portland besides my sister. It's one thing to take down the signs, but pretty mean to misdirect folks as well.

Back at camp, I found not only my sister and family, but also found Lisa Loving, David Lichtenstein, and their kids, James and Lela. Leas Averill and his son Brian were there as well. Ernie and Erica came down from Portland as well. As I was greeting and making sure everyone out of town made it OK, we were called to load the pipe. After the pipe was loaded, Rhonda and the women who wanted to went into the sweat. I got myself ready to sweat and David Lichtenstein volunteered to sweat with us. It was me, Tim, and David, and the first time David sweated in a ceremonial fashion. I really appreciated David coming in there with us.

Tim asked me to think of Rhonda and I, old, a few less teeth, completely gray hair, wrinkled skin, still holding hands and looking into each others eyes with the Love we feel for each other now. This was not at all difficult for me, as I have been doing that off and on for quite awhile already.

Coming out, I found Rhonda and her best friend Sheila getting ready for the wedding in our tent. Soze you all know, we are not superstitious about seeing each other before the wedding, and we even helped each other get ready. I chose Lisa and David to be my witnesses, Rhonda chose her daughter Rachel, and her best friend Sheila. Everyone was told to go to the Sundance arbor and the wedding parties headed down there shortly there after.

Our altar was set up in the arbor, our colored sticks set up in the four directions, the big sticks set up with our flags in the four directions, a buffalo robe with cedar pointing to the four directions.

We stood on the robe as Tim passed on our instructions. We were married with the pipe and our feather. Tim wrapped our blanket around us, "Coyote and the Huckleberry Sisters." Lots of crying was going on. During the ceremony, however, we could hear the woodpecker call as well as poking holes into a tree. After the ceremony, the wedding party sat around and smoked the pipe, and off we went a feasting.

Rhonda had prepared much wonderful food; several pans of lasagna, buffalo, squash, salads, wonderful pies and a cobbler, etc. As well as the camp had their food to add into the whole feast. Lisa Loving brought some cupcakes, and all was good in the world. We were greeted with much Love from all the folks present.

We then did our giveaway, giving special gifts to a few people, and then laying out many items on a blanket for others to enjoy. It took a while for them all to be nabbed up.

At ceremonies, we don't ask for presents, we do giveaways as a sign of appreciation to those who came to partake in the ceremony or bear witness.

So, Shusli and I had our ceremony on a Sundance grounds, in the arbor, with four folks still on the hill and one who came down and bore witness, with groups of friends who drove down from Portland and Shusli's daughter, Rachel, on a buffalo robe used to cut and pierce the dancers, with the sacred Woodpecker there to bear witness. Folks...there is NO adequate way to describe our most beautiful union ceremony.

Here I wish to give great praise to a few folks. First, Tim Labato, who performed the ceremony for us and is a long time friend to the Fry family, Shusli's family. They met many years ago when he was asked to do the crossing over ceremony for her grandfather. Tim and I met at the Hornsbrook Sundance, the last Sundance that Martin High Bear officiated, where Tim was the man who cut me. We didn't see each other again for another 11 years, shortly after Rhonda and I first met, at our first Tipi meeting together (where we were often cuddling under the same blanket). Later, we talked and I found out that Tim was the man who cut me all those years ago.

Gogi, Tim's wife, I met more recently. This woman is so awesome. I don't know how to explain her presence more than that. She is always laughing and filled with humor and Love for her fellow human beings.

Lisa Loving! When I became homeless for a day (I still had a job, just no home to speak of), Lisa Loving volunteered her home for me to live in. We had known each other for years via KBOO and I had always admired her work. Suddenly, without knowing me all too well, she invites me to live with her and David and their kids. It was a wonderful experience. When Shusli and I needed our own spaces for a bit, Lisa immediately opened her door for me to live there again, and again, without question. She helped me through many a rough spot, and David and their kids are absolutely wonderful folks. If you don't know them, you should.

Leas and Brian are also KBOO folks. Leas was the publisher for my one and only book of poetry. It did my heart well to see this man, who is ALWAYS busy, much busier than me, to take the time out of his busy life to come to our ceremony. Thank you Leas and Brian.

It was really good to see Bernie again. I had forgotten that he and Andrew don't live all that far from us. All of the above folks, and more, Shusli and I plan on creating closer relationships with in the years that pass.

Felicia and Rachel, our daughters. Felicia is an awesome young not quite a woman. Although her and I have started butting heads recently, she is one awesome kid. Rachel and her boyfriend, Louis, may wind up living with us for a while. I have always admired Rhonda's...Shusli's kids. Rachel is full of life and it is great to see her happy in a relationship that is obviously beautiful. I hope they don't mind the squeaking floor at horrific hours as I'm getting ready for work!

I thank Woodpecker for coming around and sharing its blessing on our union.

I really want to say that I Love Shusli so much that you all can't imagine. I have Loved her for so long and each day it seems our Love is growing. We make a great Revolutionary team together. She is kind and Loving and FIERCE in her fighting for what she knows is right. And, as on into the future of our old age, we hold hands, look into each others eyes, and share an expression of Love that I pray all of you get to experience if you don't already.

Many blessings to you all, and yes, the words on this blog will again be throwing stones into the fight for what I know to be right! as well as sharing the Beauty that is so easily found in the world as well.

REVOLUTION BE WITH YOU!