I spent a wonderful time in Austin Texas with Ajumaaree and her husband in their beautiful house, which was only 2 blocks away from a nature preserve, with wild deer and fox seen each time I walked through. There were 6 deep openings into the limestone, which were covered with metal grates - with a large amount of limestone rock around, looked like their may have been dwellings near each at some time in the past. The networking of Tribe.net has been wonderful, allowing me to meet several wonderful beings in Ajumaaree and Seichi while in Texas, Lionfire in Cortez Colorado and Lakota in Sedona.

Ajumaaree took me to met her boss, who is also German and there is a possibility of having the book translated into German and Spanish as well as a cheaper way of producing it - we will see what the future brings!

i packed for the Pow Wow in Illinois and was taken to the Greyhound station, to find the bus full and one of my bags weighing in at 71 pounds - with a 50 pound limit, there was no way, nor could I have lifted this bag at th eother end. So back to Ajumaaree's and to repacking, what to leave behind? Tools - NO, raw materials - No, medicine items - no, books - definitely not - the only non essential item I could come up with was my clothes! so 20 pounds lighter in clothes, I was taken back and caught the Greyhound for a 24 hour run through Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri and into Illinois.

I was met at the station and found myself at the 14th National Pow Wow at the Vermillion county fair grounds in Danville, Illinois. This Pow Wow is held every 3 years and was held in conjunction with a Tipi competition, with 9 tipis in attendance - it looked wonderful to see them all together on the field. I managed to camp in one of them for the duration of the event, thanks to the wonderful and crazy crew I landed with!

In one of the Tipis I met a wonderful lady, her husband and adopted deaf father, who is 71 years young - she and her husband are Sac & Fox and her father is cherokee. I was blessed to learn a little sign language, be privy to some of the most amazing bead work and costumes and blessed to wear her grandmothers regalia and to dance by her side in the Pow Wow dances. On my birthday, much magic happened - it had rained the night before and my bedding had gotten wet - a generous elder offfered me a spare tent and I decided to take him up on it. As I was unzipping the tent a large dragonfly landed on the zipper and nodded towards the tipi I had just vacated. I asked do you want me to return to the tipi, in which it nodded twice, I then asked do you want me to be in the tent, to which it shook its head twice. I again asked - "do you want me to return to the tipi and it again nodded twice' - i asked the elder 'Did you see that and he replied 'I certainly did' so it was back to the tipi.
I received a crazy and wonderful message from Balaam in Guatemala on my phone as the wind howled, lightning and thunder crashed around and horizontal rain soaked everything. I realised the tent would not have withstood the deluge and was thankful to the dragonfly. The dancers moved to an indoor site that evening, but I chose to remain and connected with 2 brothers and their 12year old daughter, who had an amazing tipi, decorated with all things from buffalo - hides, bladders of water, bones, different animal skins etc all tanned and created by themselves. They cooked me dinner and we watched an amazing sunset, with fireflies playing by the trees - which Kayla (12yr old) and myself played with until dark.

In the morning, so many goodbyes and gifts exchanged. I was blessed to receive some deer toes, flicker feathers and tobacco from the brothers and Kayla read me her stories while I packed. The Sac & Fox woman gifted me with Indian tobacco, picked at a certain time in the moon cycle and by a virgin - grown the old way - she said an elder knows how it is grown by the smell and that it may even have some seeds in it. I purchased 30 more deer toes and 5 deerskins (like I need more weight!) and obtained a lift to Indianapolis, Indiana.

i stayed in a hotel for the night, soaking in a bath and slept soundly. My friend Kel, whom I had met with Ananara in 2004 picked me up next morning after work and we visited a wild bird shop, not of birds, but of accessories for them - such a beautiful shop of photos, bird feeders and such. then to an Indian lunch, you know the hot curry style! That night I was blessed to be at a talk from an older woman who had spent 23 years as a vicar, the talk was on the power of silence and we all went to various locations in the garden, woods and by the stream to listen to nature - very grounding. Such wonderful people, they have invited me to stay in their cabin while I am here and are taking me to Lake Michigan tomorrow. .....Heading to Ohio next week to connect with the Tipiman and his wife, whom I met at the Pow wow and take my snakes to the Serpent mounds. Till next time Blissings to all - Morning Star