July 11, 2019 – In recent years I have gotten better about more quickly recognizing “signs” that present themselves that are in line with ideas I have, or things I want to do, and at going with the flow of them to see where they lead. I’ve become less rigid in setting an expectation of how I’d like things to go and then getting frustrated when life wants things to manifest differently to, perhaps, be more in line with what I really do want. This kayaking journey has been about preparing enough to be safe while resisting the urge to try to learn what is going to happen before it happens.
This visit to Quadra Island has heightened my sense of awareness and comfort with just going with the flow of the day without expectation, resulting in an experience that brings me great joy and at the same time affirms ideas and concepts I have for myself and my life to come – if I just release the mind’s urge to control. This is something Alex talked about often with me. I think that’s why I have gotten better with it and why my life has continued to get better and better.
This morning started with Jim taking me up the hill to meet another of his sculptures and hear his story of it. I am not going to tell it here because it is his to tell. What I can say is that I got the message that if one quiets the mind enough to listen, and keep listening, one can get everything one needs for their journey through this life in the most profound of ways. Entitled Confirmation, not only was the scultpure visually moving, it gave me a reflective, comforting and peaceful sense. You can view a video that was made of his sculpture Transformation if you do a web search for “Jim Leishman Transformation”.
Before we left on a short tour of the south part of Quadra, Maria instructed Jim to take me by for a quick visit with her daughter, Tara. Which he did. The island reminds me a bit of Orcas where my cousin Roger lives. Lovely bays and a super nice rec area called Rebecca Spit, cute general store area, and lots and lots of forest. Tara and her husband and daughter have a small, multi-tier farm with every kind of fruit tree, nice big garden, a couple of dairy goats, meat sheep, and pastured poultry. Once Tara and I recognized how much our farming philosophies jived, she told Jim he needed to take me to meet her friend Janice. Jim took me and, oh boy. I could not discover a goat husbandry practice on which Janice and I didn’t agree. She and her husband have the model small family goat farm. I should have known we were kindred spirits when I saw “Nourishing Traditions” on her kitchen counter. Her farm is worth a visit for any real biological farming practice advocate. Plus I got to play with goats and that always fills my spirit.
Another great supper with eight of us tonight, and now I am ready to get back on the water tomorrow. I will come back to Quadra, and perhaps I will host some of these new friends back home. A final note about Maria. A beautiful human inside and out. A brilliant and intuitive person and a new soul sister. Thank you for feeding my body and soul, Maria and Jim. I will be back and we will sail.
It feels like I am shifting into a more settled peacefulness regardless of where I am or what I am doing. If I had set an intent for this trip, which I intentionally did not (groan accepted), this might have been it.
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